| Using ClusterCATS |
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Configuring Clusters |
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| Using ClusterCATS |
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Configuring Clusters |
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ClusterCATS consists of these components:
btadminThe following sections describe these components.
All the components are installed on a computer when you run the ClusterCATS installation program.
You must run the installation program on each server that will be part of your cluster, and on the Windows computer from which you will use ClusterCATS Explorer to administer the cluster. Even if your clusters run on Solaris or Linux platforms, you can use a Windows computer to run the ClusterCATS Explorer (recommended). You can also use the Web-based Explorer in conjunction with included server utilities to administer your clusters.
Note: Read the description of each component that is relevant to your installation in the sections that follow. These sections contain important configuration information.
The ClusterCATS Server is the heart of the clustering and load balancing of ClusterCATS. It must be installed on each server in your cluster. The server monitors the status of all other web servers in a cluster and tracks application and transaction resource availability. ClusterCATS Server runs on Windows, Sun Solaris, and Linux platforms. To administer the ClusterCATS Server, use the ClusterCATS Server Administrator (Windows) or the btadmin utility (UNIX).
Each ClusterCATS Server component performs the following functions:
ClusterCATS Explorer is a Windows-based administration utility that you use to create and manage clusters from one computer. Using a Windows Explorer-like graphical interface, you perform management tasks such as:
Note: You can run the ClusterCATS Explorer from any server in the cluster, or you can run it remotely. This flexibility gives administrators in different geographic locations the ability to administer distributed clusters. You can also use ClusterCATS Explorer to administer UNIX clusters from a single Windows computer. You can view multiple clusters from a single Explorer.
The ClusterCATS Explorer presents a view of your cluster that is much like the view that the Windows Explorer presents of the files and directories that reside on a PC, as shown below.
The ClusterCATS Explorer interface includes four distinct areas:
Each object in a ClusterCATS cluster configuration - clusters, servers, monitors, and probes - is represented by a unique icon. You can manipulate the icons in much the same manner as you expand and collapse directory trees in the Windows Explorer. For a list of which icons represent which objects in the ClusterCATS Explorer, click the Icon Legend button.
You use the ClusterCATS Web Explorer (btweb) for administering UNIX-only clusters. It is a graphical, cross-platform, Web-based utility used to create, configure, and administer ClusterCATS clusters.
Note: ClusterCATS only installs ClusterCATS Web Explorer on UNIX servers, but you can access it from any computer with an Internet browser.
The Web Explorer, like its Windows counterpart, is quite robust and lets you configure and administer clusters easily. However, it does not contain the identical functionality provided by the Windows-based ClusterCATS Explorer. The Web Explorer does not let you do the following:
If you require any of these capabilities, you should obtain a Windows computer and use the Windows-based ClusterCATS Explorer for your cluster administration.
Before you can open and use the ClusterCATS Web Explorer, you must ensure that a communications port is configured to listen for HTTP requests on the Netscape or Apache web server for which you installed ClusterCATS. You can access the ClusterCATS Web Explorer only through the defined communications port on your web server, which you configure using your web server's administration utilities.
Note: For availability and security reasons, be sure to allow access to the ClusterCATS Web Explorer only from a separate IP-based virtual host server on a port other than 80 and password protect access to it.
By default, Netscape Enterprise Server assigns your web server a random, six-digit communication port number. You can either use this assigned number or change it to something easier to remember, like port 81.
If you are not familiar with configuring your web server's communications ports, see the Netscape Enterprise Server Administrator online help for instructions.
Make the following changes to the Apache Web Server's httpd.conf file to enable the ClusterCATS Web Explorer (btweb). Replace the IP address (192.168.96.71) and port (2222) specified in the example below with values appropriate for your system and enable authentication for the virtual directory.
### BTWeb Administration
Listen 192.168.96.71:2222
<VirtualHost 192.168.96.71:2222>
ServerAdmin root@localhost
DocumentRoot /usr/lib/btcats/btweb
DirectoryIndex default.htm
ServerName btweb
ErrorLog logs/btweb_error_log
CustomLog logs/btweb_access_log combined
### BTWeb stuff ###
AddHandler cgi-script .exe
<Directory "/usr/lib/btcats/btweb/">
Options FollowSymLinks
Options ExecCGI
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
AuthName "btcats admin tools"
AuthType Basic
AuthUserFile /usr/local/apache/conf/users
require user admin
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>
When you have configured your server, restart Apache. To access the Web Explorer, point your browser to the IP address you entered as the VirtualHost.
For information on using the htpasswd utility to create and manage your authentication file list, see the Apache documentation.
The ClusterCATS Web Explorer can be used from a computer that runs either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0 or greater.
For Netscape Enterprise Server v3.x:
http://<server-name>:<admin-port>/admin-serv/btweb/default.html
For Netscape Enterprise Server v4.0x:
http://<server-name>:<admin-port>/https-admserv/btweb/default.html
For Apache:
http://<virtual_host>:<admin-port>/default.html
servername or virtual_host is the name of the web server on which you installed ClusterCATS, and <admin-port> is the communication port number on which the web server or virtual host is configured to listen for HTTP requests.
The Enter Network Password dialog box appears:
Note: The default user name and password is admin.
The ClusterCATS Web Explorer opens.
The ClusterCATS Server Administrator is a Windows-based utility that lets you perform server-specific maintenance activities for each server in a cluster. Unlike the ClusterCATS Explorer, which let you administer clusters from one central computer, you must run the ClusterCATS Server Administrator from each server in your cluster.
The Server Administrator lets you:
The ClusterCATS Server Administrator lets you accomplish these tasks using an easy-to-use graphical user interface.
To open the ClusterCATS Server Administrator, select Start > Programs > Macromedia > ClusterCATS Server Administrator.
For more information on using the Server Administrator, see Chapter 5.
btadmin is a scriptable utility that lets you perform server-specific maintenance activities for each server in a cluster. btadmin is available on UNIX and Windows servers.
Unlike the ClusterCATS Web Explorer, which lets you administer your entire cluster from one central computer, you must use btadmin from each server in your cluster. btadmin lets you:
For more information, see "Using btadmin".
