There are many other solutions that are just as viable. The concept is that of a reverse proxy and/or a load balancer.
BigIP has gone to lengths to: 1. add bells and whistles to their devices to make the configuration, administration, and maintenance as easy as possible. 2. choose the best hardware for the job at hand They are in essence the 800lb gorilla in this arena. The BigIP LTM's run on a Linux kernel; they used to run on a BSD kernel. There are a number of open source programs that implement similar functionality and there are other vendors that offer competitive products: Open Source: squid, varnish, ... Proprietary: Cisco ACE, Radware AppDirector, Barracuda Load Balancer, ... The open source offerings are generally limited to web traffic (http/https). There is a lot to be gained by the hardware in these types of devices (performance, scalability, reliability, capability) and as such they are generally marketed and sold as network appliances, not a software solution; an area that the open source model does not address very well. See here for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_proxy http://blog.loadbalancer.org/load-balancer-comparison-a-refreshingly-simple-comparison-of-load-balancing-hardware-specifications/ Axton Grams The opinions, statements, and/or suggested courses of action expressed in this E-mail do not necessarily reflect those of BMC Software, Inc. My voluntary participation in this forum is not intended to convey a role as a spokesperson, liaison or public relations representative for BMC Software, Inc. On Sat, Dec 5, 2009 at 7:08 AM, Martin Liu <[email protected]> wrote: > ** Axton, > > Thank you very much! > > Finial questions: > > does this means F5 is the only possible HA solution for Remedy system? > > If the customer don't have F5 for this project, is there any HA solution > existing? > > Regards, > Martin > > > 2009/12/5 Axton <[email protected]> >> >> You can create many farms on a single F5 (of any type you choose). If >> one arserver is down, things should just keep working as if nothing >> were wrong. If you are going with a farm with many active nodes, I do >> not see the need for MS Clustering. >> >> Axton Grams >> >> The opinions, statements, and/or suggested courses of action expressed >> in this E-mail do not necessarily reflect those of BMC Software, Inc. >> My voluntary participation in this forum is not intended to convey a >> role as a spokesperson, liaison or public relations representative for >> BMC Software, Inc. >> >> On Sat, Dec 5, 2009 at 2:49 AM, Martin Liu <[email protected]> wrote: >> > ** Thanks you all! >> > >> > I learned a lot from you guys. But I still got something to confirm. >> > >> > What I have: 1) 4 physical machines MS Windows OS(2 for Mid-tier, 2 for >> > ARS); 2) One physical F5 device; 3)One Oracle RAC hosting DB for ARS. My >> > customer is primarily using Web client. >> > >> > Q1)Can I create two farms on one single F5 device? one for Mid-tier; one >> > for >> > ARS. Does this configuration have HA capability for ARS? I mean if one >> > ARS >> > server down, the whole system is still working. >> > >> > Q2)Does MS cluster provide one single entry and HA function for two ARS >> > servers? I mean two ARS servers within one server group. If one ARS >> > server >> > down, MS cluster will switch to another ARS server. And this server will >> > still pick up Administrative Operations, Escalation, Reconciliation, >> > etc... >> > Does MS cluster service equal to a F5 device from HA point view? >> > >> > I will post F5 device model that you may know. >> > >> > Best regards! >> > Martin >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > 2009/12/5 Kelly Deaver <[email protected]> >> >> >> >> ** >> >> You may find this presentation handy as well. It was my attempt to >> >> pull together the info in all the various install manuals - >> >> http://communities.bmc.com/communities/docs/DOC-2841 >> >> >> >> Kelly Deaver >> >> Effective Technologies >> >> www.effect-tech.com >> >> >> >> [email protected] (ARSlist mail) >> >> [email protected] (Business mail) >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -------- Original Message -------- >> >> Subject: Re: How to implement HA architecture? >> >> From: "Garrison, Sean (Norcross)" <[email protected]> >> >> Date: Fri, December 04, 2009 3:12 pm >> >> To: [email protected] >> >> >> >> True high availability allows your server to still be up and running if >> >> one of the locations goes down. This is pretty much impossible with >> >> remedy >> >> because the app server is highly dependent on the connection to the db. >> >> We >> >> tried it with one of our remote locations and it took 45 minutes just >> >> for >> >> one app server to start because the DB was located in Georgia and the >> >> App >> >> server was in Ohio. Our ultimate solution was to replicate the db to >> >> ohio >> >> and use the app servers in ohio (connecting to a local db in ohio) as >> >> hot >> >> backups just in case the ones in georgia goes down. >> >> >> >> What Axton said