Setting up 2 web servers for same web sites
I have a windows 2000 web server running IIS 5.
I want to setup 2 web servers, so that when I am running maintenance, that the other one can kick in and keep the web site active.
I also wouldn't mind something where you have two, and when a user hits the site, they get distributed to one or the other, depending on the load.
I am ignorant in all this... Is this called a clustered server? How does one do this? Is it hard?
My other option, would be to setup BOTH boxes identically with the exact same IP addresses, setup and everything, then when I do maintenance, unplug the one from the router and plug the other one in. Then do the maintenance, then swap plugs again.
Is that an option? What is recommended to pull that off smoothly?
Any ideas. Thanks!
BOBi
I want to setup 2 web servers, so that when I am running maintenance, that the other one can kick in and keep the web site active.
I also wouldn't mind something where you have two, and when a user hits the site, they get distributed to one or the other, depending on the load.
I am ignorant in all this... Is this called a clustered server? How does one do this? Is it hard?
My other option, would be to setup BOTH boxes identically with the exact same IP addresses, setup and everything, then when I do maintenance, unplug the one from the router and plug the other one in. Then do the maintenance, then swap plugs again.
Is that an option? What is recommended to pull that off smoothly?
Any ideas. Thanks!
BOBi
ASKER
Yes, please explain more.
Please explain just the first thing you did.
Then the clustering.
thanks!
Please explain just the first thing you did.
Then the clustering.
thanks!
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ASKER
binary,
Is your link wrong or is it just not apparent on the page where I go to find the info you talked about. Are you saying every single link on that page is in regard to your suggestion?
thanks,
BOBi
Is your link wrong or is it just not apparent on the page where I go to find the info you talked about. Are you saying every single link on that page is in regard to your suggestion?
thanks,
BOBi
ASKER
CDCOP,
>>The examples provided in this document assume you have already configured the Active Directory® service
oh buggers.... I went to Control Panel, Configure your server, Active Directory and it says I need a partition formatted with NTFS. This drive doesnt' have a partition on it. Is that what it's referring to?
I'm assuming none of this can be done without taking the boxes down totally, likely a lengthy process, right?
BOBi
>>The examples provided in this document assume you have already configured the Active Directory® service
oh buggers.... I went to Control Panel, Configure your server, Active Directory and it says I need a partition formatted with NTFS. This drive doesnt' have a partition on it. Is that what it's referring to?
I'm assuming none of this can be done without taking the boxes down totally, likely a lengthy process, right?
BOBi
ASKER
>>Alternatively, you can create a stand-alone Dfs server, which does not take advantage of Active Directory and does not provide root level fault tolerance.
It appears I can do this without active directory....
well, I'm going to go look at the clustering docs...
BOBi
It appears I can do this without active directory....
well, I'm going to go look at the clustering docs...
BOBi
You're not running NTFS?? Shame on you!
You can convert FAT to NTFS very easily. The changes will take place on reboot.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/convertfat.mspx
You can convert FAT to NTFS very easily. The changes will take place on reboot.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/convertfat.mspx
ASKER
>>You're not running NTFS?? Shame on you!
Yes, I'm running NTFS. I said I didn't have a partition formatted with NTFS. Looking at my C: drive, I see no partitions. Maybe I don't understand what the below means and maybe NTFS is in a hidden partition.
>> it says I need a partition formatted with NTFS.
So what does that mean? If I have NTFS, is it there? Or is it saying what I thought it was saying, that I need a partition on my C Drive?
BOBi
Yes, I'm running NTFS. I said I didn't have a partition formatted with NTFS. Looking at my C: drive, I see no partitions. Maybe I don't understand what the below means and maybe NTFS is in a hidden partition.
>> it says I need a partition formatted with NTFS.
So what does that mean? If I have NTFS, is it there? Or is it saying what I thought it was saying, that I need a partition on my C Drive?
BOBi
the microsoft link is down. i will let you know when it is up.
ASKER
>>You can set the websites up on one machine then, export the settings for that site by right clicking it in IIS and export config.
I have IIS 5. What version of IIS do you have? Mine doesn't have that option.
Supposin's and Expectations and Hopes and Dreams:
I setup two identical servers and have added local IPs to the network connection unique to the new server... added the local vs. remote IPs to the firewall. Then added the new remote IPs to the DNS records. I setup one website for testing...
I stopped the service on machine 1, and started it on machine 2 (the new website to be used during maintenance)....
Now I think all I'm waiting for is propagation. I can access the second machine's test website from the remote IP address fine, but not by domain yet.
Also, I'm wondering what will happen if I have both sites turned on in IIS on both machines? Will the DNS records send them to the first record, and if it is not found, it will try the second one? I'm hoping so. Because that way, I can leave them both up, and if one machine is down or reboots itself, the other would kick in. Is that what's going to happen?
