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Configuring Clusters


Creating clusters

If you have performed the tasks described in "Before you install" and you have successfully installed ClusterCATS, you are ready to create server clusters.

This section explains the following:

Creating clusters in Windows

You can create clusters using the Cluster Setup Wizard or manually, using the ClusterCATS Explorer. It is easier and quicker to create and configure clusters completely with the Cluster Setup Wizard.

This section describes how to create clusters in both ways:

Creating clusters with the Cluster Setup Wizard

The ClusterCATS Explorer includes the Cluster Setup Wizard that makes creating and configuring clusters easy. The wizard steps you through the required definition and configuration steps. After creating a cluster with the wizard, you can use the ClusterCATS Explorer to make any necessary changes.

To create a server cluster using the Cluster Setup Wizard:

  1. Select Start > Programs > Macromedia > ClusterCATS Explorer.

    The ClusterCATS Explorer opens:

    ClusterCATS Explorer window

  2. Select Configure > Cluster Setup Wizard or click the Cluster Setup Wizard icon The Cluster Setup Wizard icon in the toolbar.

    The Create New Cluster dialog box appears:

    Create New Cluster dialog box

  3. Enter a name for your cluster and click Next.

    Make your cluster names logically consistent with their purpose. For example, Sales Web, Customer Support Web, and so on.

    The List of Web Servers in the Cluster dialog box appears:

    Cluster dialog box

  4. Click Add to add available web servers to your cluster.

    The Add New Server to Cluster dialog box appears:

    Add New Server to Cluster dialog box

  5. Enter the fully qualified host name of a web server in the New Web Server Name field (for example, doc.macromedia.com).
  6. If you use the ClusterCATS dynamic IP addressing scheme and the maintenance IP address is not bound to your NIC, select ClusterCATS Maintenance Support.

    If you are not configuring this server for offline maintenance support, go to step 8.

    Note:   You can set the maintenance support option only when creating a cluster or adding a cluster member to a cluster. You cannot configure or modify this option after you have created and added the cluster member to the cluster.

    Enabling maintenance support for clusters requires that you configure your cluster for ClusterCATS dynamic IP addressing. For more information, see "ClusterCATS Dynamic IP Addressing (Windows only)".

  7. Enter the fully qualified host name of the maintenance address (for example, serv1.yourcompany.com) in the Maintenance Address field.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Repeat steps 4 through 8 for each web server you want to add to the cluster, and then click Next to proceed.

    The Load Management dialog box appears:

    Load Management dialog box

  10. To use the default load threshold settings, click Next and go to step 13. If you do not want to use the defaults, select the server and click Configure to configure new peak and gradual redirect load thresholds for that cluster member.

    The Load Thresholds dialog box appears:

    Load Thresholds dialog box

  11. Enter numerical values (not higher than 100%) in the Peak Load Threshold and Gradual Redirect fields and click OK.

    Set the peak load threshold below 100%, to accommodate the server's processing needs. Set the gradual redirection threshold lower than the peak threshold.

  12. Click Next.

    The Alert Notification dialog box appears:

    Alert Notification dialog box

  13. Enter the name of your outbound SMTP mail server in the SMTP mail server field and the e-mail address for a recipient of cluster alerts in the E-mail addresses field. If multiple people will receive different alerts for different types of notification events, go to step 14. Otherwise, click Next and proceed to step 16.
  14. To configure different types of alerts to go to different people, click Details in the Alert Notification dialog box.

    The Alarm Notification dialog box appears.

  15. Select an alert event and enter the e-mail address of the recipient.

    If you want one person to receive the majority of alerts, click Propagate to automatically fill each event's Recipient column with the same e-mail address. Then manually change the few recipients that are different. If there are multiple recipients for one alert event, separate e-mail address entries with commas. Click OK to return to the Alarm Notifications dialog box and then click Next to proceed.

    The Session State Management dialog box appears:

    Session State Management dialog box

  16. If your server cluster supports a site that must maintain persistent state on the same web server during a user session, select Yes to enable session-aware load balancing. Otherwise, select No and click Next.

    The Load Balancing Device dialog box appears:

    Load Balancing Device dialog box

  17. If you use a hardware-based load-balancing device in addition to ClusterCATS to manage and distribute load, enter the name of the website that this device supports (for example, www.yourcompany.com) and click Next.
  18. Click Finish.

    ClusterCATS creates the cluster you configured and displays it in the ClusterCATS Explorer's left pane.

Manually creating clusters

If you do not want to create your clusters using the Cluster Setup Wizard, you can create them manually. If you manually create clusters, you must then add each cluster member to a cluster, using the ClusterCATS Explorer.

To manually add cluster members to a cluster, see "Adding cluster members".

To manually create clusters:

  1. Select Start > Programs > Macromedia > ClusterCATS Explorer.

    The ClusterCATS Explorer opens.

  2. Select Cluster Manager > New Cluster, or right-click the Cluster Manager icon and select New Cluster, or click the New Cluster button in the toolbar.

    The Create New Cluster dialog box appears:

    Create New Cluster dialog box

  3. Add a new cluster using the fields as described in the following table:
    Field
    Description
    Cluster Name
    Enter a unique name for the cluster.
    Make cluster names logically consistent with their purpose. For example, Sales Web, or Customer Support Web.
    Web Server Name
    Enter the fully qualified host name (for example, doc.macromedia.com) for the first server you want to be a member of this cluster.
    You cannot create an empty cluster; you must specify a web server that will be part of the cluster. The first server that you add to a cluster is known as the Admin Manager. The remaining steps guide you in configuring the Admin Manager.
    Bring up in passive mode
    Select this checkbox to bring the Admin Manager up in Passive mode. If you do not select this checkbox, the server will be brought up in Active mode.
    For more information, see "Changing active/passive settings".
    ClusterCATS maintenance support
    Select the ClusterCATS Maintenance Support check box to enable support for offline maintenance. The Admin Manager must be configured with a maintenance IP address.
    Using maintenance support requires that your cluster support ClusterCATS dynamic IP addressing. For more information, see "ClusterCATS Dynamic IP Addressing (Windows only)".
    Offline maintenance support is available only on Windows NT server clusters. You can set the maintenance support option only when creating a cluster or adding a cluster member to a cluster. You cannot configure or modify this option after you create and added a cluster member to a cluster.
    Maintenance address
    Enter the fully qualified host name of the maintenance address (for example, serv1.yourcompany.com). This field is accessible only if you selected ClusterCATS Maintenance Support.
  4. Click OK.

    The cluster appears below the Cluster Manager icon in the ClusterCATS Explorer left pane.

    To manually add additional cluster members to your new cluster, see "Adding cluster members".

Creating clusters in UNIX

  1. In the ClusterCATS Web Explorer, click the Create New Cluster link.

    The Create New Cluster page appears:

    Create New Cluster page

  2. Add a cluster using the fields as described in the following table:
    Field
    Description
    Cluster Name
    Enter a unique name for the cluster.
    Make cluster names logically consistent with their purpose - for example, Sales Web, or Customer Support Web.
    Web Server Name
    Enter the fully qualified host name (for example, doc.macromedia.com) for the first server you want to be a member of this cluster.
    You cannot create an empty cluster; you must specify a web server that will be part of the cluster. The first server that you add to a cluster is known as the Admin Manager.
    You cannot create an empty cluster; you must specify a web server that will be part of the cluster.
  3. Click OK.

    ClusterCATS creates the cluster and displays its members on the Cluster Member List page, as in the following figure:

    Cluster Member List page

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