Microsoft BackOffice Applications Supported by MSCS

• Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 - Microsoft Cluster Server

SUMMARY

The following article discusses Microsoft BackOffice interoperability with Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS).

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft SQL Server:

Microsoft will support the Enterprise Edition of Microsoft SQL Server on MSCS clusters. Microsoft SQL Server, Enterprise Edition version 6.5 will provide "active/active" cluster support in the second half of 1997 (that is, both servers can be running SQL Server, with each server, supporting its own databases). Microsoft SQL Server 7.0, currently in beta test, will include additional cluster-aware enhancements that provide for faster recovery in the event of a server or application failure. The version of Microsoft SQL Server that follows Release 7.0 will include new features for shared-nothing scalability on MSCS clusters (that is, a single database will be able to span multiple servers).

Microsoft Exchange Server:

Microsoft will support the Enterprise Edition of Microsoft Exchange Server on MSCS clusters. The "Osmium" release of Exchange Server, Enterprise Edition will provide "active/passive" failover on an MSCS cluster. This means Exchange/E "Osmium" will be able to run on one server in the cluster at a time, and MSCS will be able to automatically restart Exchange on the other server following an application or server failure. Future versions of Exchange will be enhanced for active/active failover (that is, ability to run Exchange simultaneously on both servers).

Microsoft SNA Server:

Microsoft SNA Server already provides a hot failover capability independent of Microsoft Cluster Server; therefore, SNA would not benefit from the failover functionality. However, it may be possible to install SNA into a cluster. Because of the built-in failover capability within SNA Server, this option is not recommended.

Microsoft Proxy Server:

The current version of Microsoft Proxy Server has its own capability for chaining together multiple servers for high availability and scalability: therefore, it would not benefit from Microsoft Cluster Server's failover functionality.

Microsoft Systems Management Server:

Microsoft does not support the installation of the current version of Microsoft Systems Management Server with Microsoft Cluster Server. Microsoft intends to provide cluster-enabled high availability for Systems Management Server in a future release.

For additional information regarding application support in Microsoft Cluster Server, please reference the following URL:

   http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/Support/clusterfaq.asp