What occurs when you add a server to a cluster

In addition, the following changes occur:

• The Cluster Administrator starts the Administration Process, if it is not already running.
• The Cluster Administrator starts the Cluster Database Directory Manager.
• The Cluster Administrator starts the Cluster Replicator.
• The Cluster Database Directory Manager creates the Cluster Database Directory (CLDBDIR.NSF).
• The Cluster Database Directory Manager adds a document to the Cluster Database Directory for each database on the new cluster member.
• The Cluster Administrator replicates the Cluster Database Directory and the Domino® Directory on the new cluster member with the most available member of the cluster.
• The Schedule Manager creates the Free Time database (CLUBUSY.NSF).
• The Free Time database replicates with the most available member of the cluster.

When the added server's Domino® Directory updates, the added server begins to send probes to other servers in the cluster. In return, cluster members begin to probe the new server when their Domino® Directories update. This is the way that all the servers in the cluster keep track of the availability and status of the other servers.

To verify that the server was added correctly to the cluster, follow the same procedure you follow to check that a cluster was created correctly.

The role of the Administration Process in adding a server to a cluster

You can choose to add a server to a cluster immediately, or you can submit the request to the Administration Process. If you submit the request to the Administration Process, Domino® creates an Add Server to Cluster request to the Administration Requests database on the server from which you initiated the Add to Cluster request. If you make the request on the administration server, the Administration Process acts immediately on the request. If you make the request from another server, that server's Administration Requests database must replicate with the administration server before the Administration Process can process your request. The Administration Process then adds the cluster information to the Server document in the administration server's Domino® Directory to show that the server is part of the cluster. The next time the administrative server replicates with the added server, Domino® replicates these changes to the added server's Domino® Directory. Cluster membership changes do not take effect until the added server receives the changes to the Server document.

If you choose to add a server to a cluster immediately, Domino® immediately makes the changes to the Server document on the server from which you initiated the Add to Cluster command. If you initiate the request on the server you are adding, Domino® updates the cluster information immediately on the server you're adding. You do not have to wait for the Administration Process to update the Domino® Directories on the cluster servers. Although this adds the server to the cluster faster, it can also lead to replication conflicts.