New to Clustering

[Noip]

Hi,

I have 2 PCs with 512Mb mem. on each. I would like to set up windows 2000 server in clusters for 2 reasons.

1. For greater performance
2. To prevent downtime if 1 PC fails.

Can you help?

 

[GiaBetiu]

Have you a SCSI bus and SCSI HDDs also? (with external closure), where you should have the shared drives.

Gia Betiu
gia@almondeyes.net
Computer Eng. CNE 4, CNE 5, MCSE Win2K
new:

http://www.almondeyes.net

(just started)

 

[Noip]

No SCSI devices attached.

1 IDE 60Gb Hard Disk on each PC.
1 PC contains 2 NICs and the other 1. I am also planning to do some proxy also.

Thanks...

 

[hewissa]

I would use 2 NICS on both machines and designate one from each as the Load Balanced devices.

Edit the properties of the NLB nic with an IP that both comps will use. This will be the Primary IP. Specify the subnet mask and a FQDN. The FQDN needs to be registered in DNS and pointing to the NLB IP address. If you choose not to use a second NIC in comp 2 you'll need to enable multicast for that unit.

On the Host tab set the priority, a unique number for both comps. You'll need to specify the NIC's static ip address and check whether you want the cluster enabled immediatly.

You'll need to configure your port rules and modify the TCP/IP settings of the NIC to include the newly NLB IP address.

Once complete drop to a command prompt and test the NLB. Run both wlbs query and wlbs display. The first should display the Priorty numbers you set on the Host tab and the second displays more details of your cluster.

Make sure to check DNS to see if the entries have been added.

Hewissa

MCSE, CCNA, CIW

 

[Noip]

Sorry this was too fast for me.

I have windows 2000 server. Is the MSCS feature included?
What did u mean by NLB nic?
Is it founf on the master server?
Will the second server communicate with the main server using nics?
Will the hard disk on the 2nd server be used? What else will not be used?

Thanks

 

[hewissa]

Clustering and Network Load Balancing are almost one and the same. Clustering is an Advanced server feature. 2K Server doesn't support it. Both servers will be used, so yes bot drives will be used. Clustering allows both servers to act as one, transparent to the end user as to which server they are on. Clustering joins the two servers, or two applications on the servers, in the event that one is overworked the other will off load some of the tasks. What is and isn't used depends on the purpose for Clustering.

See this article for more info:

http://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/whitepapers/cluster_service_win2K_paper.asp

Hewissa

MCSE, CCNA, CIW

 

[MrTickle]

You aren't gonna get anywhere with this until you have some shared disks.

Take a look at this link :

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/planning/server/clustersteps.asp

This will give you an easy breakdown of software\hardware requirements as well as basic configuration steps.

 

[Noip]

Thanks for the links, it has helped a lot but does someone know how the licensing will be?

Regards