I have a snap drive to which I will move all of my content files, like the thousands of images that members upload. Then both machines can point to the same content on the snap drive.
And one last question about this, if I do leave them both on, in Visual Interdev, which site will it hit? The first one the DNS sends it to, as I am guessing? Too bad I can't put an IP address in visual interdev. Seems we used to be able to do that.
Let me know if I need my head soaked. (well, I do in general... but...)
Thanks!
BOBi
I have IIS 5. What version of IIS do you have? Mine doesn't have that option.
Supposin's and Expectations and Hopes and Dreams:
I setup two identical servers and have added local IPs to the network connection unique to the new server... added the local vs. remote IPs to the firewall. Then added the new remote IPs to the DNS records. I setup one website for testing...
I stopped the service on machine 1, and started it on machine 2 (the new website to be used during maintenance)....
Now I think all I'm waiting for is propagation. I can access the second machine's test website from the remote IP address fine, but not by domain yet.
Also, I'm wondering what will happen if I have both sites turned on in IIS on both machines? Will the DNS records send them to the first record, and if it is not found, it will try the second one? I'm hoping so. Because that way, I can leave them both up, and if one machine is down or reboots itself, the other would kick in. Is that what's going to happen?
I have a snap drive to which I will move all of my content files, like the thousands of images that members upload. Then both machines can point to the same content on the snap drive.
And one last question about this, if I do leave them both on, in Visual Interdev, which site will it hit? The first one the DNS sends it to, as I am guessing? Too bad I can't put an IP address in visual interdev. Seems we used to be able to do that.
Let me know if I need my head soaked. (well, I do in general... but...)
Thanks!
BOBi
ASKER
I'm going to post the question in regard to IIS and two boxes in another forum, so don't worry about answering it. I realize it likely doesn't belong here. thanks!
BOBi
BOBi
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On the page I was reading it says:
>>Network Load Balancing is an integral part of the products in the Windows Server 2003
I have Windows 2000. Is it there as well?
Plus, I envisioned load balancing as when a user hits the site, he will either go to one server or another depending on the load or busy-ness of the server.
That would be great, but I'm just wanting a simple solution to have the second server kick in when the first one is down. But wouldn't it be best to answer this in the other topic, since it is different? Maybe?
>>Network Load Balancing is an integral part of the products in the Windows Server 2003
I have Windows 2000. Is it there as well?
Plus, I envisioned load balancing as when a user hits the site, he will either go to one server or another depending on the load or busy-ness of the server.
That would be great, but I'm just wanting a simple solution to have the second server kick in when the first one is down. But wouldn't it be best to answer this in the other topic, since it is different? Maybe?
>>That would be great, but I'm just wanting a simple solution to have the second server kick in when the first one is down. But wouldn't it be best to answer this in the other topic, since it is different? Maybe?
with NLB, your online server will kick in and take over the role if the other server is down.
with NLB, your online server will kick in and take over the role if the other server is down.
this is taken from the site :
For load-balanced applications, when a host fails or goes offline, the load is automatically redistributed among the computers still operating. Applications with a single server have their traffic redirected to a specific host. When a computer fails or goes offline unexpectedly, active connections to the failed or offline server are lost. However, if you bring a host down intentionally, you can use the drainstop command to service all active connections prior to bringing the computer offline. In either case, when ready, the offline computer can transparently rejoin the cluster and regain its share of the workload.
For load-balanced applications, when a host fails or goes offline, the load is automatically redistributed among the computers still operating. Applications with a single server have their traffic redirected to a specific host. When a computer fails or goes offline unexpectedly, active connections to the failed or offline server are lost. However, if you bring a host down intentionally, you can use the drainstop command to service all active connections prior to bringing the computer offline. In either case, when ready, the offline computer can transparently rejoin the cluster and regain its share of the workload.
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You can set the websites up on one machine then, export the settings for that site by right clicking it in IIS and export config. and then import to the other server. Make sure you use the same paths on each server or you'll have to change a few settings.
Yes you can use clustering. I don't use it, but you can.
Depending on your network, you can use private IP's and have just one pubilc IP for the clients to hit. Other wise you will be better off with 3 public IP's.
Lets say you have SRV-1 @ 192.168.1.51 and SRV-2 @ 192.168.1.52
Setup your clustering service on either box and have the main IP (imaginary) 192.168.1.55 and the others are to be tied to this main IP.
If you have a router with port forwarding or similar, you would then forward your port 80 traffic to 192.168.1.55 and then the clustering service would decide which server the request will be sent to.
Let me know if I need to explain more