Grass Valley iControl V.6.02 - Manual (Page 475)

Backup and Redundancy
Summary
Key Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Sample Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Detailed Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
Key Concepts
Application Server Auto-failovers and Manual Takeovers
Application Servers actively working in the iControl system are known as Main Application
Servers. Application Servers on which copies of configuration data from the Main Application
Servers reside are known as Backup Application Servers. If one of the Main Application Servers
fails, an operator can manually switch service to a Backup Application Server, or else the
system can automatically fail over to a Backup Application Server if configured to do so.
A necessary condition for a successful Auto-failover or Manual Takeover is for the Main
Application Server’s iControl software and Web sites, configuration data, and IP address
configuration data to be replicated and up-to-date on the Backup Application Server.
Replication is the automatic scheduled copying of Application Servers on the network.
Configuration of the replication function is done through iControl Admin (see
"Opening the
iControl—admin Page" , on page 555). After a failover, the Backup Application Server assumes
the exact same configuration profile as the original Main at the time of its last replication (that
is, operational status, IP addresses, configuration data are identical to the replication
snapshot).
Redundancy Groups
Only when Application Servers are configured to belong to a Redundancy Group can Auto-
failovers and Manual Takeovers occur. In the case of Auto-failovers, a Redundancy Group
defines the pool of Application Servers in the role of Main and the one Application Server
serving as standby in the role of Backup (protecting the Mains). In the case of Manual
Takeovers, Redundancy Groups define the pool of Main and Backup Application Servers on
which operators can choose to perform Manual Takeovers (from any online Main to any
standby Backup) and Reverse Takeovers.
IMPORTANT: System behavior
You must configure one Application Server in every Redundancy Group in the
role of Backup and in a standby state in order for Auto-failovers and Manual
Takeovers to succeed.