Cisco Systems OL-6349-01 User Manual

Desktop Info Servers

This chapter contains information about configuring a Desktop Info Server architecture, which you can
use to reduce the load on Info Servers that receive high numbers of events.

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Using a Desktop Info Server Architecture, page 6-1

• Installing a Dual Server Desktop Architecture, page 6-2

Using a Desktop Info Server Architecture

You can use a Desktop Info Server architecture to increase the performance of an Info Server that
frequently experiences heavy loads. For example, this can occur when many regional Info Servers send
events to a central Info Server through unidirectional gateways and many desktops connect directly to
the central Info Server.

When an Info Server becomes overloaded, unidirectional gateways cannot insert all events into the Info
Server database. Additionally, desktops connected directly to the Info Server further increase the load,
especially if a large number of desktops connect simultaneously.

The Desktop Info Server architecture:

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• Reduces the central Info Server's workload by shifting the load to specialized Desktop Info Servers

• Improves desktop responsiveness (the time between a desktop user’s action and its reflection in the

desktop GUI)

• Reduces occurrences of desktop GUI freezing

• Improves the end-to-end latency times in heavily-loaded, standard Info Server configurations

Note If you implement a DSD architecture, you cannot configure Info Server failover using the failover

feature.

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Installing a Dual Server Desktop Architecture

Master info

server

Desktop Info Server Architecture Overview

The Desktop Info Server architecture uses a Master Info Server and one or more Desktop Info Servers
to share the duties normally performed by a single Info Server. Alerts appear for operators on a dual
server desktop (DSD). The main functionality of the DSD is the same as a standard desktop; for
operators, the DSD functions identically to a standard architecture.

DSDs connect to a single, Master Info Server when performing writes, but read alert data from Desktop
Info Servers. This ensures rapid desktop responsiveness by updating the Desktop Info Servers, while
maintaining high data integrity and consistency by simultaneously updating the Master Info Server.

Figure 6-1 shows an example DSD architecture.

Chapter 6 Desktop Info Servers

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Figure 6-1 Dual Server Desktop Architecture

Desktop Info

Server A

IDUC connection

SQL connection SQL connection

Dual server

desktop A

Unidirectional

gateway

Master info

server

Unidirectional

gateway

Desktop Info

Server B

Dual server

desktop B

IDUC connection

122504

The DSD connects simultaneously to the Desktop Info Server and the Master Info Server. Any user
actions (for example, tools or journal actions) performed in the DSD are sent directly to the Master Info
Server through a one way SQL connection and are optionally sent to the Desktop Info Server through an
IDUC connection.

Alerts in the Master Info Server are sent to the DSD through the Desktop Info Server. This is achieved
using a unidirectional gateway from the Master Info Server to the Desktop Info Server and an IDUC
connection from the Desktop Info Server to the DSD.

When users start an Info Desktop, they must select an Info Server to connect to. If the Info Server that
the user connects to is configured to use a DSD architecture, then the Info Desktop connects to the
Master Info Server when performing write operations but connects to one or more Desktop Info Servers
when performing read operations.

Installing a Dual Server Desktop Architecture

The Cisco Info Server installation program, OINSTALL, automates the process for installing a DSD
architecture. When you install the Info Server component, the installation script prompts you whether to
install a Dual Desktop architecture.

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Chapter 6 Desktop Info Servers

If you specify installation of a Dual Desktop architecture, you are prompted as to whether the Info Server
that you are installing is the Master Info Server in the DSD architecture. You are also asked whether you
want to install a DSD on the current host.

You can install one or more Dual Server Desktops. You can install the DSDs on the same host that is
running the Master Info Server in the DSD configuration or you can install the DSDs on remote hosts.

You are also prompted as to whether you want to install the DSD gateway on the same host as the Master
Info Server. Normally you install the DSD gateway on the same host as the Master Info Server.

Note If you will run the DSD Gateway on the host where you are running the Master Info Server in the DSD

architecture, you must select the Gateways component for installation.

Desktop Info Server Configuration Considerations

When configuring a Desktop Info Server architecture:

• One Info Server must be designated as the Master Info Server.

• One or more Info Servers can be designated as Desktop Info Servers.

Installing a Dual Server Desktop Architecture

• A unidirectional gateway must connect the Master Info Server with each of the Desktop Info

Servers.

• All users, groups, and roles must be identical in the Master Info Server and Desktop Info Server.

Configuring a DSD Architecture with SSL Enabled

You can configure a DSD architecture and also configure Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) communication
between the DSD components. However, if you are setting up a DSD architecture with SSL
communication enabled, the DSD architecture with SSL can only be configured with the following on
the same host:

• Master Info Server

• Desktop Info Serve

• DSD Gateway

If you configure SSL with a DSD architecture, you must configure SSL to run the Certificate Authority
on the local host.

Note Virtual Operator, Webtop, or failover configuration will not work with SSL configured.

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Installing a Dual Server Desktop Architecture

Component Selection for Installing a DSD Architecture

Figure 6-2 shows the Component Selection Menu from the Cisco Info Center installation programs with

the proper components selected for a DSD architecture. You can select additional components; however,
if you are configuring SSL communication on this host, you cannot select the Virtual Operator or Webtop
components.

Figure 6-2 Component selection for a DSD Architecture

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