CLUSTERS

Replicating with all servers in a cluster
An additional benefit of creating a cluster is that it can simplify your replication topology and increase the reliability and performance of replication. This is because you can set up a server outside the cluster to replicate with all the servers inside the cluster. You do this by creating a single Connection document that specifies the server outside the cluster as the source of replication and the cluster name as the destination of replication. Then, every database on the source server that has a replica in the cluster replicates. If the cluster contains more than one replica of a database, the source server replicates with only one of those replicas, and cluster replication propagates the changes to the other replicas in the cluster.

Replication with a cluster is more reliable than replication with an individual server because IBM® Lotus® Domino™ replicates with any server in the cluster that contains a replica of the database it is processing. Therefore, if a server in the cluster is unavailable, replication can still proceed if another replica exists in the cluster. Replication with a cluster can also improve performance because Domino uses workload balancing when choosing a server with which to replicate.

Note When replicating with a cluster name, select Pull Push, Pull Only, or Push Only as the replication type in the Connection document. Pull Pull replication does not work with a cluster name.

Note Before replicating with a cluster name for the first time, the source server must access one of the clustered servers directly once. When this occurs, Domino populates the source server's cluster cache with the names of the servers in the cluster. This makes the source server aware of the servers in the cluster.

Issuing the Replicate command with a cluster name

From the server console, send the following Replicate commands to replicate databases on a local server with databases in the specified cluster.
PurposeCommandExplanation of variables
To replicate all the databases that the local server has in common with servers in a specific clusterreplicate cluster_namecluster_name is the name of the cluster
To replicate a specific database onlyreplicate cluster_name filenamefilename is the file name of a database
To replicate with all the databases in a specific directoryreplicate cluster_name local_directorylocal_directory is the name of a directory that contains databases

Specifying a cluster in a Connection document

You can create a Connection document to replicate with a cluster. Type the appropriate information in these fields:
TabField nameInformation you enter
BasicsSource serverType the name of a server. The server cannot be a member of the cluster.
Destination server Type the cluster name.
Replication/RoutingReplication taskChoose Enabled.
Replication TypeSelect Pull Push, Pull Only, or Push Only. Pull Pull does not work with a cluster name.
Files/Directory Paths to ReplicateLeave blank to select all databases; type one or more file names or a directory name to specify databases.

Replicating with a cluster from a Notes client

Replicating with a cluster name is useful when you don't know the location of a database within the cluster.

Note A client must access a server in the cluster directly once before replicating with a cluster name. Doing so makes the client aware of the cluster by adding the names of the servers in the cluster to the CLUSTER.NCF file on the client.

1. Open the database you want, or right-click its bookmark.

2. Do one of the following:

3. If a box appears asking whether to "Replicate via background replicator" or "Replicate with options," choose "Replicate with options" and click OK.

4. In the "with" field, type the cluster name.

5. Make any other changes you want, and click OK.