Server Extensions in a cluster

M

M.Siler

I just upgraded our servers to Windows 2003 Server Enterprise and have them
configured as Active-Passive cluster. I wanted to installed FP Server
Extensions 2002 in IIS 6.0 but did a little research and found this
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;281314 that states
"Server Extensions Are Not Supported on Microsoft Cluster Server" Is this
true? What should I do now? I have websites developed that use the Server
Extensions.
 
T

Thomas A. Rowe

I would think the Microsoft wouldn't have created the KB, if the FP extensions could be installed on
their Cluster Server.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
K

Kevin Spencer

From what I read in the KB article, you won't be able to use Server
Extensions. You can certainly use ASP or any available server-side
application technology to do what the server extensions do, plus a lot more.

--
HTH,
Kevin Spencer
..Net Developer
Microsoft MVP
Big things are made up
of lots of little things.
 
M

M.Siler

Nice answer from an MVP... the questions was rhetorical. More as, I can't
believe Microsoft would post a KB article that just states, you can't do
this. Nothing about why. Nothing about workarounds. I found it really nice
that after spending almost $200,000 on the clustering solution that I have
to re-write my websites not to use Front Page Server Extensions. My post was
in desperation. Wishing more than expecting that someone would have a
solution better than Microsoft's of, "Nope, can't do it."

Thomas A. Rowe said:
I would think the Microsoft wouldn't have created the KB, if the FP
Click to expand...
extensions could be installed on
 
M

M.Siler

True. Just that I have several people that use the extensions as they are
just learning about development and they make it a bit easier. I perfer
DreamWeaver over FP for my development.
 
T

Thomas A. Rowe

You can always call MS Support regarding this issue.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
J

Jim Buyens

Well, I hear you, but applications that justify $200,000
worth of clustering usually require more specialized
results than you can get with built-in FrontPage
functions. For example, you don't see CNN, or Google, or
Amazon.com using the Save Results component.

FWIW, the more common approach for Web farms is to cluster
your database server, and then run multiple independent
Web servers with content replication and a load balancing
solution (which could be a hardware box, Microsoft Network
Load Balancing, or various other products). If you need to
maintain session state, .NET has ways of doing that.

Jim Buyens
Microsoft FrontPage MVP
http://www.interlacken.com
Author of:
*----------------------------------------------------
|\---------------------------------------------------
|| Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Inside Out
||---------------------------------------------------
|| Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition
|| Microsoft FrontPage Version 2002 Inside Out
|| Faster Smarter Beginning Programming
|| (All from Microsoft Press)
|/---------------------------------------------------
*----------------------------------------------------
 
M

M.Siler

Jim, I agree with you 100% that large enterprises don't user FrontPage
Server Extensions, nor do we. We have our Intranet setup using FPSE and it's
running on our Exchange Cluster. IIS isn't very demanding for our needs. The
clustering was more for our Exchange Servers, File Servers & SQL Servers.
It's just a little dishearten to have configured everything for failover and
spent all that money only to findout that something simple like FPSE won't
work. It worked on our old non-clustered server, but not the new high
availability solution. Sorry, but that just through me for a loop this
morning... I'm better now. ;-)

Jim, one follow up question... you said that session states can be
maintained via .NET what would I look up to investigate this further?
 
J

Jim Buyens

Try this link:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/cpguide/html/cpconsessionstate.asp

Basically, if you're load-balancing across several independent
servers, you can have a Web request on one physical server pick up
Session info established previously on a different server. There are
two ways to do this:

o You run a single State Server that maintains (in memory) all the
session
information for all the Web servers.
o You designate a MS SQL Server to retain all the Session info. Note
that
in this case, session info can even survive an unexpected power
loss.

Jim Buyens
Microsoft FrontPage MVP
http://www.interlacken.com
Author of:
*----------------------------------------------------
|\---------------------------------------------------
|| Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Inside Out
||---------------------------------------------------
|| Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition
|| Microsoft FrontPage Version 2002 Inside Out
|| Faster Smarter Beginning Programming
|| (All from Microsoft Press)
|/---------------------------------------------------
*----------------------------------------------------
 
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