Can one create a "bi-directional" heartbeat cluster with 2 nodes?

Hi all

I need to know if Linux-HA clustercan do the following:

I want to put 2 Apache servers side by side.
Both servers contain the same 8 web sites and relevant config.
Server1 serves sites A,B,C and D
Server2 serves sites E,F,G and H

If EITHER server dies then the remaining server takes its IP address and
thus starts serving all 8 sites.

So, my question.... can this be done with heartbeat?

Thanks in advance for any clues.

--
Wayne de Villiers
wayne AT inxcom.com

Wayne de Villiers <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I need to know if Linux-HA clustercan do the following:

What you descibe is bog standard failover stuff.

> I want to put 2 Apache servers side by side.
> Both servers contain the same 8 web sites and relevant config.
> Server1 serves sites A,B,C and D
> Server2 serves sites E,F,G and H

> If EITHER server dies then the remaining server takes its IP address and
> thus starts serving all 8 sites.

That's what normally happens.

> So, my question.... can this be done with heartbeat?

Yes, but why heartbeat? A simple 10 line shell script would do it.

Heartbeat is essentially a failover architecture. You slot your
failover actions into it. Heartbeat is made infinitely worse however,
by its almost total inability to work decently when the failover hosts
are separated by a LAN or WAN (packets don't route, complete mess with
multiple hosts on the same ports, etc.). It's intended to work with a
serial line or dedicated crossover cable between the two hosts.

> Thanks in advance for any clues.

Get some more.

Peter