Maximum Redundancy on Six Servers
This topology adds maximum availability on the fewest number of servers. This scenario is intended for organizations that require redundancy of all application server roles. Having an NLB cluster for the K2 Server and a separate NLB cluster for the Web tier maximizes its availability and performance. A SQL cluster also allows for data redundancy.
| Maximum Redundancy on Six Servers Install | |
|---|---|
| Server A, B | NLB SharePoint 2007, SharePoint 2010 (Server or Foundation) and IIS |
| Server C, D | NLB K2 blackpearl (all components) |
| Server E, F | Clustered SQL Server |
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Note: Depending on the SharePoint product installed, either the MOSS, WSS, SharePoint 2010 Server or SharePoint 2010 Foundation components will be displayed for installation.. |
The Maximum Redundancy on Six Servers install scenario is shown below.
Considerations for the Maximum Redundancy on Six Servers Install
This installation brings the complexity of Kerberos and NLB to the scenario.
Kerberos
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The default method for user authentication for new distributed installations is K2 Pass-Through Authentication. Kerberos is recommended for all configurations, machines and services in a distributed environment except for those that use OAuth (SharePoint 2013 and Azure Active Directory SmartObjects). |
Since the IIS server does not share a server with the K2 Server, the credentials will be passed as a result. As discussed earlier, whenever credentials must pass more than one “hop” between servers, Kerberos must be configured. This is known as the “double-hop issue.”
Ensure that all Kerberos settings and necessary configuration takes place before attempting to install K2 blackpearl. To configure Kerberos, refer to the deployment considerations section on Kerberos later in this help file.
Network Load Balancing
NLB can be configured by using either the operating system or specific hardware. In either case, NLB configuration should be accomplished before installing K2 blackpearl.
When installing components that will be load balanced, the installation must be performed on each machine independently. In this install, the SharePoint and Web components are on NLB servers, therefore, these components need to be installed on each NLB server. Additionally, the K2 Server resides on NLB servers, therefore each NLB server needs the K2 Server installation.
SQL Server
The location of the SQL Server is not critical for a K2 installation, as long as the network connection speed to the K2 Server meets minimum requirements. It is also important that the DTC component is configured properly in order for communications between the K2 Server and the SQL Server can function properly. The SQL Server can share physical resources, be located on an independent platform, such as in this install, or it can be clustered. For more information regarding SQL Server clustering, refer to the SQL Server Failover Clustering documentation (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms189134.aspx)
In most cases K2 databases are installed on an established SQL Server cluster for an existing environment. This is a likely occurrence and the installation documentation takes this into consideration.
