Planning Cluster Requirements for RMS
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
If you are using RMS in a multiple server cluster deployment, make sure you have considered how to address the following conditions that might exist in your organization.
| Condition | Recommendation |
|---|---|
Large number of desktops that use RMS. |
You can use Windows Update, a script, or a software distribution method such as Systems Management Server (SMS) or Group Policy to install and activate the Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services client software. |
Large number of client requests. |
Use a load-balancing server, the Network Load Balancing (NLB) service, or hardware load-balancing to distribute the requests across the cluster. |
Two network adapters that use virtual IP addressing to service both extranet and intranet requests. |
Make sure that any Domain Name System (DNS) registration that exposes the virtual IP address to the extranet also exposes the address to the intranet. |
Important
If DNS registration is not done for the intranet, internal client license requests will fail. If you are unable to modify the DNS settings, the hosts table of each server in the cluster can be modified to map the cluster URL to the cluster's virtual IP address. DNS registration needs to be done before RMS is provisioned. If you have already provisioned the service, you must remove RMS from the server and then repeat the provisioning process.