Creating a Mirror

Creating a mirror involves configuring two failover members and, optionally, one or more async members. After the mirror is created, you can add databases to be mirrored.

In addition, you can configure members to use SSL/TLS and to encrypt data; for detailed information, see Creating and Editing SSL/TLS Configurations for a Mirror in the “ Using SSL/TLS with Caché ” chapter, and the “Managed Key Encryption” chapter, respectively, of the Caché Security Administration Guide.

Important: Before you can create a mirror, you must ensure that the ISCAgent process has been started as described in the Starting/Stopping ISCAgent section in this chapter.

When you are creating a new mirror, configure the mirror members in the following order: 1. Create Mirror and Configure First Failover Member

2. Configure Second Failover Member

3. Add Second Failover Member to Mirror

4. Add Async Members to Mirror

5. Adding Databases to a Mirror

To simplify the configuration task, you can use the form provided at the end of this chapter to record essential system information; see Mirror Configuration Details Form.

4.1.2.1 Create Mirror and Configure First Failover Member

The following procedure describes how to create a mirror and configure the first failover member.

1. Navigate to the [System] > [Configuration] > [Create Mirror] page of the Management Portal on the first failover member (for example, SystemA), and click Create a Mirror; if the link is not active, click Enable Mirror Service and select the

Service Enabled check box.

2. On the [System] > [Configuration] > [Create Mirror] page, enter the following information in the Mirror Information section: a. Mirror Name — Enter a name for the mirror.

Note: Valid names must be 1–15 uppercase alphanumeric characters.

b. Use SSL/TLS — Specify whether or not you want to use SSL/TLS security by selecting Yes or No from the drop- down list. If you select Yes, click Set up SSL/TLS and follow the instructions in the Creating and Editing SSL/TLS Configurations for a Mirror section of the “ Using SSL/TLS with Caché ” chapter of the Caché Security Adminis-

tration Guide.

c. Use Virtual IP — Specify whether or not you want to use a Virtual IP address by selecting Yes or No from the drop- down list. If you select Yes, you are prompted for the following information:

• IP Address — Enter an IP address in the text box (for more information, see the Configuring a Mirror Virtual IP (VIP) section of this chapter).

• Mask (CIDR format) — Enter a Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) mask in the text box.

28       Caché High Availability Guide Mirroring

• Network Interface — Select a network interface from the drop-down list (for more information, see the Network Interface Considerations section of this chapter).

3. All other fields on this page are pre-populated with information specific to this node:

• Click Advanced Settings to display and edit additional pre-populated information about the mirror and the first failover member. In the Mirror Settings section (for more information, see the Mirror Tunable Parameters section in this chapter):

– Quality of Service Timeout (msec) — The maximum time, in milliseconds, that processes on this failover member wait for data to be acknowledged by the other member; the default is 2000 msec.

– Acknowledgment Mode — Select the acknowledgement mode that the primary failover member uses during a “ Mirror Synchronization ” process from the drop-down list; the default is Received.

– Agent Contact Required for Failover — Select whether or not the active backup failover member should take over as the primary failover member if it not able to communicate with the primary system; the default is Yes.

Note: If you select No, you must provide the ^ZMIRROR user-defined routine (see ^ZMIRROR User- defined Routine in this chapter).

• In the Mirror Failover Member Information section:

– Mirror Member Name — The name of the failover member you are configuring on this node (for example, SystemA); it defaults to a unique system name.

– Superserver Address — The IP address or host name that external systems can use to communicate with this failover member.

– Mirror Agent Address — The IP address or host name of the ISCAgent on this failover member.

– Mirror Agent Port — The port number of the ISCAgent on this failover member. For information, see the

ISCAgent section in this chapter.

• In the This Failover Member section:

– Mirror Private Address — The IP address or host name that the failover members use to communicate with each other for mirroring information and data.

4. Click Save.

4.1.2.2 Configure Second Failover Member

This procedure describes how to configure the second failover member in the mirror.

1. Navigate to the [System] > [Configuration] > [Join Mirror as Failover] page of the Management Portal on the second failover member, and click Join as Failover; if the link is not active, click Enable Mirror Service and select the Service Enabled check box.

