Setting up a private LAN for a cluster

Setting up a private LAN for your cluster separates the server probes and cluster replication from the rest of your network traffic. This prevents the cluster traffic from slowing down your primary network.

Procedure

  1. Install an additional network interface card in each server in the cluster. These cards should be connected through a private hub or switch.
  2. Configure the LAN to use TCP/IP.
  3. Assign a second IP address to each server. In a cluster using two servers, for example, you could use the addresses 192.168.64.1 and 192.168.64.2.
  4. Assign host names for the new IP addresses, and place entries in the HOSTS file or the DNS. In a cluster using two servers, for example, you could assign the host names Renovations_clu.renovations.com and Renovations2_clu.renovations.com. The entries in the HOSTS file might then be:

    192.168.64.1 Renovations_clu.renovations.com

    192.168.64.2 Renovations2_clu.renovations.com

  5. Verify that the private LAN is operational by making sure that each cluster server can ping both the IP address and the host name of the other cluster servers. Also, be sure that other servers can still ping the cluster servers at their regular LAN addresses.
  6. On each server in the cluster, add a new network port for the private LAN, and edit the Server document to enable the port.

    For example, add a port named CLUSTER, and then add the following information to the Ports > Notes Network Ports tab in the Server document to enable the port.

    Table 1. Notes® Network Ports fields

    Field name

    Example

    Port

    CLUSTER

    Protocol

    TCP

    Notes® Network

    Cluster Network

    Net Address

    Renovations_clu.renovations.com

    Enabled

    ENABLED
  7. Assign each port an IP address from the corresponding subnets, and place this information in the NOTES.INI file in the following form:
     PORT1_TcpIPAddress=0,a.b.c.d:1352
     PORT2_TcpIPAddress=0,e.f.g.h:1352

    where PORT1 and PORT2 are the port names and a.b.c.d and e.f.g.h are the IP addresses for the ports.

    If you have ports named TCPIP and CLUSTER, for example, these lines might be:

    TCPIP_TcpIPAddress=0,192.114.32.5:1352
    CLUSTER_TcpIPAddress=0,192.168.64.1:1352
  8. Do one of the following: Next, either , or Add the following line to the NOTES.INI file:
    • Reorder the ports so that the cluster port is first

      This ensures that all cluster traffic uses this port for cluster traffic. Be sure that all other traffic is assigned to use other ports.

    • Add the following line to the NOTES.INI file:
      Server_Cluster_Default_Port=Cluster Port

      where Cluster Port is the port you created for the cluster. In this example, this line would be:

      Server_Cluster_Default_Port=CLUSTER

      This ensures that all cluster traffic uses this port for cluster communications no matter what order the ports are in.

    Note: There is a disadvantage to using the Server_Cluster_Default_Port setting to assign a port to the private LAN for cluster traffic. If a cluster server encounters a problem connecting over this port, it will not try another port. Therefore, the server will not be able to communicate or replicate with other cluster servers. You will have to resolve the network problem or remove this setting from the NOTES.INI file before the server will be able to communicate with the cluster again.
  9. Restart the server.

Making sure Domino® is using the private LAN

About this task

To verify that Domino® is using the private LAN, you can do the following:

Procedure

  1. At the server console, type show cluster.
  2. In the results, look for the line Server cluster default port: Cluster Port

    where Cluster Port is one of the following:

    • If you used the Server_Cluster_Default_Port setting to specify a port for the private LAN, Cluster Port should be the name of the port you specified, such as CLUSTER.
    • If you did not use the Server_Cluster_Default_Port setting to specify a port for the private LAN, Cluster Port should be * (asterisk), meaning that the private LAN can use any port.
  3. If the cluster port is preventing mail from routing, or binding to SMTP, add this line to the Domino® server's NOTES.INIfile: 
    SMTPNotesPort=TCPIP

Making sure that cluster replication is using the private LAN

About this task

It is also a good idea to check the cluster to be sure that cluster replication is using the private LAN. To do this, you can look at some of the cluster statistics.

Procedure

  1. From the Domino® Administrator, click the Server > Statistics tab.
  2. In the list of statistics, expand NET.
  3. Expand the port name you gave to the cluster.
  4. Look for the following statistics for the private LAN port:

    BytesReceived

    BytesSent

  5. Click Replica > Cluster.
  6. Expand SessionBytes, and look for the following replication statistics for the cluster:

    In

    Out

  7. Compare the NET.portname.BytesReceived value with the Replica.Cluster.SessionBytes.In value.

    These value should be fairly close to each other, although they will not be the same.

  8. Compare the NET.portname.BytesSent value with the Replica.Cluster.SessionBytes.Out value.

    These values should also be close to each other. They won't match exactly because the private network is used for more than just cluster replication.