below is pretty much our setup (except we have 3 app >> >> servers and 4 mid-tier). The only thing we added was a hot backup >> >> environment in another location. >> >> >> >> Hope that helps, >> >> >> >> Sean >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >> From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) >> >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Axton >> >> Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 10:42 AM >> >> To: [email protected] >> >> Subject: Re: How to implement HA architecture? >> >> >> >> One more thing to add. You need to configure health checks in the F5 >> >> for the midtier and arserver nodes. I have not fully vetted any of >> >> these approaches, but these are my thoughts: >> >> >> >> ARS: >> >> 1. port check (this mostly works) >> >> 2. iRules in the F5 to simulate a session >> >> >> >> Midtier: >> >> 1. HTTP post to a page that the web server displays >> >> 2. HTTP post to a page that the servlet container renders (midtier >> >> config) >> >> 3. HTTP post to a page that the midtier renders (home page) >> >> 4. port check >> >> >> >> Axton Grams >> >> >> >> The opinions, statements, and/or suggested courses of action expressed >> >> in this E-mail do not necessarily reflect those of BMC Software, Inc. >> >> My voluntary participation in this forum is not intended to convey a >> >> role as a spokesperson, liaison or public relations representative for >> >> BMC Software, Inc. >> >> >> >> On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 9:40 AM, Axton <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > For ARS: >> >> > - Create an F5 farm for udp/111, tcp/111, and the port ars listens on >> >> > - Enable session persistence based on src ip (needed due to floating >> >> > licenses) >> >> > - Configure a server group in ARS >> >> > >> >> > For MidTier: >> >> > - Create and F5 farm for tcp/80 and tcp/443 >> >> > - Enable session persistence based on src ip (needed because midtier >> >> > does not synchronize/use central store for session information) >> >> > >> >> > When you configure the midtier as to what arservers to point to, >> >> > there >> >> > are a couple of options: >> >> > - point it to the ars farm: this causes issues because all midtier >> >> > sessions go to the same arserver >> >> > - point each midtier server to the individual server >> >> > >> >> > When working with the F5, you need the arservers to be on a network >> >> > that gives a route to the db that does not traverse the F5. This is >> >> > typically accomlished using a back end network that the arservers and >> >> > db servers are connected to. >> >> > >> >> > Axton Grams >> >> > >> >> > The opinions, statements, and/or suggested courses of action >> >> > expressed >> >> > in this E-mail do not necessarily reflect those of BMC Software, Inc. >> >> > My voluntary participation in this forum is not intended to convey a >> >> > role as a spokesperson, liaison or public relations representative >> >> > for >> >> > BMC Software, Inc. >> >> > >> >> > On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 2:35 AM, Martin Liu <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> ** Hi List, >> >> >> >> >> >> I have two physical windows machines running ARS. >> >> >> >> >> >> Another two machines behind F5 are installed Mid-tier, they will >> >> >> connect to >> >> >> ARS. >> >> >> >> >> >> The customer have HA requirement for ARS. I could have two options: >> >> >> 1)MS >> >> >> Windows Cluster; 2)Remedy server group. >> >> >> >> >> >> But I don't know how to configure for HA architecture. Any advice? >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> Regards, >> >> >> >> >> >> 刘征 Martin Liu >> >> >> ---------------------------------- >> >> >> Blog: http://martinliu.cn >> >> >> _Platinum Sponsor: [email protected] ARSlist: "Where the >> >> >> Answers >> >> >> Are"_ >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________________________________________ >> >> UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org >> >> Platinum Sponsor:[email protected] ARSlist: "Where the Answers >> >> Are" >> >> >> >> _Platinum Sponsor: [email protected] ARSlist: "Where the Answers >> >> Are"_ >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Regards, >> > >> > 刘征 Martin Liu >> > ---------------------------------- >> > Blog: http://martinliu.cn >> > _Platinum Sponsor: [email protected] ARSlist: "Where the Answers >> > Are"_ >> >> >> _______________________________________________________________________________ >> UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org >> Platinum Sponsor:[email protected] ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" > > > > -- > Regards, > > 刘征 Martin Liu > ---------------------------------- > Blog: http://martinliu.cn > _Platinum Sponsor: [email protected] ARSlist: "Where the Answers > Are"_ _______________________________________________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org Platinum Sponsor:[email protected] ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"
