Setting Up Your Database Servers

  • Article

This section applies to a four-computer configuration containing a pair of Web servers using Network Load Balancing (NLB) and a pair of SQL Server cluster servers. For more information about the configuration, see Small Site Configuration.

Your database servers are the computers you use to host your Commerce Server databases and application databases, and the Commerce Server Direct Mailer and Predictor resources, if you decide to install them. To separate the business logic tier from the database tier, your database servers should not contain any of your applications or administrative tools. One exception is Direct Mailer, which you can install on your database server in a small site configuration. Before you install Commerce Server 2000, you must ensure that the required software platform exists on your database servers. For more information, see Software Requirements.

Ee785257.note(en-US,CS.10).gif Note

  • Commerce Server does not support a mixed SQL Server 7.0 and SQL Server 2000 configuration for the Data Warehouse and OLAP server databases.

Setting Up a Server Cluster

To provide high availability for your SQL Server databases, it is recommended that you store them on server clusters. Servers configured as clusters share common data and work as a single system. Each server can operate independently of other servers in the cluster. So if one server fails, another server takes over its functions.

Before you install a server cluster, the servers in the cluster must be configured with compatible disk drives, network adapters, and disk controllers. For more information about these requirements, consult your hardware vendor.

There are several server clustering techniques, including shared disks and mirrored disks, to consider using, depending on your needs and budget. Also, you can configure your servers as active/active, in which each server runs applications while also serving as a backup for the other server, or active/passive, in which one server runs applications while the other one serves as a backup. Making these decisions requires that you consider the role of server clusters in your site. Before creating server clusters, you need to plan for them carefully. For more information about planning for server clusters, see the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Deployment Planning Guide.

After you develop a server cluster plan, use the Windows Cluster Service Configuration Wizard to create and configure your server cluster. For more information, see Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Cluster Service. 

When you install server clusters, it is important that you install applications in a prescribed order. For information about how to install SQL Server on a server cluster, see the Microsoft Product Support Services Web site.

Ee785257.note(en-US,CS.10).gif Note

  • In the initial release of Commerce Server 2000, Commerce Server Direct Mailer does not support installation to a SQL Server virtual cluster. Install Direct Mailer to a physical node of the SQL Server virtual cluster using the name of the physical computer, and use a SQL Server instance that is separate from the virtual instance. Check the Microsoft Commerce Server Web site for an updated solution.


All rights reserved.