Deploying Cluster unaware application on a windows cluster

**Domon** · 03-05-2008

Hi everyone

Has anyone deployed a cluster unaware application like MySQL on a server 2003 cluster before? I am trying to configure MySQL over two cluster nodes so that the application can failover when one is down. I have come across some article that says we need to install the application on both nodes and create a generic service to start up the service during the failover. Can someone advise me on how to go about doing the configuration?

Thanks.

Regards

Chuck Swanson · 04-05-2008

Have deployed cluster unaware apps, but not MySQL. Sure, you can configure
a cluster-unaware app, but if this is supposed to be a highly available
solution, why configure an unsupported scenario. Last I looked MySQL
cluster has not been ported to windows. For a supported scenario :
http://www.mysql.com/products/database/cluster/
--
Chuck Swanson MCT, MCSE+I:Security, MCITP:Exchange, CEH, CHFI, ECSA, LPT,
MCNI, MCNE, CTT+, Security+, etc...
Swanson Computer Training & Consulting, Inc.

"Domon" <Domon.38ubnf@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:Domon.38ubnf@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> Hi everyone
>
> Has anyone deployed a cluster unaware application like MySQL on a
> server 2003 cluster before? I am trying to configure MySQL over two
> cluster nodes so that the application can failover when one is down. I
> have come across some article that says we need to install the
> application on both nodes and create a generic service to start up the
> service during the failover. Can someone advise me on how to go about
> doing the configuration?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Regards
>
>
> --
> Domon
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Domon's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=48096
> View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=961249
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>

**Domon** · 04-05-2008

Hi

Thanks for replying. I really need some advise on this.

This was a requirement from our apps team. Thus, I did some testing on our staging environment. Here is how I go about doing the configuration.

1) installing the application on all nodes.
2) configure the application to point it's storage location on the SAN disk ( a disk resource).
3) configure a generic service resource to start up and monitor the service.
4) configure the appilcation related resource to start up in correct order ( disk resorce follow by the service resource)

After configuration, I did some failover testing on the application.

1) plug out the production cable to simulate a network failover.
2) stopping the service to simulate a application failover.
3) ending the applicaiton's process using task manager to simulate a application failover.
4) shutting down the active mode to simulate a node failure.

The service is able to failover and start successfully and the web applcation from our apps team is able to connect to the database after the failover.

However, I am not sure if this is the usual practice to deploy a cluster unaware application on a windows cluster. Is this configuration the same as yours when you deploy your cluster unaware apps.

regards and thanks

Chuck Swanson · 04-05-2008

Hi Domon,

Sure, the steps you followed and tested look fine. Here's info direct from
Microsoft:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...66(VS.85).aspx

So OK to do, sure. I always encourage customers to use apps that are
cluster-aware ( for example some in-house apps. old apps, maybe a temp
solution to configure a cluster-unaware until app is rewritten to be
cluster-aware). In your case, maybe until MySQL cluster gets ported to
Windows. The other variable is...."is this a mission critical app?", or
"hey, we already have the SAN and why not throw this cool app data on there
and take advantage of "free" clustering in Windows as it's better than no
clustering at all" :-)

Chuck

--
Chuck Swanson MCT, MCSE+I:Security, MCITP:Exchange, CEH, CHFI, ECSA, LPT,
MCNI, MCNE, CTT+, Security+, etc...
Swanson Computer Training & Consulting, Inc.

"Domon" <Domon.38veji@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:Domon.38veji@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> Hi
>
> Thanks for replying. I really need some advise on this.
>
> This was a requirement from our apps team. Thus, I did some testing on
> our staging environment. Here is how I go about doing the
> configuration.
>
> 1) installing the application on all nodes.
> 2) configure the application to point it's storage location on the SAN
> disk ( a disk resource).
> 3) configure a generic service resource to start up and monitor the
> service.
> 4) configure the appilcation related resource to start up in correct
> order ( disk resorce follow by the service resource)
>
> After configuration, I did some failover testing on the application.
>
> 1) plug out the production cable to simulate a network failover.
> 2) stopping the service to simulate a application failover.
> 3) ending the applicaiton's process using task manager to simulate a
> application failover.
> 4) shutting down the active mode to simulate a node failure.
>
> The service is able to failover and start successfully and the web
> applcation from our apps team is able to connect to the database after
> the failover.
>
> However, I am not sure if this is the usual practice to deploy a
> cluster unaware application on a windows cluster. Is this configuration
> the same as yours when you deploy your cluster unaware apps.
>
>
> regards and thanks
>
>
> --
> Domon
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Domon's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=48096
> View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=961250
>
> http://forums.techarena.in
>

**Domon** · 05-05-2008

Hi Chuck

Thanks for the advise.

Are you saying that I should installed the application on the SAN disk or store the data that the application is accessing on the SAN disk? Right now, I am using the second appoach. Not sure if I really got what you are trying to say.

Regards

Thanks

Chuck Swanson · 06-05-2008

--
Chuck Swanson MCT, MCSE+I:Security, MCITP:Exchange, CEH, CHFI, ECSA, LPT,
MCNI, MCNE, CTT+, Security+, etc...
Swanson Computer Training & Consulting, Inc.

"Domon" <Domon.38x6fd@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:Domon.38x6fd@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> Hi Chuck
>
> Thanks for the advise.
>
>
> Are you saying that I should installed the application on the SAN disk
> or store the data that the application is accessing on the SAN disk?
> Right now, I am using the second appoach. Not sure if I really got what
> you are trying to say.
>

To clarify, data on SAN.

Chuck

> Regards
>
> Thanks
>
>
> --
> Domon
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Domon's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=48096
> View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=961250
>
> http://forums.techarena.in
>

**Domon** · 07-05-2008

Hi Chuck

Okay. Understood.I understand that a cluster unaware application can also be managed using a generic application resource as well. What is the difference between them? What kind of scenarios will we be using the application resource and service resource?

Regards

Thanks

Georg sauseng · 06-06-2008

I always encourage customers to use apps that are
> cluster-aware ( for example some in-house apps. old apps, maybe a temp
> solution to configure a cluster-unaware until app is rewritten to be
> cluster-aware).

Hello !
i read yor messages bout clustering and unaware apps.

So i read bout makin software cluster aware.
If i have access to the source i have to write an resource dll so that
the entry point functions are implemented in that way, that the cluster
service or Resourcemonitor could get the necessary information from my app.

I found this Cluster Resource Wizard which is doin a skeleton for a new
resource or resource type...

Is it possible to write the resource dll with C# ?

I didnt find anything about that.

Regards
Georg