We've been running a server group env. For about 3 years now. We've upgraded to ARS 7.1 and have done a number of patches on everything: ARS/CMDB/ITSM. It rarely goes perfectly. Some installers need to be run on both servers using a indicator during the install that it should share the database with a different server. A few did require copy of files and manual updating for conf files, but the only one of those I had to do recently was SLM. Most all of the installers supposedly handle server groups now. Double check the install documents for the patch in question, but usually you run the installer on both. The most important thing I've found is that you have to have the extra servers shut down while installing the patch on the primary or things get ugly.
Anne Ramey *********************************** E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties only by an authorized State Official. From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:arsl...@arslist.org] On Behalf Of Jason Miller Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 7:56 PM To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG Subject: Re: ARS 7.1 and ITSM 7.0.03 Server Group Build ** Copying the files does sound familiar. It doesn't make sense that only the files needs to be copied, at least for Windows. There are a few services that are created. Maybe they need to manually be registered as services? It has been a little while so I will have to hit the install docs again. Worst case the scratch db idea should work for server B. I would hate to have to do second full install and patches but it sounds pretty safe that way. I agree with Lyle. Two server using the same db without being in a server group sounds like trouble. I don't see any reason why it technically won't work; they should both connect and run. Problem is if they are not aware of each other they will think they will have the db all to themselves and could make changes that will impact the other. What is there to gain by not using a server group? Jason On Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 1:55 PM, Murnane, Phil <pmurn...@windwardits.com<mailto:pmurn...@windwardits.com>> wrote: ** Jason: No problem with borrowing the thread. In ITSM 7.0.03, which is all I've read up on recently, you'd install all the CMDB/ITSM components on server A, and then copy the newly added files/folders from server A's filesystem to the same places on server B's filesystem. Then you manually update server B's ar.conf (or ar.cfg) adding the references to the copied files (usually plugins) to match server A's config file. At least this is what I've gathered from the ITSM installation docs - anyone please correct me if I'm wrong. As for patches, I've frequently seen sections in patch docs that talk about installing in a server group, so I'd suggest just handling patches per the readme files. BTW, it turns out this was a moot point for me, as the customer wants not a server group, but two independent servers with a shared database. That build goes something like this: 1. Install ARS, ARS add-ons, CMDB, & ITSM on server A against the production database 2. Install ARS, ARS add-ons, CMDB, & ITSM on server B against a scratch database 3. Edit server B's ar.conf to point to the production database, and optionally delete the scratch database 4. Manually make sure that admin functions, escalations, reconciliation engine, etc only execute on one server (and hope that no one messes up in the future) Fun, eh? --Phil From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:arslist@ARSLIST.ORG<mailto:arslist@ARSLIST.ORG>] On Behalf Of Jason Miller Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 16:06 To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG<mailto:arslist@ARSLIST.ORG> Subject: Re: ARS 7.1 and ITSM 7.0.03 Server Group Build ** Not to steal your thread Phil... You tapped into something I have also been wondering about regarding setting up server groups with ITSM 7.6. Our new 7.6 environment will be our first time using server groups too. Lyle described ARS components. Beyond the base ARS, does this work the same to lay down the Atrium, SLM, ITSM binaries/services? Install on A, start the server group on A then install everything on B as a member of the server group? It is my understanding that it works this way, I want to do a reality check. <background> We will have one app server for automation (AIE, reconciliation, normalization, Escalations, Email, etc) and admin tasks and one for user traffic. I originally tried building both servers at the same time as a group. This was the same time I was having an issue installing fresh with ARS 7.5 patch 3&4 (thread "ARS 7.5 Patches for a new install" from March). In the interest of time I restarted fresh and only built one server. We are now in production but the user traffic is very light so I haven't worried about it yet. I am hoping to hold out for the Server Group session @ WWRUG10 that Phil Bautista teased us with. </background> All we need to do is configure server A for a server group and install everything on server B as server group member? Can somebody validate that this is the correct approach for the full suite? What about patches? We are on patch 5 ARS, patch 1 for ITSM and patch 2 for Atrium Core. Obviously we don't need the db definition updates but we do need the binaries on server B. The patches are inclusive but there has been discussions regarding starting from the base install and patching up. Does anybody know if the you can really bring a server into a server group by just using the patch installers? Thanks for any input. Jason On Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 9:55 AM, Lyle Taylor <tayl...@ldschurch.org<mailto:tayl...@ldschurch.org>> wrote: ** You should have configured the server group before installing server B. That is, tell server A it is a member of a server group, and then install B, telling it to share the database. You can install everything on A whenever you want. I would probably install everything on B once B knows that it's a member of the server group. My preference is to install EE, FB, etc on each of the server group hosts (or on some other host, but I have a dedicated instance of EE, FB, etc. for each member of the server group) and point each to the local host (or to its dedicated server) rather than to the server group (an alias, etc.). That way, you're more guaranteed to get proper failover if there is a problem with one of the hosts or something. Lyle From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:arslist@ARSLIST.ORG<mailto:arslist@ARSLIST.ORG>] On Behalf Of Murnane, Phil Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 8:40 AM To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG<mailto:arslist@ARSLIST.ORG> Subject: ARS 7.1 and ITSM 7.0.03 Server Group Build ** All: This is my first time building a server group, and I have a question: after installing ARS 7.1 on servers A & B, do I then configure the server group and proceed with Email Engine (EE), Flashboards (FB), etc install giving the server group name to the installers; or do I install EE, FB, etc against their respective servers and then reconfigure after the installations? Thanks, --Phil -------------------- Phil Murnane, Sr Consultant Windward IT Solutions, Service Management Practice Email: pmurn...@windwardits.com<mailto:pmurn...@windwardits.com> Mobile: 703-896-6435 Web: www.WindwardITS.com<http://www.windwardits.com/> _attend WWRUG10 www.wwrug.com<http://www.wwrug.com> ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"_ NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. _attend WWRUG10 www.wwrug.com<http://www.wwrug.com> ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"_ _attend WWRUG10 www.wwrug.com<http://www.wwrug.com> ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"_ _attend WWRUG10 www.wwrug.com<http://www.wwrug.com> ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"_ _attend WWRUG10 www.wwrug.com ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"_ _______________________________________________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org attend wwrug10 www.wwrug.com ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"
