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

2 Introduction to Matrix Server
Matrix Server provides a cluster structure for managing a group of network servers
and a Storage Area Network (SAN) as a single entity.
Product features
Matrix Server includes the following features:
• Fully distributed data-sharing environment. The PSFS filesystem enables all servers
in the cluster to directly access shared data stored on a SAN. After a PSFS
filesystem has been created on a SAN disk, all servers in the cluster can mount
the filesystem and subsequently perform concurrent read and/or write operations
to that filesystem. PSFS is a journaling filesystem and provides online crash recov-
ery. It is designed to be performant, scalable, highly recoverable, and highly
available.
• Availability and reliability. Servers and SAN components (Fibre Channel switches
and RAID subsystems) can be added to a cluster with minimal impact, as long as
the operation is supported by the underlying operating system. Matrix Server in-
cludes failover mechanisms that enable the cluster to continue operations without
interruption when various types of failures occur. If network communications fail
between any or all servers in the cluster, Matrix Server maintains the coherency
and integrity of all shared data in the cluster.
• Cluster-wide administration. The PolyServe Management Console (a Java-based
graphical user interface) and the corresponding command-line interface enable
you to configure and manage the entire cluster either remotely or from any server
in the cluster.
• Failover support for network applications. Matrix Server uses virtual hosts to
provide highly available client access to mission-critical data for Web, e-mail,
file transfer, and other TCP/IP-based applications. If a problem occurs with a
network application, with the network interface used by the virtual host, or with
the underlying server, Matrix Server automatically switches network traffic to an-
other server to provide continued service.
• Event notifier services. These services can be configured to send an SNMP trap,
to send email, or to run a script when certain matrix events occur.
HP PolyServe Matrix Server administration guide 19