Question: WebLogic 4.0 Clustering on Solaris 2.6

Question

I've read through several of the postings about Clustering Weblogic Servers
          but there are still a couple of points that aren't clear. We have a Java application
          that is going to use two Weblogic Application servers to go against a Sybase
          database. We decided to use two Single CPU Weblogic servers in a clustered
          configuration for load balancing and in the event one goes down or needs to
          be taken off line. Each server currently has two NIC's. One NIC is connected
          to the LAN where our client PC's are located and the second NIC is going to
          connect to an isolated Network for the Multicast communication and an NFS
          mount for the Weblogic servers. Eventually we might add a third NIC in each
          server that will connect to the network that the Database servers reside on but
          for now they will use the same NIC as the Client PC's.
          The part that isn't clear is the portion about the Multicast addresses. In some
          messages people try to assign and bind the Mutlicast address to the NIC and
          in others they just use a normal IP address and it looks as if the Mutlicast
          address is just configured in the Weblogic properties file. I would like to use
          the second NIC in the servers for the NFS mount and the Multicast communication
          between the servers. Is there anything special to configure this on a SUN solaris
          server? If you have any ideas please let me know.
          Regards,
          Robert
          

Answer 1

There is a bug report that makes me think this is broken in Solaris 2.6, but
          in theory the following should work:
          Get rid of '/usr/sbin/route add -interface -netmask "240.0.0.0" "224.0.0.0"
          "$mcastif"' in /etc/init.d/inetsvc which sets the "standard" multicast
          address space starting at 224.0.0.0 with a mask of 240.0.0.0.
          Add to your taste:
          /usr/sbin/route add -interface -netmask "255.0.0.0" "235.0.0.0"
          "host1.foo.com"
          /usr/sbin/route add -interface -netmask "255.0.0.0" "236.0.0.0"
          "host2.foo.com"
          /usr/sbin/route add -interface -netmask "255.0.0.0" "237.0.0.0"
          "host3.foo.com"
          Where host1.foo.com, host2.foo.com, etc. are in your local hosts file and
          are set to the local IP address of the interface you want to bind each
          multicast class C address space to.
          netstat -r should give you the visual confirmation that things are
          configured correctly...
          Try snoop on a different machine to see if things are working on the wire:
          snoop -d hme0 multicast | grep -v ETHER
          Where hme0 is the ethernet interface in the proper Ethernet layer 2 domain
          that you want to analyze. Make sure you see the traffic you expect.
          Jim Hayes
          mailto://[email protected]
          Vinny Carpenter <[email protected]> wrote in message
          news:[email protected]...
          > Hi Robert. If you wish to keep the mutlicast traffic off your main
          network, why don't you just move the
          > WebLogic servers in their own network segment. We keep all of our
          WebLogic servers in their own network
          > segment and it works great. Hope this helps
          >
          > --Vinny
          >
          > "Robert L. Doerr" wrote:
          >
          > > I got a message from our Local Weblogic rep and he said (according to
          his inside support)
          > > that what I am trying to do can not be done. Apparently the Mutlicast
          traffic has to use the
          > > same NIC that the clients use to access the WebLogic Server. There is
          no way to use an
          > > isolated LAN for the Mutlicast packets like I originally wanted to do.
          I can still use the second
          > > NIC to go directly to the Database servers on the back end though. If
          anyone does know of
          > > a way to make the Muticast packets use a specific NIC please let me
          know.
          > >
          > > Regards,
          > >
          > > Robert
          > >
          > > "Robert L. Doerr" wrote:
          > >
          > > > Do you mean that the WLS looks for Multicast boradcasts on the same
          port it expects to
          > > > get requests from the clients? Without clustering enabled the WLS is
          listening on port
          > > > 7003 on the Primary NIC for communication with our Java application on
          the client. I thought
          > > > that the Muticast traffic was on a different port. If it uses the
          same port then how can we
          > > > tell the WLS to use the Primary NIC for communication and the second
          NIC strictly for
          > > > the Multicast traffic. I'm still not clear on this issue.
          > > >
          > > > Regards,
          > > >
          > > > Robert
          > > >
          > > > Sazi Temel wrote:
          > > >
          > > > > Hi Robert, you can use two or more NICs per server or you can bind
          multiple address to the same
          > > > > NIC. Every WLS server that is member of the cluster (regardless a
          server has single or multiple
          > > > > NICs, regardless if a WLS server has its own IP bind to its own NIC
          or a NIC used by multiple WLS
          > > > > servers) should listen the same port, you cannot have servers in a
          cluster listening different
          > > > > ports. Once the servers are configured being part of the cluster
          they will use the multicasting
          > > > > to communicate with each other. Note also that you should have
          license for the cluster
          > > > > configuration, you cannot combine multiple license files to make a
          cluster license file. Hope
          > > > > this will help.
          > > > >
          > > > > Regards,
          > > > > --Sazi
          > > > >
          > > > > "Robert L. Doerr" wrote:
          > > > >
          > > > > > I should clarify this a little better:
          > > > > >
          > > > > > Each Weblogic server has a NIC that it will use to communicate
          with all of the clients
