Clustering setup and installation guide

System Management
A-6 Compaq Smart Array Cluster Storage Clustering Setup and Installation Guide
COMPAQ CONFIDENTIAL
Writer: John Turner File Name: e-appa system management.doc
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Detailed specifications for Compaq tape drives can be found at the Compaq
Enterprise Storage website at
www.compaq.com/storage.
Tape backup software varies in its level of cluster awareness, integration, and
operation. Contact your tape backup software vendor for more information regarding
cluster implementation and support.
Managing Cluster Performance
As applications or resources transfer from one server to another, the performance of
the clustered servers is likely to change. The extent of the performance change
depends on how well equipped the other server node is to handle the increase in
workload. This is especially obvious after a server failure, where all of the cluster
resources may move to the other server.
Use the Windows Performance Monitor or the Novell NetWare MONITOR.NLM to
observe and track system performance. Some applications may also have their own
internal performance measurement capabilities. Constant monitoring of each
system’s performance in a cluster may identify a disparity in the workload being
performed by each server. Adjust the distribution of the cluster applications so that
the overall cluster performance is maximized.
Dynamic load balancing is not available in Microsoft Cluster Server, Microsoft
Cluster Service, NetWare Cluster Services, or Novell Cluster Services. However,
these utilities do offer the ability to manually load balance server nodes. Under
Windows, use information obtained from Performance Monitor to determine if either
server is operating at an extreme performance level. Use Cluster Administrator to fail
over as many cluster groups as necessary to balance the load of each server.
Similarly, under Novell NetWare, use MONITOR.NLM to determine if either server
is operating at an extreme performance level.
The optimum timing for manual movement of a cluster group to balance the load
depends on the type of group to be moved and the number of clients that are using the
group. File and print services are normally not business-critical, nor do they sustain
extremely high utilization rates. Therefore, file and print services are good candidates
to move when load balancing is required, even when overall cluster utilization is
high.