We do in fact have GDPS, but only GDPS/XRC for our Disaster Recovery--and that, of course, doesn't cut it for HA. GDPS Hyperswap is a little out of the budget for now (man, I do not even want to contemplate our DS8700's going down on the storage side). And to Marcy's point, where possible we would want to use the same tools across the enterprise (so we are indeed looking at Oracle RAC for the oracle databases we're planning to migrate), but management wanted us to offer some sort of integrated "generic" linux solution for applications that didn't have any specific (or supported-on-z) tools. zLinux is a small-but-growing segment of our relatively small number of Linux servers--we're predominantly running the bigger non-mainframe applications on AIX servers with HACMP, so that's what we're competing with in trying to entice other applications to join our middleware MQ/Broker servers on zlinux. If we pick up Sine Nomine HAO or Tivoli Systems Automation for Multiplatform, we'd be looking at using them on our intel redhat linux servers as well as the zlinux ones to try to cut down on the tool proliferation.
But you're right, Alan--if our storage controllers go dead, we'd be looking at activating a DR right now, for some subset of both zlinux and our mainframe applications. I'm going to go knock on something wooden... For now, we're concerning ourselves with the server-side of HA--network redundancy is already built (with multiple OSAs as well), we have multiple lpars and mainframes for each environment, and we're trusting to IBM's never-gonna-fail on the storage side. -----Original Message----- From: Linux on 390 Port [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Alan Altmark Sent: Friday, October 04, 2013 1:45 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: any good recommendations for an HA tool on zSeries? On Friday, 10/04/2013 at 11:04 EDT, "Collinson.Shannon" <[email protected]> wrote: > We're running RHEL6.2 and RHEL6.4 on our zlinux servers under z/VM 6.2 and so > far have been handling HA by just clustering servers--yeah, any transaction in > process to a server that's gone down would be whacked in mid-air, but anything > new would route to the "cluster-buddy" that was still up. That's not true > high-availability, though, and won't work for all our potential applications. > Of course, we're looking at SSI which will help out for planned > outages, but > we'd also like to be able to do something in the case of a > server-crash (i.e. > have some sort of heartbeat-monitor that could pop up/activate an application > on a different server if it noticed something was down). We'll be > investigating Tivoli Systems Automation for Multiplatform, and the > Sine Nomine > HAO (High Availability Option), plus I intend to see if the RHEL HA add-on is > compatible with zSeries, but I'm wondering if there's any other good products > to explore (as well as anyone's experiences with the above products). > We did a > cursory look at LinuxHA, but unfortunately our management is not keen > on using > freeware, even though price will definitely be a consideration in whatever we > decide on. > > Any comments from those in the field actually exploiting HA for > zSeries at > their shops? You are asking the right questions, but recognize that there is no single HA management solution. Real HA is more than just workload distribution. You have to protect yourself from outages of networks, servers, storage, and the components that connect them together and make them go (adapters, cables, power supplies, etc.) within a single site/campus. DR is a twist on HA that drives it to the next level, achieving the same purpose, but across longer distances and with a higher tolerance for a service outage. As others have noted, a good HA solutions can be leveraged for planned outages, too. Networks and servers are fairly straightforward and well understood (bonding solutions, app clusters, IP moves, "another LPAR", "another CPC"). I find clients who get all that done and then I discover that they have a single storage controller. They might be replicating to the DR site, but that doesn't help them if they lose the local storage frame. If you have z/OS, then you need to look at GDPS, even if only for I/O hyperswap capability. Alan Altmark Senior Managing z/VM and Linux Consultant IBM System Lab Services and Training ibm.com/systems/services/labservices office: 607.429.3323 mobile; 607.321.7556 [email protected] IBM Endicott ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO LINUX-390 or visit http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information on Linux on System z, visit http://wiki.linuxvm.org/ LEGAL DISCLAIMER The information transmitted is intended solely for the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of or taking action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. By replying to this e-mail, you consent to SunTrust's monitoring activities of all communication that occurs on SunTrust's systems. SunTrust is a federally registered service mark of SunTrust Banks, Inc. [ST:XCL] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO LINUX-390 or visit http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information on Linux on System z, visit http://wiki.linuxvm.org/
