cluster a modem server?

[adumitrescu]

My problem is how to cluster a win2003 server with modems. I've got 6 phone lines - all calls are incoming. The primary server (with IIS app) has 6 modems. I wish to have a second server, with 6 modems also, and cluster the two servers. Should the PRIMARY server fail, the SECONDARY one will take over - Clustering!
The simplest model would be to plug in the phone lines to all modems on both servers using splitters. The catch is ensuring only the modems on the PRIMARY server answer. I've searched for a multi-modem controller that is 'cluster-aware', but can find nothing.
Any suggestions on this, or alternate methods, are welcome.

 

[mrdenny]

What you'll need is the software which answers the phones to be cluster aware. This way the software is only running on one server or the other. The modems on the second machine will ring, but without the software answering the ringing modem it should work correctly.

Denny
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[theravager]

If its for something important you could look at going down the isdn modem route. Basically you hook up a 2M line from your telco and each virtual modem uses a 64k channel, you can purchase as many channels as you need on this. The modem does all the authentication and is hooked up to the server via standard ethernet. MAX equipment is a fairly nice choice for this path.

Or you could just setup your existing stuff to use call forward no answer to an alternate internal modem number on your secondary server if you have an exchange.