High-availability (HA) clustering is a solution that uses clustering software and special purpose hardware to minimize system downtime. HA clusters are groups of computing resources that are implemented to provide high availability of software and hardware computing services. HA clusters operate by having redundant groups of resources (such as CPU, disk storage, network connections, and software applications) that provide service when the primary system resources fail. webMethods Broker can run in an HA cluster environment, under Windows or UNIX.
A High Availability Cluster, often abbreviated as HA Cluster, is a group of computers that work together to ensure that critical applications and services are available with minimal downtime. These clusters are designed to provide redundancy and failover capabilities, allowing for continuous operation even if one or more components fail..
High Availability Clusters work by linking multiple servers or nodes that can take over tasks from one another if one node fails. This process involves several key components and mechanisms:
Each cluster consists of multiple nodes. These nodes can be physical servers or virtual machines. The redundancy ensures that if one node goes down, others are available to take over the workload.
The High Availability software framework is responsible for monitoring the health of all cluster nodes and managing the run-time location and execution of applications and service availability across the cluster