| Solution |
| Q1. |
What is HP Serviceguard for Linux? |
| A1. |
HP Serviceguard for Linux protects from a wide variety of software and hardware failures, providing high availability and ensuring data integrity for applications running on a cluster of servers.
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| Q2. |
What is Red Hat Global File System? |
| A2. |
Red Hat's Global File System (GFS) enables a cluster of Linux servers to simultaneously read and write to a single shared file system on the SAN.
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| Q3. |
What is the value proposition of the joint solutions? |
| A3. |
HP & Red Hat deliver end-to-end availability on Linux clusters, with HP Serviceguard and Red Hat GFS.
The combination of HP Serviceguard for Linux and Red Hat GFS provides a comprehensive availability solution for your Linux cluster - from applications to data. With Red Hat GFS and HP Serviceguard, you can scale out for both performance and availability without creating manageability complexity.
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| Q4. |
What are the benefits of the joint solution? |
| A4. |
HP Serviceguard provides: continuous access to applications and services (if a server, server component or application go down, it is restarted or other cluster members can pick-up the workload).
Red Hat GFS provides: continuous and shared access to data, through a single cluster-wide file system (eliminating need for data replication and synchronization - clusters can be scaled on-the-fly).
Together, Serviceguard and GFS provide: Continuous access to both applications/services and data, and the ability to scale without worry. Serviceguard uses software techniques and multiple hardware paths to keep an application running on the same node. If, as a last resort, a node fails, Serviceguard fails over the workload to another node. and Red Hat GFS serves up the same data right away. Serviceguard and GFS are best of breed clustering technologies for Linux, working together.
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| Q5. |
What does the bundle include? |
| A5. |
The bundle is a licensed as an annual subscription. Included is the HP Serviceguard for Linux software and instructions for downloading Red Hat GFS. Each software product includes right to new versions for one or three years, based upon product selection. |
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| Technical specifications |
| Q1. |
What software versions are supported together? |
| A1. |
HP and Red Hat have currently completed testing for the following versions:
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 and 4
- Red Hat Global File System 6 and 6.1
- HP Serviceguard for Linux A.11.16
View current supported configurations.
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| Q2. |
What servers and storage are supported? |
| A2. |
The combination of Red Hat GFS and HP Serviceguard for Linux are supported on a range of HP ProLiant servers and SAN storage from major vendors. See the HP Serviceguard for Linux certification matrix. Note that due to HP's recommended fencing mechanism, currently only HP ProLiant servers are supported for use with Red Hat GFS and Serviceguard for Linux.
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| Q3. |
What did Red Hat and HP do to ensure these products work together? |
| A3. |
Engineering tested the two cluster products to validate their ability to co-exist on a group of Linux servers. We produced a white paper that explains the testing and provides modified scripts.
- To verify the Serviceguard ability to deal with application packages whose file systems stay mounted at all times on all nodes
- To ensure cluster co-existence by testing for membership related issues in failure scenarios
- To document a configuration supported by both companies that has no single point of failure
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| Q4. |
Are there any changes I need to make in order to use Serviceguard for Linux and Red Hat GFS together? |
| A4. |
Very minor changes are required when configuring GFS and Serviceguard for Linux together. The guidelines to implement a stable dual-cluster (two clusters sharing the same hardware) with HP Serviceguard for Linux and Red Hat GFS are published in a white paper, available today from HP and Red Hat.
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| Support |
| Q1. |
How are the two products supported by HP and Red Hat? |
| A1. |
Support for the individual products is provided by the respective vendor. HP and Red Hat also have in place a joint support agreement for the smooth handling of support questions that are ambiguous or that affect both cluster products.
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| Q2. |
How is Red Hat GFS supported? |
| A2. |
Red Hat provides the support for GFS at the same level that Red Hat EL support has been purchased. Red Hat GFS support is not available from HP.
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| Q3. |
How is HP Serviceguard for Linux supported? |
| A3. |
Support for HP Serviceguard is available from HP and is not included in the bundled offering. A complete portfolio of support is available today with HP Serviceguard for Linux for customers with different needs for their HA environment - from 9×5 to Critical Support Services are available through your HP account representative.
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