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In this issue...
  • Feature: Making an HA Decision [iSeries]
  • Spotlight: The New Cluster Model [Linux]
  • Spotlight: Data Replication in HA Clusters [Unix-Linux]
  • Spotlight: HACMP for AIX 5L Verion 5.1
  • KEY Special Offer: iSeries: Zero Downtime ROI Analysis
  • KEY Definitions: Terms of the Month
    • Feature Article :.

    Making an HA Decision

    by Steve Finnes and Bob Gintowt and Mike Snyder, eServer Magazine

    Buying a car isn’t an easy task. To make an informed decision, you want to have all of the facts in front of you. Once you’ve done your homework and figured out which car features you want, it’s time to compare the various makes and models. How does Car A’s features and attributes compare to Car B, etc.

    The same is true for high-availability (HA) solutions. In part one of this series, we explained how to do the homework. Now it’s time to detail solution-type behaviors and HA/clustering attributes to help you make your HA decision.

    Click Here to Continue Reading -
    http://www.eservercomputing.com/iseries/articles/index.asp?id=684
    Spotlight Article :.

    The New Cluster Model

    by Pimm Fox, Editor, Computerworld

    High-availability clustering is too compelling to ignore. Typical clustering models for Unix have one server doing the work, with another standing by idle in case of failure. This active/passive approach can double hardware costs and add time and expense to deployment and management. That's a fair amount of capital to sink into unused computing resources. But the confluence of three factors may change the way clustering is approached.

    Click Here to Read More -
    http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2003/0,4814,81845,00.html

    Data Replication in High Availability Clusters Sys Admin

    by Nelson Yount, Sys Admin

    The ultimate goal of high availability (HA) clustering is to improve the level of availability of applications and other services to their end-users. HA clusters generally consist of two or more computer systems in close physical proximity. The HA clustering software is designed to monitor the status of all of the systems in the cluster, and upon the failure of any of those systems, to restart on one or more of the remaining systems any applications that were running on the failed system. The clustering software will typically also move the network address associated with such an application to the backup system, allowing clients to easily continue to access the application.

    Click Here to Read More -
    http://www.samag.com/documents/s=8817/sam0313h/0313h.htm

    HACMP for AIX 5L version 5.1

    by IBM

    What happens when IT systems fail? During the business day, IT investments are hard at work: recording customer activities, tracking inventory, keeping company statistics, providing employees with the computing power needed to generate business revenue. But what happens when those systems fail? The cost of computer downtime is widely documented; unplanned outages cost real money and increase the total cost of ownership (TCO) for IT. Planned outages for system maintenance can also impact business performance. Keeping systems highly available should be the top goal of every system administrator or corporate CIO. What every business needs are high-availability (HA) solutions that keep a company's IT investment running 24x7, allow end users to never experience any system outages, and let system maintenance occur without causing downtime.

    Click Here to Read More -
    www-1.ibm.com/sroducts/ibmsw/high_avail_network/hacmp_51.pdf
    KEY Special Offer:.

    iSeries: Zero Downtime ROI Analysis
    Could you benefit from 5-15 MORE hours of system availability per week on your iSeries? The solution is easy, installs in a matter of weeks, and completely eliminates downtime for daily and weekly backups. Plus you’ll achieve the first step in a high availability strategy.

    Click Here to request your fast, easy and FREE Zero Downtime ROI Analysis.
    KEY Definitions:.

    >From www.techweb.com/encyclopedia

    Replication [Mirroring]
    In database management, the ability to keep distributed databases synchronized by routinely copying the entire database or subsets of the database to other servers in the network.

    There are various replication methods. Primary site replication maintains the master copy of the data in one site and sends read-only copies to the other sites. In a workflow environment, the master copy can move from one site to another. This is called "shared replication" or "transferred ownership replication." In symmetric replication, also called "update-anywhere" or "peer-to-peer replication," each site can receive updates, and all other sites are then updated. Failover replication, or hot backup, maintains an up-to-date copy of the data at a different site for backup.

    Failover [Fallover / Switchover]
    The process whereby an alternate system takes over if the primary system becomes unusable. Assumes an up-to-date copy of a database [and applications] resides on an alternate computer system for backup.

    Clustering
    Using two or more computer systems that work together. It generally refers to multiple servers that are linked together in order to handle variable workloads or to provide continued operation in the event one fails. Each computer may be a multiprocessor system itself.

    Key Information Systems, Inc., (www.keyisit.com) a Premier Business Partner with IBM, is a systems integration company located at 22120 Clarendon St., Suite 100, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, USA. Founded in 1995, the company provides corporate infrastructure architecture for business continuity, storage, and e-business solutions. Key Information Systems is a leading provider of IBM server solutions for the iSeries, AIX (UNIX), NT, and Linux platforms and has distinguished itself by extending its high availability infrastructure solutions to the Internet economy. The company delivers a complete range of professional services including education, maintenance, and IBM Global Financing. For more information, please visit the company online or call 1-877-442-3249.

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