IP-Cluster 3

IP-Cluster is an IP-FailOver-software for Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, which allows IP-based applications, for example Web servers and OPC servers, to unite two or more IP addresses to a redundant IP cluster. Thus you can offset failures of one (or more) servers. Furthermore IP-Cluster supports quorum devices, which may be used by each server to determine a loss of the connection.

Therefore a virtual IP address for the cluster is defined: the cluster IP address. Only one computer in the cluster can activate the cluster IP address at the same time. The ipcluster service, which runs on each cluster node, can supervise the cluster IP address, an optional additional IP address and all other cluster nodes. A cluster node is either active or inactive. If a cluster node becomes active, it binds the cluster IP address onto one of its NIC's and an additional IP address at another or the same NIC. Afterwards a command-file is run, which enables to start or stop other programs or do completely different actions. An active cluster node becomes inactive by shutting down the machine, by separating the machine from the network or by terminating the ipcluster service. If the ipcluster service on an active node is stopped, the IP address is removed from the NIC'S. Before removing the IP address, the command-file is run again.