4.0.0 HP Polyserve Matrix Server Administration Guide (T5392-96052, March 2010)

14 Configure virtual hosts
Matrix Server uses virtual hosts to provide failover protection for servers and network
applications.
Overview
A virtual host is a hostname/IP address configured on a set of network interfaces.
Each interface must be located on a different server. The first network interface
configured is the primary interface for the virtual host. The server providing this
interface is the primary server. The remaining network interfaces are backups; the
servers providing these interfaces are the backup servers. By default, Matrix Server
directs network traffic for the virtual host to the primary interface.
The primary and backup servers do not need to be dedicated to these activities; all
servers can support other independent functions.
The network interface currently receiving the network traffic is the active interface
and is labeled as “Active” on the PolyServe Management Console. This interface is
typically the primary interface; however, if Matrix Server has redirected the network
traffic to a backup interface, that interface becomes the active interface. Network
interfaces not currently receiving network traffic for a virtual host are called inactive
interfaces.
After creating virtual hosts, you will need to configure your network applications to
recognize them. When clients want to access a network application, they use the
virtual host address instead of the address of the server where the application is
running.
Cluster health and virtual host failover
To ensure the availability of a virtual host, Matrix Server monitors the health of the
administrative network, the active network interface, and the underlying server. If
you have created service or device monitors, those monitors periodically check the
health of the specified services or devices. If any of these checks fail, Matrix Server
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