How software clustering works

Kick-start your SafeKit cluster configuration

Application Modules for SafeKit are the easy way to get your clustering solution working quicky. Each module includes a set of configuration file templates and scripts needing only simple parametrization, such as the server IP addresses, at installation time.

Single-module clusters

A SafeKit single-module solution is appropriate if you need to deploy high availability for just one application on a cluster of servers. In this case, you can install, run and toggle a single application module on the cluster. Two types of single-module architecture are available:

• Farm architecture, supporting network load balancing and recovery 
• Mirror architecture, supporting file replication and recovery 

Multi-module clusters

If you need to deploy high availability for several applications on the same cluster of servers, SafeKit also supports multi-module architectures. Several applications can then run concurrently with high availability on the same cluster. In this case, you can install several application modules and start and toggle them individually.

Multi-module architectures include:

• Mixed farm and mirror 
• Mutual takeover with 2 active servers 
• N-to-1, with one passive server providing back-up for N active servers 

Examples of application modules

Application modules correspond to a specific combination of application and operating system. We also provide generic application modules that you can use as a base to provide any application with any combination of load balancing, file replication, and failover.

The modules listed below can be used with the free trial version of SafeKit. In fact, we recommend them as the fastest way to obtain an operational configuration.

Applications and architectures	Platform*
Apache web server: Mirror architecture	AIX Solaris	Linux Windows
Apache web server: Farm architecture with load balancing and failover	AIX Solaris	Linux Windows
Microsoft IIS web server: Mirror architecture		Windows
Microsoft IIS web server: Farm architecture with load balancing and failover		Windows
MySQL database: Mirror architecture with file replication and failover		Linux
Oracle database: Mirror architecture with file replication and failover	AIX Solaris	Linux Windows
Microsoft SQL server database: Mirror architecture with file replication and failover		Windows
Netfilter firewall front-end application: Mirror architecture		Linux
Netfilter firewall front-end application: Farm architecture with load balancing and failover		Linux
Generic module for Mirror architecture, with file replication and failover	AIX Solaris	Linux Windows
Generic module for Farm architecture, with load balancing and failover	AIX Solaris	Linux Windows
Mosaic module for testing Farm architecture	AIX Solaris	Linux Windows
Microsoft Paint module for testing Mirror architecture		Windows
NotePad module for testing Mirror architecture		Windows
* Links on this page point to application modules for the current version of SafeKit. Application modules for earlier versions are available from the support site.
Note: the application modules ( ".safe" files) are .zip files packaged in a specific manner to be deployed after installing the free trial version of SafeKit. You can view the contents of a .safe file with a .zip extraction tool, without installing the free trial version.