Panorama NovaView. Load Balancing Installation Guide

Transcription

1 Panorama NovaView Load Balancing Installation Guide

2 Table of Contents Background... 3 Load Balancing Using Microsoft Clustering Technology... 3 Configuration Issues... 3 Panorama Network Solution... 3 Panorama NovaView Cluster Implementation Rules: A Step by Step Guide... 4 Configuring Fault Tolerance... 6

3 Background Panorama Novaview is often installed in large networks with hundreds or thousands of users. The NovaView Intelligence server is designed with special care for high performance and high availability, to enable optimal performance certain best practices should be followed when installing over large networks. In many of those cases, Panorama software recommends to install more then one NovaView server using the Microsoft Windows Servers Clustering technology for IIS servers. This solution utilizes its features of failover capabilities and load balancing for high performance. When using this kind of configuration, there is a need for special care for installation and configuration of the Panorama system. This document explains recognized issues and describes the recommended configuration changes and settings. Load Balancing Using Microsoft Clustering Technology The Microsoft Server family provides integrated clustering services and technologies to deliver higher levels of service and availability. The Windows Server family provides two types of clustering services: Cluster service and Network Load Balancing. Installing Panorama on top of these clustering services enables Panorama to service high loads of requests and serve networks of hundreds and thousands of users. Configuration Issues Using the Microsoft Load Balancing configuration generates known issues, as described below. Every time a user clicks on one of the Panorama Clients, a request is sent to the server. As more then one servers are installed on the cluster, request service is arbitrary. It is impossible to know to which server the request arrives, which server processes the request, and there is no way to ensure that the session and user state will be on the server handling the requests. Another known issue is the physical location of the books file (the xml files). By default, Panorama NovaView stores the books on a local directory. On Panorama v6.2 file synchronization is possible and it is recommended for a Load Balancing environment. Customers can use the synchronization solution of their preference, this guide mentioned one freeware solution used during testing in our Labs. Panorama Network Solution The system administrator must save the Panorama user data and the Panorama session data on a single repository. You accomplish this by selecting the Keep user state in SQL Server option in the NovaView Server Properties (for more information see: Configuring Fault Tolerance below. Load Balancing Installation Guide 3

4 Panorama NovaView Cluster Implementation Rules: A Step by Step Guide To start and use Panorama NovaView do the following: 1. Configure IIS load balancing using Microsoft tools. You should have N identical servers and one unique URL to access the server farm. 2. Install Panorama NovaView on all these servers. Install the same versions, including service packs and HotFixes. For each server, follow Steps Halt NovaView Intelligence Server service. 4. Open the registry editor. 5. Add the following registry string: IsLoadBalanced and set its value to 1 into HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Panorama\NovaView X.X\Admin\. If your server is a 64-bit machine, the above registry path would be different: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Panorama\Nova view X.X\Admin 6. In each of the Panorama NovaView machines, select the Keep user state in SQL Server. 7. In each Panorama server, Install synchronization tool for the Briefing books (as example: 8. Synchronized the XML files under E-BI/Books and E-BI/User folders between the servers. 9. Make sure that Panorama Service runs on all the machines with the same domain user (Which are both local and OLAP administrator on the OLAP machine). 10. Restart Panorama service. Load Balancing Installation Guide 4

5 Configuring Fault Tolerance This demonstration shows you how to configure and test fault tolerance. # Task Notes Return to the Web Access view Try to drill in the view Start the NovaView Intelligence Server service Confirm that your connection to the server is still active by performing any action (slice, pivot, or drill). Your session was ended when the service was stopped, so now the view is no longer available to you. To configure fault tolerance, the NovaView Intelligence Server service must be running. Enable fault tolerance Use the NovaView Administrator console to review server properties. 1. Select and then right-click on Panorama Administrator. 2. Select Properties, and click the Database tab. 3. Select the Keep User State in SQL Server option, and click OK. Stop and start the NovaView Intelligence Server service Start a new NovaView Web Access session using the Adventure Works Module 8 briefing book Restarting the service is necessary to implement fault tolerance. Confirm that you can interact with the view by slicing or drilling. Load Balancing Installation Guide 5

6 # Task Notes Use Enterprise Manager to open and examine the UsersState table Stop and restart the NovaView Intelligence Server service using the Panorama icon in the menu bar Drill on a dimension member Notice that a record has been inserted to track the state of your session in the UsersState table (Panorama database). Stopping the service simulates a computer failure. Note - The previous session condition has been preserved. You can continue working even after service was restarted. Load Balancing Installation Guide 7