Configuring the Redundancy Feature in
a Polycom® KIRK® Wireless Server 6000
Application Note
Version 1.3 l October 2010 l 14205401
Configuring the Redundancy Feature in a Polycom® KIRK® Wireless Server 6000
Introduction
The redundancy feature of the Polycom® KIRK® Wireless Server 6000 solution allows
adding a backup server to the system, offering both better availability and better
performance due to load balancing. By adding a backup server, the most critical failure
point of the system is eliminated, allowing the system to continue running and provide
service to the users, even in the event that a server fails. Any active calls or sessions
handled by the failed component will however be lost.
The redundancy feature is designed to be as non-intrusive as possible. Except for a few
simple redundancy options, configuration and administration of a redundant solution is
not different from a single server solution. All configurations are executed on the
master, and everything is presented in the same familiar menus. Configuration data and
statistics are automatically propagated between all the KIRK Wireless Server 6000
entities, e.g. base stations, media resource and server.
This application note describes how to design, configure and administer a redundant
KIRK Wireless Server 6000 solution including a master and a backup server.
Note: Please note that if a third party application is connected to the KIRK Wireless
Server 6000, e.g. a messaging application or a nurse call application, this
application must connect to the master KIRK Wireless Server 6000. In case of a
failure in the master server, the application will not be able to communicate with
the handsets unless the application is designed for redundancy. This is further
described in the XML-RPC SDK document available for download on the KIRK
Wireless Server 6000 support page at www.polycom.com.
Firmware compatibility
The KIRK Wireless Server 6000 supports the redundancy feature from firmware version
PCS06A.
The communication protocol between the KIRK Wireless Server 6000, the KIRK Media
Resources and the KIRK IP Base Stations is not backward compatible starting with
PCS06A of the KIRK Wireless Server 6000 and PCS06A of the KIRK IP Base Station. This
means that KIRK IP Base Stations or KIRK Media Resources with a firmware version older
than PCS06A will not be able to connect to a KIRK Wireless Server running firmware
PCS06A or newer. To minimize downtime, update KIRK IP Base Stations, KIRK Media
Resources and KIRK Wireless Server 6000 to firmware PCS06A before rebooting any of
these. This will ensure that no firmware older than PCS06A will try to connect to a
PCS06A or newer firmware.
Design
Designing a redundant KIRK Wireless Server 6000 solution is very similar to designing
any other redundant network service. In a redundant KIRK Wireless Server 6000
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Switch Switch
Primary SIP proxy Secondary SIP proxy
RFP RFP RFP RFPRFP RFPPrimary
KWS
Seconday
KWS
Media
ressource
Media
ressource
Backup (slave) Media RFP
RFP RFP
KIRK Wireless resource
RFP RFP RFP
Master Media
KIRK Wireless resource
Configuring the Redundancy Feature in a Polycom® KIRK® Wireless Server 6000
solution, the servers should be connected to separate switches, power groups etc.
Figure 1 illustrates an example design of a redundant KIRK Wireless Server 6000 solution
including a master KIRK Wireless Server 6000 and a redundant backup KIRK Wireless
Server.
Figure 1 System design example.
Configuration
In order to enable the redundancy features, a license code with the proper permissions
must be installed in both the master and the backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000. Be
aware that if a license is installed on the master KIRK Wireless Server 6000, a
corresponding license must be installed on the backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000. For
example, if a 500 users license is installed on the master, a 500 users license must be
installed on the backup as well.
License required on the master:
Configuration of the redundancy feature is performed in the Configuration >
Redundancy menu.
14075250 – Software license for master KIRK Wireless Server 6000 redundancy.
License required on the backup:
14075260 – Software license for backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000 redundancy.
Configuring a Master KIRK Wireless Server 6000
The master KIRK Wireless Server 6000 must be configured as a normal single server
solution, and it must be verified that the desired functionality is working. Then it can be
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Setting
Configuration key
Description
Failover
time
redundancy.failover_time
(integer)
The time in seconds from the KIRK
Wireless Server 6000 detects a failure
until it initiates a failover operation.
(See the fact box Failover time
conditions on the following page).
Peer
address
redundancy.peer (string)
The hostname or IP address of the
peer KIRK Wireless Server 6000.
The peer address signifies the other
KIRK Wireless Server 6000 in the
solution, i.e. on the master server, it
must be set to the address of the
backup (slave) KIRK Wireless Server
6000, and on the backup server it
must be set to the address of the
master KIRK Wireless Server 6000.
