altos cluster

Acer Altos Server Cluster Certification


What is PC-Server Cluster• Traditionally, one PC server will serve a couple of tasks. In a cluster enviroment,a couple of servers cooperate to execute a couple of tasks

NetworkServer

Server 3

Server 1Server 2


Why we need cluster server

• High Availability•Single device fail will not cause the service stopped

•Scalability•Add more servers to increase the capacity of cluster server

Network

Server 3

Server 1 Server 2

Network

Server 3

Server 1 Server 2

Server 1

High Availablility

Scalability


Architecture of Cluster•Share nothing•Share disk•Backup server

•Spare server•No Task sharing•Take over if server fails

•Standby server•Sharing tasks•Take over if server fails

StorageDevice

Network

StorageDevice

Network

StorageDevice

Share Disk

Share Nothing


Clustering Bus• Clustered server could be inter-connected by:

•CPU/Memory Interconnects•Memory bus

•Local bus Interconnects•PCI bus

•Storage Interconnects•SCSI bus


Hardware & Software needed

•Software needed•Administration tools

•config and monitor cluster operation•Balance server tasks

•A set of API to enable cluster aware application•Fail over operation

•Hardware needed

•A multi-channel storage device for share disk architecture•A private communication for cluster information transfer


Technology bottleneck•Synchronization of the tasks between servers•Resume the tasks of fail server •Two-node cluster will be the first phrase of PC cluster solution


Microsoft MSCS•Microsoft announce to release two-node MSCS (wolfpack) for NT by 2Q of 1997•BackOffice will be modified as cluster aware.

Ethernet

Private LAN

Data

Window NT 4.0 +Wolfpack= Window NT Enterprise Server


When will MSCS be available?

•MSCS is shipping as part of windows NT Server 4.0 enterprise Edition. Significant enhancements to Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition are planned for Windows 2000 Server Enterprise Edition •Most of these features are visible in and supported in the Beta 2 for Windows 2000 Server Enterprise Edition, which shipped in August 1998.


Advantage of MSCS• Easy to implement , no special hardware required•Provide application,database, IP address and network address failover•Easy cluster administration - GUI •Every node in cluster could execute their own tasks, no resource wasted.•Resource Group failover


Disadvantage of MSCS

• Clients must handle failures•Reconnect or retry

•A shared storage is needed,it may become the bottleneck•Must use TCP/IP or NBT


Acer’s Cluster Solutions•To comply with MSCS, Acer will provide a RAID box connected to on-board SCSI channel as the share storage device.•Acer will also provide a SCSI switch board to share the SCSI storage on two hosts


RAID Box•A disk array is configured as the share storage•During failover, applications are bring up from the other host and restore data from the share storage device

Host 1 Host 2

Disk array which support morethan two SCSI channels

SCSI Channel 0

SCSI Channel 1


SCSI Switch Card•Features

•SAF-TE command control•Monitor SCSI device •Monitor Host environment •Enable sharing of SCSI storage between two hosts


Acer Certification product list


AcerAltos 21000

•Device •This Device meets the following logo-level classifications:

•Windows NT4 x86: Windows NT 4.0 Compatible

•Server 1 - AcerAltos 21000 •Server 2 - AcerAltos 21000•SCSI/RAID Controller - Adaptec AHA-3950U2B (AIC-7897)•Shared SCSI/RAID Storage - IBM DDRS-34560


AcerAltos 9100B



•Server 1 - AcerAltos 9100B•Server 2 - AcerAltos 9100B•SCSI - Onboard Adaptec AIC 7880B w/External Connection


AcerAltos 1100



•Server 1 - AcerAltos 1100•Server 2 - AcerAltos 1100•SCSI controller - Adaptec AHA-2940


AcerAltos 19000Pro4

•Device • This Device meets the following logo-level classifications:


•Server 1 - AcerAltos 19000Pro4•Server 2 - AcerAltos 19000Pro4•Array Controller - Onboard Adaptec AIC 7880•Shared SCSI - AIC-7880 Dell Earthquake MB


AcerAltos 9100•Device •This Device meets the following logo-level classifications:


•Server 1 - AcerAltos 9100•Server 2 - AcerAltos 9100•SCSI/RAID Controller - Adaptec AHA-2940•Shared SCSI/RAID Storage - Onboard Adaptec AIC 7880


Known problem•Shared disk need to use 9GB, 4GB will failed (AA9100/M9N)•On-board SCSI cannot use dual SCSI channel, shared disk need to connect to SCSI Host adapter (Add-on card)•From UK. If 3950U2W has include SCSI BIOS 2.20.00, after single node testing, system will stop during primary server restart. (Temporarily solution: Change older SCSI BIOS to 2.10.00 or plug-in a new SCSI Host Adaptec AHA-2940U2W and connect with External Storage System -RS-700 at primary server.

altos cluster

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