Cluster Controller

Highly available backup and recovery solution for IBM Spectrum Protect Server

General Storage Cluster Controller (GSCC)

General Storage’s GSCC (one of our technology partners) is a highly available and scalable backup and recovery solution for IBM Spectrum Protect (ISP) servers. The application cluster solution was specially developed for this application and meets the ever-growing demands on data backup systems.
Hardware failures can be monitored in this way, as well as malfunctions or logical problems of the application, and treated as needed. If a local error condition recovery is not possible, the virtualized ISP server is transferred to another server system (cluster node). All the components required for operation (such as ISP database, IP addresses, SAN connections) are included in the process, but the process itself remains transparent to ISP.

Replication

GSCC mirrors the ISP metadata (database) and establishes a standby image of the current ISP server on the peer ISP system from the point of view of the ISP database. A cluster that typically consists of two ISP servers therefore has two productive instances that are distributed across both servers. Each of these two instances replicates the changes to the ISP database permanently to the "other" system and is ready to be taken over there should one of the servers fail. Replication of the USP Servcer database is realized through the DB2 High Availability Disaster Recovery (HADR) feature.

Takeover

In contrast to generic cluster solutions, GSCC starts an acquisition whenever the affected system can no longer perform its actual tasks as an ISP server. The reasons for this can vary and normally lie outside the ISP server (e.g., network issues, storage issues, SAN issues, etc.).

Local security

This is to be understood as the high availability of access to backup resources. Most libraries for example can be controlled in principle via multiple, alternative SAN paths that are redundantly managed by GSCC. If one of the control paths fails, GSCC automatically activates an alternative path without disrupting the connection to the library. We support you during implementation and operation.

Features of GSCC:

  • Application Cluster tailored to the needs of ISP
  • Monitoring of HW failures and logical problems
  • Handling of individual ISP server instances as independent objects
  • Transparent adoption of all relevant components such as ISP-DB, IP addresses, NAS and SAN connections
  • DB2 HADR support for clustering and mirroring over IP
  • Standby database with rewind to increase security and resolve logical ISP issues (provision of test environments, audits, etc.)
  • GSCC supports IBM Spectrum Protect ™ Server as of V 7.1.x on Linux and UNIX
  • High availability for ISP Server
  • Supports AIX, Solaris and Linux
  • Supports ISP Server version 6.3.x or later

Your benefits:

  • Fully integrated solution for highest availability.
  • In the event of a data center failure, the data can be accessed immediately.
  • Backup and Restores can be continued for the client.
  • GSCC reflects all or individual backup data as well as data for long-term archiving.
  • Enormous increase in scalability and flexibility.
  • No performance disadvantages.
Markus Stumpf

Do you have questions about General Storage Cluster Controller (GSCC)? Please feel free to contact us!

Markus Stumpf, Business Development Manager
Phone +49 172 5414567

Send email

Solutions for performance optimisation

In cooperation with our partners General Storage and Concat, we use the solutions they have developed to simplify the integration of ISP products and optimise their performance, so that backup runtimes are significantly reduced and incremental backups run securely and efficiently.