Configuring a WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment cluster with shared disk

You can create a WebSphere® Application Server Network Deployment cluster that uses a shared disk and a WebSphere Application Server profile across multiple nodes. The shared disk can be mounted on one active node where you can start WebSphere Application Server services and applications. To create a shared disk cluster, you use cluster management software, such as System Automation for Multiplatforms.

About this task

You can configure a service IP to automate the failover from one node to another. The cluster manager can automatically mount the file system on the active node. This solution is useful when a load-balanced cluster is not required. You can minimize the disk space that is needed to support a redundant system environment.

For more information about how to configure the cluster manager in active-passive mode, see the WebSphere Application Server V6: High Availability Solutions IBM® Redbooks® publication. The configuration documentation for cluster manager software that you use can provide further information about creating policies.

Procedure

  1. Install System Automation for Multiplatforms on all nodes.
  2. Create a highly available shared disk that can be mounted on all systems. The file system must be mounted only on the primary node.
  3. Install WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment and create the necessary profiles on the shared file system.
  4. To mount the shared file system on the active node, configure the cluster management software resources and policies.
  5. Create a resource and a policy on the cluster manager for the Service IP. Ensure that the policy applies the Service IP to the active node only.
  6. Create a dependency on the shared file system mount resource that mounts only to the node that has an active Service IP.
  7. Create a policy that starts the WebSphere Application Server, the node agent, and any other essential services, such as the HTTP server. Ensure that the policy is dependent on the shared file system mount resource. The WebSphere Application Servers must be dependent on the startup of the node agents.
  8. If the cluster management software detects that the active node failed, it stops all resources on the original node and moves them to the standby node. An HTTP server can also be configured on the same server and installed to the shared file system. In a similar way to the startup of WebSphere Application Server services on the active node, the cluster management policy can define the startup of the HTTP server.


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