15.1 Planning the Internet Agent in a Linux Cluster

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

The Section 15.5, Internet Agent Clustering Worksheet lists the information you need as you set up the Internet Agent in a clustering environment. You should print the worksheet and fill it out as you complete the tasks listed below:

15.1.1 Planning a Domain for the Internet Agent

The considerations involved in planning a domain for the Internet 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, remember that it is on a GroupWise partition, not on the node where you running the GroupWise Installation program. This location is referred to as the Internet Agent partition because it is where the Internet Agent message queues are located.

  • 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 Internet Agent Clustering Worksheet.

INTERNET AGENT CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 1: GroupWise Partition for the Internet Agent, transfer the domain location to the Internet Agent Clustering Worksheet.

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

IMPORTANT:Do not create the new domain until you are instructed to do so in Section 15.2.1, Creating a Domain for the Internet Agent.

15.1.2 Selecting the Internet Agent Partition and Secondary IP Address

As with the MTA and the POA, the Internet Agent needs a secondary IP address that remains the same no matter which node in the cluster it is running on. You can place the Internet Agent and its domain on a GroupWise partition where a domain or post office already reside, which means that the Internet Agent shares the same secondary IP address as that domain or post office and fails over along with that domain or post office. Or you can place the Internet Agent and its domain on its own GroupWise partition, which means that it has its own secondary IP address and fails over independently.

INTERNET AGENT CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 1: GroupWise Partition for Internet Agent, specify the secondary IP address for the Internet Agent partition.

Under Item 5: MTA Network Information, copy the same secondary IP address.

Under Item 6: Internet Agent Network Information, copy the same secondary IP address.

15.1.3 Determining an Appropriate Failover List for the Internet Agent

By default, a GroupWise partition is configured to have all nodes in the cluster in its failover list, organized in ascending alphanumeric order. Only one node at a time can have a particular GroupWise partition mounted and active. If a GroupWise partition’s preferred node fails, the partition fails over to the next node in the failover list. You should customize the failover list for each GroupWise partition based on the fan-out-failover principle.

As with the MTA and the POA, you need to decide which nodes in the cluster are appropriate locations for the Internet Agent partition to fail over to. You must install the Internet Agent software on all of the nodes where you want the Internet Agent to be able to fail over. For a review of failover lists, see Section 13.6.2, Determining Appropriate Failover Lists for the Agents, which describes the issues in the context of planning MTA and POA installations.

INTERNET AGENT CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 3: Internet Agent Failover List, list the nodes that you want in the Internet Agent partition failover list.

15.1.4 Determining Cluster Resource Information for the Internet Agent

A cluster resource is a shared partition, secondary IP address, application, service, Web server, etc., that can function successfully anywhere in the cluster. Cluster resources include the GroupWise agents and the Messenger agents. When using the Configure GroupWise for Clustering option, the GroupWise Installation program needs to know the mount point for the GroupWise partition where the Internet Agent domain is located.

INTERNET AGENT CLUSTERING WORKSHEET

Under Item 4: Cluster Resource Mount Point, list the mount point for the GroupWise partition where the Internet Agent domain is located.

15.1.5 Preparing DNS for the Clustered Internet Agent

In order for the Internet Agent partition to be recognized on your network, DNS must have an MX record that includes the hostname corresponding to the secondary IP address of the Internet Agent partition. A DNS A record associates the secondary IP address with the hostname.

15.1.6 Preparing Your Firewall for the Clustered Internet Agent

The Internet Agent receives incoming messages on the secondary IP address of the Internet Agent partition. Your firewall configuration must be modified to allow inbound TCP/IP traffic from the Internet to the Internet Agent secondary IP address on the following standard ports:

Table 15-1 Standard Ports

Protocol

Standard Port

IMAP4

143

LDAP

389

POP3

110

SMTP

25

By default, the Internet Agent sends outgoing messages on the primary IP address of the server where it is running. If you decide to use this default configuration, your firewall must be configured to allow outbound TCP/IP traffic from all nodes in the Internet Agent partition failover list.

If the Internet Agent has a large number of nodes on its failover list, you could configure the Internet Agent to send outgoing messages to a relay host, which then sends them out through the firewall using its own IP address rather than the address of the particular node where the Internet Agent was running. This reduces the amount of modification to your firewall required to set up the Internet Agent. However, if the relay host goes down, outgoing messages are delayed.

As another alternative, you can configure the Internet Agent to use its secondary IP address for sending as well as receiving messages. Setup instructions for this configuration are provided in Forcing Use of the Internet Agent Secondary IP Address, which you can complete after installing the Internet Agent.

In preparation for installing the Internet Agent, configure your firewall as needed to handle the Internet Agent’s use of primary and secondary IP addresses when sending and receiving messages.

15.1.7 Planning the MTA Installation

Follow the instructions in Section 13.6.4, Planning the Linux Agent Installation, then return to this point. After you follow the instructions, you will have a filled-out Agent Clustering Worksheet to use when you install the MTA.

IMPORTANT:Do not install the Linux MTA until you are instructed to do so in Section 15.2, Setting Up the Internet Agent in a Linux Cluster.

15.1.8 Planning the Internet Agent Installation

Aside from the cluster-specific issues discussed in the preceding sections, the considerations involved in planning to install the Internet Agent are the same in a clustering environment as for any other environment. Review the installation instructions in Linux: Installing the Internet Agent Software in Installing the GroupWise Internet Agent in the GroupWise 7 Installation Guide. Use the GroupWise Internet Agent Installation Worksheet to record the planning information you will need as you install the Internet Agent in your cluster.

IMPORTANT:Do not install the Internet Agent software until you are instructed to do so in Setting Up the Internet Agent in a Linux Cluster.