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HP OpenVMS Systemsask the wizard |
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The Question is: Hi, I would like to install additional network cards into Alpha Servers running VMS 7.2-1 and TCP/IP V5.0A. Some of the network cards are to be used by the application and some will be used by the quorum node for cluster communication. The questions I have are about the fail-over capabilities of the network cards in a single machine. If I purchase dual ported network cards and there is a failure on one of the circuits would I be correct in assuming that the network card/VMS detects this failure and enables the other port for use? If I purchase two separate network cards, and have one active and the other one in stand-by mode, will the failover be automatic or is this a manual process. Can I have the same IP address for both cards? Regards Terry The Answer is : If the NIC fails, then the platform itself can often encounter an associated failure -- a bus hang, some corrupted bus traffic, network problems, etc. If you happen to encounter a non-fatal controller error (NIC or otherwise), then OpenVMS and the host software can generally transparently manage operations across all of the available controllers. OpenVMS treats multi-port NICs as multiple individual NICs. If a multi-port NIC fails, the failure may or may not affect other ports on the NIC. Far more to failover and recovery planning must be considered than can be easily discussed in Ask The Wizard -- topics range from redundant network servers to non-adjacent cable runs to periodic full failure testing to component tracking to lighting to power sources, etc.
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