Database
UUID
redundancy.database_uuid
(string)
Unique ID of the distributed database
of the solution, which must match for
replication to be performed. When
reset on the master server, the UUID
is automatically generated, and when
reset on the backup server, it is
retrieved from the master server. The
UUID must be reset when a master
KIRK Wireless Server 6000 is changed
to a backup KIRK Wireless Server
6000or when a backup KIRK Wireless
Server 6000is moved to another
solution.
Configuring the Redundancy Feature in a Polycom® KIRK® Wireless Server 6000
extended to a redundant solution. On the master KIRK Wireless Server 6000, set the
node type to ‘Master’ and then configure the IP address of the backup KIRK Wireless
Server 6000.
Configuring a Backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000
On the backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000 only basic network settings and redundancy
settings need to be configured. All other settings are retrieved from the master KIRK
Wireless Server 6000. Set the backup node type to ‘Slave’, configure the IP address of
the master and then reboot the KIRK Wireless Server 6000. Following this step, all other
configuration settings will be unavailable in the GUI.
Note: Please note that if the internal corporate phone book feature on the KIRK
Wireless Server 6000 is to be used together with the redundancy feature, the
corporate phone book needs to be configured for LDAP. If the internal corporate
phone book is configured to use a comma separated file, it will not be
compatible with the redundancy feature.
Server settings
The following server settings must be used to configure the redundancy features:
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Setting
Configuration key
Description
Mode
redundancy.mode (string:
single/master/slave)
The mode of the KIRK Wireless Server
6000: Either a normal single server
solution, a master or a backup (slave)
in a redundant solution.
Failover time conditions
The default failover time is 15
seconds; however this may be
adjusted in the Failover time setting
(see Server settings above).
A failure is detected within 15
seconds, and the server will wait the
specified failover time before
initiating the failover operation.
The failover operation moves the
users handled by the failing peer to
the working peer by re-registering
them to the PBX.
When re-registration is completed,
the users are able to receive calls
again. Outgoing calls can be
performed shortly after the failover.
The speed of re-registration
depends on the PBX, and the load
on the system. However, for a
system with 4000 users the reregistration is expected to be
completed within 4000 / 2 / 100 =
20 seconds.
Configuring the Redundancy Feature in a Polycom® KIRK® Wireless Server 6000
Base station and media resource configuration
The base stations and media resource should be configured just as in a single KIRK
Wireless Server 6000 solution, and the server address should be set to the address of
the master KIRK Wireless Server 6000. After connecting to the master KIRK Wireless
Server 6000, the base stations and media resource will automatically be configured to
connect to the backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000. In the event that the master KIRK
Wireless Server 6000 fails, they will continue to provide service to the backup KIRK
Wireless Server 6000.
Administration scenarios
This section describes two common administration scenarios where either the master or
the backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000 fails.
Temporary Failure on the Master
KIRK Wireless Server 6000
In the case where the master KIRK Wireless
Server 6000 fails due to loss of power, network
connection etc., the backup KIRK Wireless Server
6000 will continue to provide service after a
short failover time, although maybe at reduced
performance, (see the fact box Failover time
conditions). When the master KIRK Wireless
Server 6000 returns to operation, it will resume
its normal operation in cooperation with the
backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000. However,
during the failover situation, it will not be
possible to change any configuration settings,
add or remove users or change the subscription
state of any handset.
Permanent Failure on the Master
KIRK Wireless Server 6000
If the master KIRK Wireless Server 6000 has been
damaged, lost or had its data erased, it will have
to be replaced by the backup KIRK Wireless
Server 6000 in order to return the system to
normal operation mode. This is done by
promoting the backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000
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Configuring the Redundancy Feature in a Polycom® KIRK® Wireless Server 6000
to ‘Master’ and the backup server will then assume the responsibilities of a master
server. The repaired or replaced master server can then be added as a new backup
server, following the above procedure of setting up a backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000.
Please be aware that if for some reason a repaired or replaced former master KIRK
Wireless server 6000 is re-instated as master, it should be done very carefully. First, it
must be configured as a backup KIRK Wireless server 6000 in order to get the current
user data and configuration from the acting master KIRK Wireless server 6000 (i.e. the
original backup server). Subsequently, when all data are replicated from the acting
master to the original master, the acting master can be demoted to backup server, and
the acting backup server (i.e. the original master) can be re-instated as master KIRK
Wireless server 6000.
Failure on the Backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000
A failure of the backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000 will induce a short service outage, and
the master KIRK Wireless Server 6000 will reestablish full operation as a single server
solution. If the backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000 resumes its operation, it will
automatically return to be part of the redundant system. In case the backup KIRK
Wireless Server 6000 has to be replaced, the new backup KIRK Wireless Server 6000
must be added to the solution, just as described above.
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