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Re: backup web server




On Mon, 28 Feb 2005, Kevin Coyner wrote:

> 
> I have a client whom I host on my server that insists on virtually 100%
> uptime for his website.  While 100% might be stretching it a bit,

even for large corp ... 100% uptiem is next to impossible

> how is  this best done? 

multiple "data centers"
	- LA, NY, Paris, London, Tokyo, Sydney, etc...

next best way ...
	one server San Jose and one server in San Francisco

> Is it a combination of software and DNS?

MX for Mail ... ( webmaster@ ... ) for each

DNS is required ... each dns server uses itself to serve web pages

pop mail comes from one server ... and if its dead, you change
to teh other pop server

nothing fancy  ... easy to do ... no extra work .. no extra sw

-- you do need the internal development website, to push all the 
   new updated sweb pages and cgi to each server in SF and SJ

c ya
alvin

> I know some sites run mirrors,

running mirrors is a 100% sure way to wipe out a whole server and
all its backups

- if the primary goes down ... all its clones also goes down
  if your mirroring is setup incorrectly

- manually create a release file, patch files, etc that is automatically
  pulled down wheny ou know the "release is clean"

> but that usually involves clicking a link
> to go to that specific mirror.

release to a specific mirror is good

and during the "test period", leave the other system alone .

>  Is it possible to have this be
> transparent,

use cron to make it transparent

> so that if person visiting the site fails to connect to the
> primary webserver (because it is down), then he/she is automatically
> switched to a backup mirror?

dns will take care of that for you ...  or if you have time and $$$,
you can buy fancy load balancers
 
> I actually have two separate boxes with different IP's, both running
> Debian and Apache 1.3. 

and what happens to both servers when you lose power 

what happens when the local contractor cuts the fiberline down the street
or at the colo

> The client's website is on one box and the other
> box could be used if needed.

both boxes should be live 24x7 to be sure that "the backup" actually 
works

c ya
alvin



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