Running User Name Mapping on a server cluster

A server cluster is a group of independent computer systems, known as nodes, working together as a single system to ensure that mission-critical applications and resources remain available to clients. These nodes must be running Windows 2000 Advanced Server. Every node is attached to one or more cluster storage devices. Clustering allows users and administrators to access and manage the nodes as a single system rather than as separate computers.

User Name Mapping is specifically designed to make use of the server cluster and the server cluster's ability to replicate configuration settings among its nodes. This means that when User Name Mapping is installed on the nodes of a cluster, all changes to the configuration of User Name Mapping on one node are automatically replicated to User Name Mapping on all other nodes of the cluster. Consequently, you can manage User Name Mapping on all the nodes in the cluster simply by administering User Name Mapping on any one node. This ensures that user and group mappings and other settings will be identical on all servers in the cluster, thereby allowing you to easily achieve static load balancing by distributing User Name Mapping clients among the nodes of the cluster.

When you install User Name Mapping on a cluster, you should perform the following steps:

  1. To achieve static load balancing, create one cluster group for each node with its own Internet Protocol (IP) address and network name resource, and assign the preferred owner for each group so that it is primarily owned by a different node
  2. Install User Name Mapping on the nodes of the cluster one at a time. Before installing User Name Mapping on a node, move all groups away from the node.
  3. When User Name Mapping has been installed on all nodes, return all groups to their primary owners.
  4. Configure User Name Mapping on any node. Settings changed on one node are automatically replicated to all other nodes in the cluster.
  5. Configure each client computer to use the virtual server name from one of the cluster groups as its User Name Mapping server. This will ensure that client computers will continue to be served by User Name Mapping in case of node failure. To provide static load balancing, evenly distribute clients among the virtual servers of the cluster.

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