When do you create a clustered environment for i-notes(6.5.1)?

1. If you put 5000 inotes users on a cluster is performance better
than if you put 2500 inotes users on two servers?
2. When mail file is only being accessed by one person is there a
point to put it in cluster? I can understand creating a cluster if
more than one person is accessing the data/app.
3. When do you create a clustered environment for mail?

 

Hi Rachel,
Your ideas about clustering are different to mine.
I have never done it but my understanding is as follows:

With or without clustering many people can access the same database. With
clustering all databases exist on more than one server. The cluster of
Domino servers use "rapid replication" between them to ensure that the sets
of databases are never out of sync. The clients point to the cluster and
not to a specific server. If one server fails the cluster is still
available for the client.

When you want high availability. If a server fails will the user still want
to read their mail? Of course they will.

If you only have two servers then to cluster them you need to put all mail
files on both servers. If you have three servers in the cluster then you
could spread the mail databases around so that all databases are at least on
two servers. If a server fails the cluster software will figure out a path
for the client automatically.
There is good RedBook available:
Lotus Domino R5 Clustering ISBN 0-13-060836-X $39.99 USD
I have not seen an R6 version of the book but the R5 book would fix up your
misconceptions and provide you with lots of valuable information.
The book is probably downloadable for free from the IBM site also.
John Aylmer