Cluster concepts

Get a complete understanding of how clusters work. Read about the benefits of clusters and how they can be important to you, as well as information on important clustering concepts and how they fit together.

An iSeries™ cluster is a collection or group of one or more systems or logical partitions that work together as a single system. Systems in a cluster, called cluster nodes, work cooperatively to provide a single computing solution. iSeries clustering supports up to 128 nodes in a cluster. This allows you to efficiently group your iSeries systems together to set up an environment that provides availability that approaches 100 percent for your critical applications and your critical data. This helps ensure that your critical systems and applications are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Clusters also provide simplified systems management and increased scalability to seamlessly add new components as your business grows.

• Benefits of clusters
  Clusters provide a solution if your business demands operational systems 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• How a cluster works
  The cluster infrastructure provided as a part of i5/OS™, called cluster resource services, provides resiliency for your critical resources. These resources can include data, applications, devices, and other resources accessed by multiple clients.
• Cluster basics
  Understand the basic clustering concepts before you begin to design and customize a cluster to satisfy your needs.
• The elements of a cluster
  An iSeries cluster is a collection of one or more systems or partitions that work together as a single system. Use this information to understand the elements and their relationship to each other.
• Cluster events
  Within a cluster several types events, actions, and services can occur.
• Cluster applications
  Application resilience is one of the key elements in a clustered environment. If you are planning to write and use highly available applications in your cluster you should be aware that these applications have specific availability specifications.