Product specifications

4 Automatic Server Failover Tips and Rules
This chapter provides some important tips and rules to use when configuring the automatic
server failover.
Don't Access the Interplay Engine Through Individual Nodes
Don't access the Interplay Engine directly through the individual machines (nodes) of the cluster.
Use the virtual network name or IP address that has been assigned to the Interplay Engine
resource group (see
“List of IP Addresses and Network Names” on page 31).
Make Sure to Connect to the Interplay Engine Resource Group
The network names and the virtual IP addresses resolve to the physical machine they are being
hosted on. For example, it is possible to mistakenly connect to the Interplay Engine using the
network name or IP address of the cluster group (see
“List of IP Addresses and Network Names”
on page 31
). The server is found using the alternative address also, but only while it is online on
the same node. Therefore, under no circumstances connect the clients to a network name other
than what was used to set up the Interplay Engine resource group.
Do Not Rename Resources
Do not rename resources. The resource plugin, the installer, and the uninstaller all depend on the
names of the cluster resources. These are assigned by the installer and even though it is possible
to modify them using the cluster administrator, doing so corrupts the installation and is most
likely to result in the server not functioning properly.
Do Not Install the Interplay Engine Server on a Shared Disk
The Interplay Engine must be installed on the local disk of the cluster nodes and not on a shared
resource. This is because local changes are also necessary on both machines. Also, with
independent installations you can later use a rolling upgrade approach, upgrading each node
individually without affecting the operation of the cluster. The Microsoft documentation is also
strongly against installing on shared disks.
Do Not Change the Interplay Engine Server Execution User
The domain account that was entered when setting up the cluster (the Cluster Service Account
—see
“Before You Begin the Server Failover Installation” on page 29) also has to be the Server
Execution User of the Interplay Engine. Given that you cannot easily change the cluster user, the