What you will learn from this tip: SearchStorage.com readers frequently ask questions about using clustering for storage. This article offers a collection of expert responses to recent reader queries.
In the past year or so, there has been a lot of interest in clustering among users of the Ask The Expert section of SearchStorage.com. According to Greg Schulz, senior analyst with Evaluator Group, this surge of interest in clustering is largely due to the increased availability of easier to implement and more affordable open technology.
Clustering is defined as the use of multiple computers, multiple storage devices and redundant interconnections, to form what appears to users as a single highly available system. A basic cluster is made up of two servers of similar or identical hardware specifications, each with two data paths to two sets of disks that are mirrored one to the other. Clusters can use load balancing to equalize processing tasks between cluster members, and can employ parallel processing to tackle complex and demanding processing tasks. Clustering has been around for a couple of decades in various implementations, and IT professionals continue to find new uses for it.
"Moving forward, clustering will become even more popular for servers and storage morphing into what will be called grids," says Schulz. "As IT organizations need to continue to scale availability locally and remotely along with enhancing performance and capacity in a resilient and adaptive manor, clusters will grow in popularity."
Click on the links below to check out what people like you want to know about clustering, and learn more about this often-discussed topic from our experts' advice.
SAN clustering
Using iSCSI for clustering
Limiting access to a SAN volume
Using clusters to ensure failover
Is a SATA disk appropriate for a Windows file server cluster?
Sharing a LUN between windows and making it a cluster
Building a four-node SAN cluster
Is it possible to SAN boot using an iSCSI adapter?
Non-distributed clustering
Swapping out SANs without damaging clusters
How to assign LUNs in a SAN
Designing a SAN with multiple servers using serverless backup
NAS clustering
Is it possible to implement a cluster with NAS technology?
CIFS and protocols
Database clustering
Two-node cluster over Oracle 9i
Replicating a SQL2000 cluster
Replication: Sun vs. Veritas
Clustering products for Windows
LUN sharing
Clustering for high availability
Clustering for high availability
Configuring SANs for high availability
