December 13, 2011
Server Clusters 101: The Only Crash Course You’re Going to Need
In today’s post we’re going to be talking about something that we haven’t seen a lot of discussion on, especially since cloud computing blew onto the market. However, if you were unaware of server clustering, it’s still a viable way to host, manage, and produce Web content in a scalable, dynamic, and secure manner. We haven’t forgotten about the technology, and we hope you haven’t either. Or, if you’re just now learning about server clustering, you’ve come to the right place, as today we’ll be summarizing the basic technology behind the hardware, as well as a few initial pros and cons of using the service. With that in mind, we’ll kick things off with:
What is Server Clustering?
In essence, server clustering works off the idea that two heads (or even five or ten) are better than one. Instead of having a single server on which all of your data is preserved, server clustering enables you to have several, interconnected servers running at once. The idea behind this is based around load balancing. That is to say, an algorithm controls exactly what amount of strain is put on each server, micro-managing your performance to maximize efficiency.
Who Uses Server Clustering?
Server clustering performs a lot of the same functions that cloud computing is starting to fill. For instance, those that want a bit more scalability in their server performance can spring for a cluster of servers that respond in real-time to Internet demand. This is in direct contrast to traditional, static performance. Also, those that want a more secure way to host might opt for a server clustering. If one server should fail, there are three, four, or ten extra databanks at hand, ready to roll with your Web content. So in this sense, server clustering is more secure, stable, and dynamic than ye olden server hosting.
What Are the Downsides?
As cool as server clustering is, we feel it’s worth noting a few of the buggering side effects. For instance, creating architectures that support a server cluster can be complex, and might require a lot of technical knowledge. Likewise, finding servers that work cohesively is somewhat restrictive, as not all servers play well with others. And finally, your overhead costs are of course higher, as you must pay for the set-up, as well as the additional hardware, to boot.
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