Question

Commserve - Active / Standby clarification

  • 15 June 2023
  • 8 replies
  • 236 views

Badge +4

Hello Team,

 

This is related to Commserve Active / Standby queries.

 

One of the requirement is that need to build three Commserve servers, one production site and two cold sites (Off sites).

The production site will implement Commserve is active and another two sites will implement on standby mode.

Please advise, Is it will use Live sync future or will use manual process while performing Commserve failover.

Let me know the manual process failover / failback. 

Thanks in advance.


8 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +19

Interesting scenario, but you could consider using CommServe LiveSync as it supports multiple target systems see https://documentation.commvault.com/2022e/essential/104697_commserve_livesync_for_high_availability_disaster_recovery.html

As an alternative you could also consider configuring one cold site as CommServe LiveSync target and have the other site being a standby to which you copy over the DR backups. 

As in regards to the preferred failover method it really depends on your requirements and preferences. I personally never seen such a setup, but would consider only adding one site to to the CommServe LiveSync setup and have the other site just acting as a point to where you copy the DR backups. It means a possible recovery takes a bit more time because you have to build the VM that will host the CommServe, but it also means less operational cost and effort and because the chance is so low that you will have to rely on the 3th site I would personally go for that one, but I do not have context with your business requirements. 

Userlevel 3
Badge +8

Agreed, it all depends on the business requirements.

 

I like @Onno van den Berg ‘s idea (slightly modified) about having Live Sync configured between site 1 and 2, and have a traditional manual Standby CommServe with CIFS Share for the DR Export Location on site 3.

 

This way you can have quick failover and failback between sites 1 and 2 (https://documentation.commvault.com/2022e/essential/138573_commserve_livesync_in_windows_environment.html)

 

But if there is some issue with the Live Sync feature you still have the manual procedure available at site 3! (https://documentation.commvault.com/2022e/expert/43543_commserve_recovery_using_disaster_recovery_dr_backups.html)

Badge +4

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Is it the Live Sync options will support three Commserve, one is active and two is standby.

While failover can able to select which server will come active?

Just for checking from my end.

Thanks in advance.

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +19

@Anandha K I can't comment about, because I never used it myself. In case the documentation is not clear about this than I would say: try it out ;-) 

Badge +4

Hi,

Again want to clarify some technical points for standby server.

 

For site3, Can i make it different Commserve hostname and will install Commserve.

Or Commserve Live Sync feature failure, then will use the same host name on standby server and then will install Commserve.

Please advise the best method to follow.

Please share any related of article.

Thanks in advance.

 

Userlevel 5
Badge +13

Yes reading is important for this topic: 

https://documentation.commvault.com/2023/expert/102841_commserve_livesync_for_high_availability_disaster_recovery.html

 

Q: While failover can able to select which server will come active?

Yes when you have setup several passive or standby CommServes, you have to select witch one you want to become active.

 

 

Userlevel 1
Badge +3

@Anandha K

You can have more than 1 StandbyCS if required and it is mentioned in the below documentations as well. So you are good to go with the configuration.

https://documentation.commvault.com/2023/expert/102847_installing_standby_commserve_host.html

Note: Identical software must be used for setting up the production and the standby CommServe hosts. Ensure that the SQL Server version (including service packs) are identical in the both the production and standby hosts.*

Standby CS must have different hostname. Additionally FYI, an additional setting- sCSINTERFACELIST is configured automatically on the client groups during configuration to facilitate communication between the client and CS after failover to other nodes as well.

Reference: https://documentation.commvault.com/2023/expert/102842_planning_for_commserve_livesync_in_windows_environment.html

 

While failover can able to select which server will come active?

And yes, instance002 on Commserver will be acting as the failover clients and from ‘Failover Assistance’ tab on instancee02, you will find an option to select the standby CS to which you wanted to failover.

 

Thanks,

Naresh G

Badge +4

Hello Team,

Thanks for your valuable update.

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