Guy recommends:
Free config generator
This CG will put you in charge of controlling changes to network routers and other SNMP devices.
Download your free Config Generator
Disaster Recovery in Windows 2003 - Clustering
|
Server
Backup Software
Network Backup Software Guy recommends : 
Take the guess work out of which WMI counters to use. Download your free Active Directory WMI Monitor
Guy's Review of
| |||||||||
Stateless NLB Clusters (Network Load Balancing)Examples: VPN, IIS or Terminal Server This is the clustering that you configured through the Network Adapter Properties. It supports up to 32 nodes, is Stateless and automatically balances the load when more hosts come on line. To further administer NLB there is a little known utility nlbmgr which you can launch from the run command. A feature of all clustering types is that each server needs a second network adapter (dedicated IP address) which is just used to communicate with the other cluster servers. From the host point of view they connect to a cluster, so each cluster needs a DNS name and a corresponding cluster IP address. Which ever method of clustering you use, make sure you purchase the Enterprise or Datacenter edition of Windows 2003. The standard edition does not support clustering. |
Stateful Server ClustersExamples: SQL or Exchange This method of clustering is controlled by a service that you install through Add or Remove Programs. Note: Cluster Service requires an account much like Exchange 5.5. Server clusters support up to 8 nodes and are Stateful. This type of clustering supports failover and is designed primarily for fault tolerance. The second network card maintains a 'heartbeat' with other members of the cluster. The virtual cluster name needs to be registered in DNS. To administer your cluster, Start (menu) Run, CluAdmin.exe. The concept is that one node owns the resource, and the other nodes are aware and take over in the event of failure. Applications such as SQL and Exchange have their own administration programs to configure Active / Active or Active / Passive clustering. Where possible favour Active / Passive clustering, this means that in the event of failure all the functions are taken over by a 'hot spare' server. |
Guy Recommends: SolarWinds LANSurveyor
LANSurveyor will produce a neat diagram of your network topology. But that's just the start; LANSurveyor can create an inventory of the hardware and software of your machines and network devices. Other neat features include dynamic update for when you add new devices to your network. I also love the ability to export the diagrams to Microsoft Visio.
Finally, Guy bets that if you take a free trial of LANSurveyor then you will find a device on your network that you had forgotten about, or someone else installed without you realizing!
Download a Free Trial of LANSurveyor
▫
Limitations of Disk configuration on server clusters.
Remember that the disks are likely to be the area where you need specialist cluster aware hardware. At the top of the range, the storage will be handled by NAS and SAN systems.
Disks to be used for cluster storage must be configured as basic disks and must be formatted as NTFS. You cannot configure cluster storage devices as dynamic disks or spanned volumes (volume sets) if they will be used as cluster resources. You can, however, use the DiskPart.exe utility to extend the volume of a basic cluster disk. for more information, see DiskPart.
It is highly recommended that you do not enable write caching
on cluster disks.
In server clusters, the process of taking resource groups offline on one node
and bringing them online on another node. When failover occurs, all resources
within a resource group fail over in a predefined order; resources that depend
on other resources are taken offline before, and are brought back online after,
the resources on which they depend.
Network security is complex. As an MCT trainer, I can thoroughly recommend
TrainSignal because they
provide practical hands on training. In particular, I like the way TrainSignal cover all learning methods, instructor lead, video and of course text material. You can either take one module, for example
Network Security or go for
a combination of modules.
See more about Network Security training here
More Topics for Disaster Recovery in Server 2003 / 2008
*
| ||||||