          > > > > > on the LAN. The address of that NIC matches the one in the
          license file and it is
          > > > > > expecting requests to come in on port 7003. By default it looks
          as if the WebLogic
          > > > > > server looks for Multicasts on port 7001 of that same NIC. Since
          don't want that
          > > > > > Multicast traffic on the regular Network with the clients (It has
          no reason being there)
          > > > > > we want all the Multiport traffic to go in and out of another NIC
          with a different Network
          > > > > > address. Unless that second address is in the License file can we
          do this? I haven't
          > > > > > seen any messages or notes relating to this issue. It sounds like
          most people only
          > > > > > use one NIC per server.
          > > > > >
          > > > > > Regards,
          > > > > >
          > > > > > Robert
          > > > > >
          > > > > > "Robert L. Doerr" wrote:
          > > > > >
          > > > > > > Thanks, for the response. Can you control what NIC's that
          Multicast braodcasts
          > > > > > > will use? We would like to keep all of the Multicast traffic
          off the normal LAN and
          > > > > > > use the extra NIC's for this.
          > > > > > >
          > > > > > > Robert
          > > > > > >
          > > > > > > Sazi Temel wrote:
          > > > > > >
          > > > > > > > Your server should bind to a "normal" IP address... Use
          multicast address for clustered
          > > > > > > > servers communications, in most case you should do nothing for
          multicast address since if
          > > > > > > > you do not assign one WLS will use the default one
          (237.0.0.1).
          > > > > > > >
          > > > > > > > --Sazi
          > > > > > > >
          > > > > > > > "Robert L. Doerr" wrote:
          > > > > > > >
          > > > > > > > > I've read through several of the postings about Clustering
          Weblogic Servers
          > > > > > > > > but there are still a couple of points that aren't clear.
          We have a Java application
          > > > > > > > > that is going to use two Weblogic Application servers to go
          against a Sybase
          > > > > > > > > database. We decided to use two Single CPU Weblogic servers
          in a clustered
          > > > > > > > > configuration for load balancing and in the event one goes
          down or needs to
          > > > > > > > > be taken off line. Each server currently has two NIC's.
          One NIC is connected
          > > > > > > > > to the LAN where our client PC's are located and the second
          NIC is going to
          > > > > > > > > connect to an isolated Network for the Multicast
          communication and an NFS
          > > > > > > > > mount for the Weblogic servers. Eventually we might add a
          third NIC in each
          > > > > > > > > server that will connect to the network that the Database
          servers reside on but
          > > > > > > > > for now they will use the same NIC as the Client PC's.
          > > > > > > > >
          > > > > > > > > The part that isn't clear is the portion about the Multicast
          addresses. In some
          > > > > > > > > messages people try to assign and bind the Mutlicast address
          to the NIC and
          > > > > > > > > in others they just use a normal IP address and it looks as
          if the Mutlicast
          > > > > > > > > address is just configured in the Weblogic properties file.
          I would like to use
          > > > > > > > > the second NIC in the servers for the NFS mount and the
          Multicast communication
          > > > > > > > > between the servers. Is there anything special to configure
          this on a SUN solaris
          > > > > > > > > server? If you have any ideas please let me know.
          > > > > > > > >
          > > > > > > > > Regards,
          > > > > > > > >
          > > > > > > > > Robert
          > > > > > >
          > > > > > > --
          > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
          > > > > > > Robert L. Doerr (MCNE, MCP, A+)
          > > > > > > 26308 Cubberness
          > > > > > > St. Clair Shores, MI 48081
          > > > > > > Tel: [phone]
          > > > > > > e-mail: [email protected]
          > > > > > > WEB Site: http://www.robotswanted.com
          > > > > > > "Keeping Personal Robots alive!"
          > > > > > > Heathkit HEROS (Jr, 1, & 2000), Androbots, & MAXX STEELE.
          > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
          > > > > >
          > > > > > --
          > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
          > > > > > Robert L. Doerr (MCNE, MCP, A+)
          > > > > > 26308 Cubberness
          > > > > > St. Clair Shores, MI 48081
          > > > > > Tel: [phone]
          > > > > > e-mail: [email protected]
          > > > > > WEB Site: http://www.robotswanted.com
          > > > > > "Keeping Personal Robots alive!"
          > > > > > Heathkit HEROS (Jr, 1, & 2000), Androbots, & MAXX STEELE.
          > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
          > > >
          > > > --
          > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
          > > > Robert L. Doerr (MCNE, MCP, A+)
          > > > 26308 Cubberness
          > > > St. Clair Shores, MI 48081
          > > > Tel: [phone]
          > > > e-mail: [email protected]
          > > > WEB Site: http://www.robotswanted.com
          > > > "Keeping Personal Robots alive!"
          > > > Heathkit HEROS (Jr, 1, & 2000), Androbots, & MAXX STEELE.
          > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
          > >
          > > --
          > > ------------------------------------------------------------
          > > Robert L. Doerr (MCNE, MCP, A+)
          > > 26308 Cubberness
          > > St. Clair Shores, MI 48081
          > > Tel: [phone]
          > > e-mail: [email protected]
          > > WEB Site: http://www.robotswanted.com
          > > "Keeping Personal Robots alive!"
          > > Heathkit HEROS (Jr, 1, & 2000), Androbots, & MAXX STEELE.
          > > ------------------------------------------------------------
          >