Media server on a MSCS (microsoft) cluster

[Graeme_Welsh]

we have an exchange cluster, 2 node, active/passive
this box will also function as a SAN Media server, has anyone much experience of doing this? (have found some documents on how to setup a clustered master server install)

ive encountered a few issues in our little lab
cannot connect to the clustered media server from admin console, even though it appears in the list of media servers

[zippy]

What do you want to know?

setup the exchange server to run in a package that has it's own hostname and ip, configure the package name to into a new policy called (whatever package_hostname_you_choose).

If the cluster pakage fails during backups then the backup will fail, what I mean is that if the exchange package were to fail over from node1 to node2 dutring a backup session then oh well... In other words its the same as if the exchange server in a NON clustered enviroment were rebooted. Backup has to be restarted.

Cool.

JD

[Graeme_Welsh]

thanks for your response James, have u setup Netbackup as a Media server on a Microsoft cluster server?
im not 100% sure on what u mean by package
ive found plenty of docs for setting up a clustered master server, but very little on media server clusters

* setup runs fine, during netbackup install, the netbackup virtual server, ip etc are used and a new cluster group is setup,
* failing over each node works

the problems ive seen, im not sure if theyre problems,

* cant access admin console from either node
* can only access admin console after adding each physical node in the list of media server, this results in an additional media server being visible in the topology screen
*have not even attempted to create any storage units (suspect that youd need to fail over once youve setup your device on one of the nodes)

the reason this is being clustered was to save licensing costs, was told by a symantec pre sales chap a SAN media licence would be required for both nodes, unless they were clustered

[zippy]

Package = Disks that contain the Exchange server Application
Disks = are shared LUNs configured in a cluster

In the GIF below the shared storage holds your exchange server data, this shared storage has a IP - and Hostname configured, so reguardles of what node owns the shared storage your slient will allways be servered their data.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/images/cluster.gif

http://help.netop.com/images/MyCluster.gif

Cool,

JD

[Graeme_Welsh]

dont completely follow you
weve got a 2 node active/passive exchange cluster
number of LUNS presented to either host as storage
the storage dosent have an IP
both nodes can see the library
exchange cluster setup pretty much by the book
netbackup can be clustered, it detects its being installed on a cluster, installs on both nodes etc (u need to fail over when adding licencing keys, so theyre valid on all nodes in cluster)
netbackup install then creates its own cluster group with various netbackup related resources

the problem im having is that my master cant see this 'virtual' netbackup media server, only each node in the cluster individually