5.2 Planning WebAccess in a Cluster

A main system configuration difference between a GroupWise system in a clustering environment and a GroupWise system in a regular environment is that you need to create a separate domain to house each GroupWise gateway, including the WebAccess Agent.

Section 5.5, WebAccess Clustering Worksheet lists all the information you need as you set up the WebAccess Agent in a clustering environment. You should print the worksheet and fill it out as you complete the tasks listed below:

5.2.1 Planning a New Domain for the WebAccess Agent

The considerations involved in planning a domain for the WebAccess Agent are much the same as planning any other domain. In preparation, review Planning a New Domain, then print and fill out the Domain Worksheet in Domains in the GroupWise 7 Administration Guide.

Keep in mind the following cluster-specific details:

  • When you specify the location for the domain directory on the Domain Worksheet, include the shared volume where you want the domain directory to reside.

  • Do not concern yourself with the GroupWise agent information on the Domain Worksheet. You can stop with item 10. You will plan the MTA installation later.

When you have completed the Domain Worksheet, transfer the key information from the Domain Worksheet to the WebAccess Clustering Worksheet.

WEBACCESS CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 1: Shared Volume for WebAccess Agent, transfer the domain location from the Domain Worksheet to the WebAccess Clustering Worksheet.

Under Item 2: WebAccess Agent Domain Name, transfer the domain name and database directory from the Domain Worksheet to the WebAccess Clustering Worksheet.

5.2.2 Deciding Whether to Cluster-Enable the WebAccess Agent Volume

You should plan to cluster-enable the shared volume where the WebAccess Agent domain will reside. For a review of the benefits of cluster-enabling volumes, see Section 2.6, Deciding Whether to Cluster-Enable the Shared Volumes Used by GroupWise, which describes the issues in the context of planning MTA and POA installations.

WEBACCESS CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 1: Shared Volume for WebAccess Agent, mark Yes under Cluster Enabled?.

Cluster-enabling relies on successful short name resolution throughout your system. Review Section 2.7, Ensuring Successful Name Resolution for GroupWise Volumes, which describes the issues in the context of planning MTA and POA installations.

5.2.3 Determining an Appropriate Failover Path for the WebAccess Agent Volume

As with the MTA and the POA, you need to decide which nodes in the cluster are appropriate locations where the WebAccess Agent volume could fail over. For a review of failover paths, see Determining Appropriate Failover Paths for the Agents, which describes the issues in the context of planning MTA and POA installations.

WEBACCESS CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 4: WebAccess Agent Failover Path, list the nodes that you want to have in the WebAccess Agent volume failover path.

5.2.4 Planning a Secondary IP Address and Cluster-Unique Port Numbers for the WebAccess Agent and Its MTA

As with the MTA and the POA, the WebAccess Agent needs a secondary IP address and cluster-unique port numbers. As part of planning to install the MTA and POA, you should already have determined the secondary IP address and cluster-unique port numbers for the WebAccess Agent and its MTA as you filled out the IP Address Worksheet. If you do not have a filled-out copy of this worksheet for your system, print it now and fill in current system information.

WEBACCESS CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 6: MTA Network Information, transfer the MTA secondary IP address and cluster-unique port numbers from the WebAccess section the IP Address Worksheet to the WebAccess Clustering Worksheet.

Under Item 1: Shared Volume for WebAccess Agent, copy the MTA secondary IP address under Cluster Volume IP Address as well, because they are the same.

Under Item 8: WebAccess Agent Network Information, transfer the WebAccess Agent secondary IP address (the same as for its MTA) and the cluster-unique WebAccess Agent port number from the WebAccess section of the IP Address Worksheet to the WebAccess Clustering Worksheet.

5.2.5 Deciding Where to Install the WebAccess Agent and Its MTA

As with the MTA and the POA, you can choose to install the WebAccess Agent and its MTA to the sys:\system directory of each node or to a vol:\system directory on the WebAccess Agent volume. For a discussion of these alternatives, see Deciding Where to Install the Agent Software, which describes the issues in the context of planning MTA and POA installations. If you only have one WebAccess Agent for your GroupWise system with several nodes in its failover path, it is an easy choice.

WEBACCESS CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 5: MTA Installation Location and Item 7: WebAccess Agent Installation Location, mark whether you will install the WebAccess Agent and its MTA to sys:\system on each node in the cluster or to a vol:\system directory on the WebAccess Agent volume. Also specify where the MTA startup file will be stored.

5.2.6 Deciding Whether to Run the WebAccess Agent and Its MTA in Protected Memory

As with the MTA and the POA, you can choose whether to run the WebAccess Agent in protected memory. For a review of the benefits of protected memory, see Deciding Whether to Run the Agents in Protected Memory, which describes the issues in the context of planning MTA and POA installations.

You might think that protected memory is not necessary if you have only one WebAccess Agent for your GroupWise system because it could never fail over to a node where another WebAccess Agent was running. However, because the WebAccess Agent in a cluster is installed into its own domain with its own MTA, this MTA could fail over to a node where another MTA was already running. Therefore, it is safest to load the WebAccess Agent and its MTA into protected memory. Load each agent into its own memory space and mark each memory space as restartable.

WEBACCESS CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 8: Load WebAccess Agent and Its MTA in Protected Memory?, mark whether you need to run the WebAccess Agent and its MTA in protected memory. If you do, provide a protected memory address space name for each agent.

5.2.7 Planning the MTA Installation

Follow the instructions in Planning the NetWare Agent Installation, then return to this point. After you follow the instructions, you will have a filled-out NetWare Agent Worksheet to use when you install the MTA.

IMPORTANT:Do not install the NetWare MTA until you are instructed to do so in Section 5.3, Setting Up WebAccess in a Cluster.

5.2.8 Planning the WebAccess Installation

Aside from the cluster-specific issues discussed in the preceding sections, the considerations involved in planning to install WebAccess are the same in a clustering environment as for any other environment. Review Planning GroupWise WebAccess, then print and fill out the GroupWise WebAccess Installation Worksheet in Installing GroupWise WebAccess in the GroupWise 7 Installation Guide. When you set up WebAccess in a cluster, you install the WebAccess Agent and the WebAccess Application in two separate steps:

IMPORTANT:Do not install the WebAccess software until you are instructed to do so in Section 5.3, Setting Up WebAccess in a Cluster.

Planning the WebAccess Agent Installation

For the WebAccess Agent, fill out items 2 through 12 on the GroupWise WebAccess Installation Worksheet, taking into account the following cluster-specific issues:

WEBACCESS INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Item 2: Installation Directory, take into account your decision recorded on the WebAccess Clustering Worksheet (Item 7: WebAccess Agent Installation Location).

Under Item 3: Server Address, transfer the IP address and port number from the WebAccess Clustering Worksheet (Item 8: WebAccess Agent Network Information) filled out in Planning a Secondary IP Address and Cluster-Unique Port Numbers for the WebAccess Agent and Its MTA.

Under Item 4: Enable Clustering Support?, mark Yes. This causes the WebAccess Installation program to customize the WebAccess files for clustering.

Under Item 5: Domain Directory Path, transfer the domain directory from the Domain Worksheet you filled out in Planning a New Domain for the WebAccess Agent.

Planning the WebAccess Application Installation

The WebAccess Application can be installed on a clustered or non-clustered Web server. How to set up and manage a clustered Web server is beyond the scope of the GroupWise documentation. For WebAccess Application planning information, see Determining the WebAccess and WebPublisher Applications’ Configuration in Installing GroupWise WebAccess in the GroupWise 7 Installation Guide.