Collax Embedded SAN

High availability only with shared storage

Shared storage is the basic prerequisite for operating the virtual machines on the remaining, functioning node in the event of a node failure. This means that all storage must always be available for both nodes (shared storage). Only with shared storage can a virtual server still recognize its virtual hard disk after migrating to another node.

Collax Embedded SAN - integrated high-availability storage solution

The high availability solution Collax V-Bien uses the Collax Embedded SAN for the contiguous, synchronized storage. The Collax Embedded SAN synchronizes the data on the integrated hard disks of the two highly available Collax V-Bien nodes and thus provides redundant shared storage. With this integrated high-availability storage solution, Collax V-Bien - unlike conventional HA solutions - does not require an additional SAN.

How does the Collax Embedded SAN work?

In normal operation, the storage is transaction-safe, i.e. write operations are completed at application level as soon as the storage is synchronized on both sides. Synchronization is carried out permanently and without time offset, so that all data is available redundantly at all times. Within this storage an area is reserved in order to be able to store ISO files. This area is automatically set up by Collax V-Bien.

If parts of the storage fail, Collax V-Bien will take appropriate measures to ensure the availability of the data. The integrity of the stored data has the highest priority. In the event of errors, Collax V-Bien’s cluster management prohibits access by the faulty node or shifts the write permissions for the embedded SAN and the associated virtual machines to the healthy Collax V-Bien node. In order to clean up any erroneous and undefinable situations and to ensure data integrity, the erroneous node is removed from the cluster as a last resort via the Collax fencing device.

Further information:

» Collax V-Bien
» Collax V-Cube+