2. On the [System] > [Configuration] > [Join Mirror as Failover] page, enter the following information in the Mirror Information

section:

a. Agent Address on Other System — Enter the superserver IP address or host name you specified when you created the mirror on the first failover member.

b. Mirror Agent Port — Enter the port of the ISCAgent you specified when you created the mirror on the first failover member.

c. Caché Instance Name — Enter the Caché instance name of the first failover member. 4. Click Connect to retrieve and display information about the mirror and the first failover member. 5. Enter or edit, if necessary, the following information in the Mirror Failover Member Information section:

a. In the This System column:

• Mirror Member Name — The name for the failover member you are configuring on the current node (for example, SystemB).

• Superserver Address — The IP address or host name that other systems can use to communicate with this failover member.

• Mirror Agent Port — The port number of the ISCAgent on this failover member. For information, see the

ISCAgent section in this chapter.

• Network Interface for Virtual IP — If the mirror is configured to use virtual IP, select a network interface from the drop-down list (for more information, see the Network Interface Considerationssection of this chapter).

• SSL/TLS Config — The link lets you add or edit the SSL/TLS security; for information, see the Creating and Editing SSL/TLS Configurations for a Mirror section of the “ Using SSL/TLS with Caché ” chapter of the

Caché Security Administration Guide.

Important: If you configured the mirror to use SSL/TLS, this failover member must also be configured to use SSL/TLS to be able to join the mirror.

• Mirror Private Address — The IP address or host name that the failover members use to communicate with each other for mirroring information and data.

b. The Mirror Information for <mirror name> section displays information about the mirror that this member is joining:

• Use SSL/TLS — Whether or not the mirror is using SSL security.

• Quality of Service Timeout (msec) — The maximum time, in milliseconds, that processes on this failover member wait for data to be acknowledged by the other member; the default is 2000 msec.

• Acknowledgment Mode — The acknowledgement mode that the primary failover member uses during a “ Mirror Synchronization ” process from the drop-down list.

• Agent Contact Required for Failover — Whether or not the active backup failover member should take over as the primary failover member if it not able to communicate with the primary system; the default is “ Yes. ”

• Mirror Virtual IP — The virtual IP address if the mirror uses a virtual IP address.

6. Click Save.

To complete the process of joining the mirror, follow the instructions in the Add Second Failover Member to Mirror section of this chapter.

30       Caché High Availability Guide Mirroring

4.1.2.3 Add Second Failover Member to Mirror

After you have created the mirror and configured the first failover member, and configured the second failover member, on the system on which you created the mirror and configured the first failover member (SystemA), you must add the second failover member to the mirror, as follows:

1. Navigate to the [System] > [Configuration] > [Edit Mirror] page of the Management Portal, and click Edit Mirror. 2. On the [System] > [Configuration] > [Edit Mirror] page of the Management Portal, click the Add Failover Member link

in the Mirror Failover Member Information section.

3. Enter the following in the Mirror Information section in the Add Failover Member to Mirror window:

a. Mirror Private Address — The IP address or host name that the other failover members (for example, SystemB) use to communicate with each other for mirroring information and data.

b. Mirror Agent Port — Enter the port for the ISCAgent on the second failover member (SystemB). c. Caché Instance Name — Enter the Caché instance name of the other failover member.

4. Click Connect to display information in the Failover Member Information section about both failover members in this mirror:

• Mirror Member Name — The name of each failover member.

• Superserver Address — The IP address or host name that external systems can use to communicate with this failover member.

• Mirror Agent Port — The port for the ISCAgent for each failover member.

• SSL/TLS Config — The link lets you add or edit the SSL/TLS security; for information, see the Creating and Editing SSL/TLS Configurations for a Mirror section of the “ Using SSL/TLS with Caché ” chapter of the Caché

Security Administration Guide.

Important: If you configured the mirror to use SSL/TLS, this failover member must also be configured to use SSL/TLS to be able to join the mirror.

• Mirror Private Address — The IP address or host name that the failover members use to communicate with each other.

5. Click Save to save the displayed information and open the Edit Mirror page.