Setting Up Your Microsoft Cluster

As you set up your Microsoft cluster, record key information about the cluster on the System Clustering Worksheet:

SYSTEM CLUSTERING WORKSHEET
Under Item 1: Cluster Name, record the name of your Microsoft cluster. Under Item 2: Nodes in Cluster, list the servers that you have added to the cluster.

The number of nodes in the cluster will strongly influence where you place GroupWise domains and post offices. You have several alternatives:

• Your whole GroupWise system can run in a single cluster.
• Parts of your GroupWise system can run in one cluster while other parts of it run in one or more other clusters.
• Parts of your GroupWise system can run in a cluster while other parts run outside of the cluster, on non-clustered servers.

If you do not have the system resources to run all of your GroupWise system in the cluster, you must decide which parts have the most urgent need for the high availability provided by clustering. Here are some suggestions:

• Post offices and their POAs must be available in order for users to access their GroupWise mailboxes. Therefore, post offices and their POAs are excellent candidates for the high availability provided in a cluster.
• In a like manner, WebAccess provides user access to GroupWise mailboxes across the Internet through users' Web browsers. It is another good candidate for the cluster.
• Domains and their MTAs are less noticeable to GroupWise client users when they are unavailable (unless users in different post offices happen to be actively engaged in an e-mail discussion when the MTA goes down). On the other hand, domains and their MTAs are critical to GroupWise administrators, although administrators might be more tolerant of a down server than client users are. Critical domains in your GroupWise system are the primary domain and, if you have one, a hub or routing domain. These domains should be in the cluster, even if other domains are not.
• The Internet Agent might or might not require high availability in your GroupWise system, depending on the importance of immediate messaging across the Internet and the use of POP3 or IMAP4 clients by GroupWise users.

There is no right or wrong way to implement GroupWise in a cluster. It all depends on the specific needs of your particular GroupWise system and its users.