Introduction

Fault tolerance generally involves redundancy; for example, in the case of disk fault tolerance, multiple disks are used. The ultimate in fault tolerance is the use of multiple servers, configured to take over for one another in case of failure or to share the processing load. Windows Server 2003 provides network administrators with two powerful tools to enhance fault tolerance and high availability: server clustering (only in the Enterprise and Datacenter Editions) and Network Load Balancing (included in all editions).

This chapter looks first at server clustering and shows you how to make clustering services part of your enterprise-level organization's high-availability plan. We'll start by introducing you to the terminology and concepts involved in understanding clustering. You'll learn about cluster nodes, cluster groups, failover and failback, name resolution as it pertains to cluster services, and how server clustering works. We'll discuss three cluster models: single-node, single quorum device, and majority node set. Then we'll talk about cluster deployment options, including N-node failover pairs, hot standby server/N+1, failover ring, and random. You'll learn about cluster administration, and we'll show you how to use the Cluster Administrator tool as well as command-line tools.

Next, we'll discuss best practices for deploying server clusters. You'll learn about hardware issues, especially those related to network interface controllers, storage devices, power-saving features, and general compatibility issues. We'll discuss cluster network configuration and you'll learn about multiple interconnections and node-to-node communications. We'll talk about the importance of binding order, adapter settings, and TCP/IP settings. We'll also...