Clustering - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

j0hnb · 11-21-2006, 07:30 AM

I'm planning on getting a new PC system soon. I'll probably build it myself. The idea was to cluster the new workstation with my laptop, Sony Vaio VGN-A290, so that when the laptop is docket it will assist my workstation with any large projects or intensive processing uses. I would prefer the system to be windows based. Though at the same time I have no objections to running linux on it and running a windows emulator or something to allow me to use all my current software.

What are your experiences with clustering? Would you suggest it?

vanblah · 11-21-2006, 07:43 AM

Personally, I think you're in for a bigger headache than you need. The benefits may not outweigh the maintenance.

We ran both a SQL and Exchange cluster very briefly here. I realize these are somewhat different than what you are going to do (failover vs. performance). We were always getting weird errors ... I can't remember the exact problems since this was three or four years ago. You'll also be breaking your cluster regularly (undocking), I'm not sure how well it will handle that.

Still, it might be a cool experiment that you end up happy with.

j0hnb · 11-21-2006, 07:50 AM

yea, I'm expecting a little trouble, but hoping that an end product would be stable.

I also assumed that this could/would be one huge headache to keep up or get working correctly. If it worked out that way, I was planning on turning my laptop into a server, or at least put server side language support on it. This way I could move off as much of my everyday processing to the laptop and just view the results via local address. Now sure how much I would really be able to pawn off of the other system, but it would be worth running the numbers on what I could move over to that system. It would also give me some more time to play with PHP and build some of my own software.

bendsley · 11-21-2006, 09:56 AM

Where I work, I've setup MSSQL, Exchange and Citrix clusters. Microsoft clustering won't work if it doesn't have some sort of storage device on the backend (NAS, SAN, DAS, etc.). Also, you will have to have a quorum drive for each machine to access. This drive stores information about the cluster. The other thing is that you will need to have NICs that connect to your network, as well as NICs that do nothing but provide heartbeat between the two systems. You will need a hostname for each machine, a hostname for the cluster itself, as well as a hostname that will be dynamic depending on which machine currently is the master in the cluster.

You really don't want to do this with a desktop system and a laptop. You would have to have at a minimum Windows Server 200x Standard edition to even get clustering services in a Windows OS.

Also, you have to be aware that the applications you will be using need to be cluster aware, meaning that they have to have code written in them to have them function on a cluster. MSSQL, Exchange, Citrix, etc. are all cluster aware applications.

j0hnb · 11-21-2006, 02:52 PM

Ah, I didn't know that the applications had to be designed to be cluster aware. I guess I didn't really think too far into that side. I guess I just assumed that if the system was designed right it would be able to drawl from the resources of the other system with only the need for the main cluster control application.

It looks like this idea isn't ideal for the uses I had planned for it. Well thanks for the information.

11-21-2006, 07:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
j0hnb Crazy Location: Arnold, MD	Clustering I'm planning on getting a new PC system soon. I'll probably build it myself. The idea was to cluster the new workstation with my laptop, Sony Vaio VGN-A290, so that when the laptop is docket it will assist my workstation with any large projects or intensive processing uses. I would prefer the system to be windows based. Though at the same time I have no objections to running linux on it and running a windows emulator or something to allow me to use all my current software. What are your experiences with clustering? Would you suggest it?

11-21-2006, 09:56 AM	#4 (permalink)
bendsley Professional Loafer Location: texas	Where I work, I've setup MSSQL, Exchange and Citrix clusters. Microsoft clustering won't work if it doesn't have some sort of storage device on the backend (NAS, SAN, DAS, etc.). Also, you will have to have a quorum drive for each machine to access. This drive stores information about the cluster. The other thing is that you will need to have NICs that connect to your network, as well as NICs that do nothing but provide heartbeat between the two systems. You will need a hostname for each machine, a hostname for the cluster itself, as well as a hostname that will be dynamic depending on which machine currently is the master in the cluster. You really don't want to do this with a desktop system and a laptop. You would have to have at a minimum Windows Server 200x Standard edition to even get clustering services in a Windows OS. Also, you have to be aware that the applications you will be using need to be cluster aware, meaning that they have to have code written in them to have them function on a cluster. MSSQL, Exchange, Citrix, etc. are all cluster aware applications. __________________ "You hear the one about the fella who died, went to the pearly gates? St. Peter let him in. Sees a guy in a suit making a closing argument. Says, "Who's that?" St. Peter says, "Oh, that's God. Thinks he's Denny Crane."

11-21-2006, 07:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
vanblah Junkie	Personally, I think you're in for a bigger headache than you need. The benefits may not outweigh the maintenance. We ran both a SQL and Exchange cluster very briefly here. I realize these are somewhat different than what you are going to do (failover vs. performance). We were always getting weird errors ... I can't remember the exact problems since this was three or four years ago. You'll also be breaking your cluster regularly (undocking), I'm not sure how well it will handle that. Still, it might be a cool experiment that you end up happy with.

11-21-2006, 07:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
j0hnb Crazy Location: Arnold, MD	yea, I'm expecting a little trouble, but hoping that an end product would be stable. I also assumed that this could/would be one huge headache to keep up or get working correctly. If it worked out that way, I was planning on turning my laptop into a server, or at least put server side language support on it. This way I could move off as much of my everyday processing to the laptop and just view the results via local address. Now sure how much I would really be able to pawn off of the other system, but it would be worth running the numbers on what I could move over to that system. It would also give me some more time to play with PHP and build some of my own software.

11-21-2006, 02:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
j0hnb Crazy Location: Arnold, MD	Ah, I didn't know that the applications had to be designed to be cluster aware. I guess I didn't really think too far into that side. I guess I just assumed that if the system was designed right it would be able to drawl from the resources of the other system with only the need for the main cluster control application. It looks like this idea isn't ideal for the uses I had planned for it. Well thanks for the information.