CLUSTER SPD.PDF

This Software Product Description details OpenVMS Cluster Software, supporting versions 6.2-1H1 and 7.0 for both OpenVMS Alpha and VAX systems. It describes a System Integrated Product (SIP) that creates a highly integrated OpenVMS computing environment (VMScluster) by distributing operations across multiple CPUs.

The software enables CPUs within a VMScluster to share processing, mass storage (including system disks), and other resources under a single OpenVMS security and management domain. Individual CPUs maintain independence, allowing them to boot and shut down separately while benefiting from shared resources.

Key features ensuring high availability and coordinated access include:

• Clusterwide read/write access to disk files with a per-CPU voting mechanism for coherency.
• Shared batch and print queues for load balancing.
• Clusterwide Lock Manager System Services for reliable resource access and signaling.
• Physical disks and tapes accessible to all CPUs.
• Clusterwide process creation and control (Version 7.0).
• Dynamic interconnect I/O load balancing and automated data/application caching.
• Configuration and monitoring tools, including DECamds and a dynamic Show Cluster utility.
• Cross-architecture satellite booting (VAX to Alpha and vice versa).

VMSclusters support various interconnects (CI, DSSI, SCSI, FDDI, Ethernet) and can be configured with up to 96 CPUs, with every CPU connected to every other. It supports mixed-architecture VMSclusters running specific OpenVMS versions and offers migration support for older versions. OpenVMS Cluster Client Software provides a subset of functionality, excluding voting and disk/tape serving. Recommendations emphasize using high-performance interconnects, direct shared storage access, and redundant components for optimal performance and availability.