You can also install Asset Information Manager in a cluster system that uses cluster software. A cluster system links multiple servers and runs them as a single system. If there is a problem on one of the systems, applications can be inherited by another server (this is called failover), which saves the entire system from being shut down.

Asset Information Manager supports the active-standby configuration, which is one of the operation modes for cluster systems. The active-standby configuration is a two-node cluster system in which one server is set as the executing system and the other as the standby system.

The following figure provides an overview of a cluster system that uses Asset Information Manager.

Figure 3-18 Overview of cluster system using Asset Information Manager

Separately from the physical host name and IP address of the asset management server, a logical host name or logical IP address is used to connect to the logical server. This enables the user to establish connection without having to know which server is actually executing the processing.

To create a cluster system, Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition is required as the operating system of the asset management server.