Job Management Partner 1/Software Distribution Description and Planning Guide

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5.2.6 Using JP1/Software Distribution in a cluster system

You can also install JP1/Software Distribution in a cluster system that uses Microsoft Cluster Service or Windows Server Failover Cluster. A cluster system consists of more than one server operated as a single system. A cluster system provides higher system availability because if one server fails, another server can continue processing (failover), thereby avoiding shutdown of the entire system. A cluster system's failover functionality is available only to JP1/Software Distribution Manager (central manager).

JP1/Software Distribution Manager supports the active/standby configuration, which is one of the operation modes of cluster systems. The active/standby configuration is a two-node cluster system in which one node is defined as the active system (usually called an executing system in JP1/Software Distribution documentation) and the other as the standby system.

The following figure shows an overview of a cluster system that uses JP1/Software Distribution.

Figure 5-13 Overview of a cluster system that uses JP1/Software Distribution

[Figure]

In addition to the physical host names and IP addresses of the multiple JP1/Software Distribution Managers in a cluster system, a logical host name or logical IP address is used to connect to the logical manager. This makes it possible for the standby machine to establish connection without having to know which manager is being used for processing.

If you use a relational database as the management database, you can use the failover facility of Microsoft Cluster Service or Windows Server Failover Cluster. When this failover functionality is used, the cluster software monitors:

You can also use the servers that constitute the cluster system as individual nodes (not as logical hosts) by using their physical host names or IP addresses.

For details about how to construct a cluster system and set up its environment, see 11.1 Constructing a JP1/Software Distribution Cluster System in the Setup Guide.

Organization of this subsection
(1) System configuration examples
(2) JP1/Software Distribution facilities supported in a cluster system

(1) System configuration examples

Examples of a cluster system for JP1/Software Distribution are described below.

(a) Configuration examples in which JP1/Software Distribution is failed over

This section presents examples of configurations in which JP1/Software Distribution is failed over. The following types of system configurations are supported:

(b) Configuration example in which JP1/Software Distribution is not failed over

You can use the executing (i.e., active) and standby computers as different systems without registering JP1/Software Distribution Manager in a cluster group and without using the failover functionality. In this configuration, while another program is using the logical host, JP1/Software Distribution can access the physical hosts that constitute the logical host by using their physical host names or IP addresses. If JP1/Software Distribution is not to be failed over, you can install a relay manager (JP1/Software Distribution Manager) or JP1/Software Distribution Client on the physical host that constitutes the cluster system.

The following figure shows an example configuration in which JP1/Software Distribution is not failed over.

Figure 5-17 Example of configuration in which JP1/Software Distribution is not failed over

[Figure]

(2) JP1/Software Distribution facilities supported in a cluster system

The following table lists the JP1/Software Distribution facilities and whether they are supported in a cluster system.

Table 5-1 JP1/Software Distribution facilities and whether they are supported in a cluster system

Item Supported?
Supported cluster Microsoft Cluster Service Y
Windows Server Failover Cluster Y
Supported cluster system configuration Active/standby configuration Y
Active/active configuration --
ID key for operations By host name Y
By IP address Y
By host identifier Y
Network-related items Operation in environment of multiple LAN connections --
Database for JP1/Software Distribution Manager Embedded RDB Y
Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 Y
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Y
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Y
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Y
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Y
Oracle8i (Windows NT) Y
Oracle8i (Solaris) Y
Oracle9i (Windows NT) Y
JP1/Software Distribution Manager facilities Ordinary distribution Y
Distribution using ID group Y
Split distribution Y
Remote collection Y
Inventory collection Y
Automatic registration of system configuration Y
Sending events to JP1/IM Y
Automatic dialing --
OpenView Linkage Y (no FF)
Packager Y (no FF)
Relay manager Y (no FF)
JP1/Software Distribution Client (relay system) Relay system Y (no FF)
JP1/Software Distribution Client (client) Y (no FF)
Asset Information Manager Subset Y
Remote Control Manager Y (no FF)
Remote Control Agent Y (no FF)

Legend:
Y: Facility is supported.
--: Facility is not supported.
Y (no FF): Facility is supported within the range where failover does not occur.