Autostart 5.3 SP2 Windows Server 2008

Just installation should be simple...run setup...it will ask you if this is primary node, what is the mirror IP & domain name. At the end reboot.

Install on the second node, use the first one as primary, select the mirror IP & domain name & reboot.

You would then configure Virtual IP & Data Source based on the configuration required and the services as well. Put them together in a resource gorup to end.

Ok, here is another question for you. I have autostart installed on both systems. Are they both supposed to be primary agents? If I leave them both primary and open the console it connects to the main server but the secondary server is not green and the console shows "no agent run" for it. The only way I can see any info on the second server is to stop the agent on the primary then the console automaticly connects to the secondary. If I demote the secondary system to "secondary" then i get no response from it at all through the console. What I am looking for is kinda a step by step to set autostart up for just two servers. To explain a bit further: My customer has two accounting servers that are identical. One primary and a mirror copy (stand by server). Should the primary fail we need to switch to the secondary with little or no downtime for the workstations. I need autostart to mirror all data, network shares and printers to the secondary server for failover purposes. I did this a long time ago with Legato on two win 2000 servers as I said before but Autostart is completely different on the setup side.

One more thing. Is the dedicated connection required for anything to work? I have it disconnected as there is an issue with another service when I use a crossover cable on the 2nd nic in both servers.

I have done a lot on AutoStart for UNIX and both need to be primary.

Also, the heartbeat link has to work.

You should read the following document.
5.3 AutoStart Installation Guide SP3 A04

And read an item of Performing a fresh installation.

The dedicated cross over connection is typically used for EMC Mirroring for windows. If you are not using EMC Mirroring for windows then it may also be used as redundant AutoStart domain line. A dedicated cross over connection may not do both roles, so it should be one or the other. It is typically better practice to have 2 or more domain lines on separate Networks (switch and subnet) for AutoStart domain communication and only implement the cross over connection for the EMC Mirroring for Windows.

An AutoStart environment may have up to 5 primary agents and 5 secondary agents. By default, the first three nodes are installed as primaries and 2 other agents may be promoted post installation. The primary agent runs the AutoStart backbone service, the rule interpreter, and holds a copy of the AutoStart database. In order for a secondary agent to properly run in the AutoStart domain, it depends on at least one primary agent running. Since you have a two node cluster, both nodes should be primary in the case that one fails.

Big thanks to all that responded to this thread. I finally figured out my problem and it turns out that it was the windows firewall. I had turned it off but the domain security from my PDC was forcing it back on at every reboot. Once that was resolved everything fell right into place.

Thanks again for your help.