CWMS HA and MDC in the same time

[asherif82]

Hi,

One of our customer has Main DC and DR. He is required to have CWMS 2.5 in Main DC with HA for 250 ports and in case Main DC is down ,DR will be the backup which contain CWMS 2.5 for 250 without HA. He is required to have both Main DC and DR to work as active/active.

Is that scenario is possible and valid to have 250 ports with HA in one data center and another 250 ports without HA in another data center and have MDC license between both Datacenters to work as active/active?

Please advise.

Regards,

[Terry Cheema]

Hi Asherif,

This will not be possible to have a CWMS HA system in Primary DC and then without HA in DR DC acting as one MDC. The reason being a system running HA can not be joined to a MDC.

Ref:

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/collaboration/CWMS/2_5/Administration_Guide/Administration_Guide/Administration_Guide_chapter_0111.html

The HA system has the following constraints:

A system running HA cannot join a Mult-data Center (MDC)

However, the above scenario is perfect fit for a MDC system. You can have two CWMS servers one at each DC and joined in a MDC set up. Both the servers will function as a one system. The end user will access both using one URL/number. To the end users MDC will be visible as a normal Single CWMS system. Yet it will provide all the HA, DRS functionality you would normally seek.

You will need MDC license for each DC.

Let me know if you have any more queries on this.

-Terry

Please rate all helpful posts.

[asherif82]

Terry,

Thanks for your reply.

I have another question being driven from the above scenario you mentioned. In case of two CWMS servers one at each DC and joined in a MDC setup, our customer would require employees located in each DC to join the CWMS system co-exist locally in their DC .How this can be achieve noting that the system will be visible to end user as a normal single CWMS system with one URL/Number.

Regards,

Amr Sherif

[Terry Cheema]

Hi Amr,

I think its achieved by DNS, I think based on the location of the user. Not quite 100% on this - Dejan may chime in on this one.

WebEx Common URL—used by the DNS to redirect the user to the data center where the user performs meeting-related tasks, such as scheduling or hosting meetings. Which data center DNS chooses is transparent to the user. The WebEx Common URL is simply a convenient location for a user to enter the system. If a data center goes down, nothing changes for the user, including the URL used to access meetings, because the DNS will redirect the user to the surviving data center.

-Terry

[dpetrovi]

That is correct, Terry. In DNS server you define the following:

• Common site URL—Public VIP address for each data center.
• Common Administration URL—Private VIP address of both data centers.
• Local Site URL (of a data center)—Public VIP address of that data center.
• Local Site URL (of the other data center)—Public VIP address of that data center.
• Local Administration Site URL (of a data center)—Private VIP address of that data center.
• Local Administration Site URL (of the other data center)—Private VIP address of that data center.

And based on these, all the redirection system needs to do are based done via DNS. 

Kind regards,

-Dejan

[Terry Cheema]

Thanks Dejan for the input (+5). Hope you are doing well!

As per Amr's question, is there any way we can set preferences like:
Users at SiteX - go to DC1

Users at SiteY - go to DC2

What mechanism is used to route the users between CWMS 1 and 2? Is it automatic or configurable. Tried to search through the documentation but not getting a very clear picture.

Thanks Again,

Terry

[Chi Fai Leung]

Hong Kong deploy the local HK-CWMS
UK deploy the local UK-CWMS

Setup a MDC and let 2 x CWMS to join in ...

May I know that is the geographical design? Can select a good networking performance CWMS to join?

[dpetrovi]

Hi Chi,

This geographical design is fine. As for Networking requirements between Datacenters, you can find that information here: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/collaboration/CWMS/2_7/Planning_Guide/cwms_b_cwms-planning-system-requirements-2-7/cwms_b_cwms-planning-system-requirements-2-7_chapter_010.html#reference_267DB686BB224EB7A49DE4C783C912E6 under Network Requirements for Multi-data Center section.

I hope this helps.

-Dejan

[Chi Fai Leung]

That mean the UK user traveled at HK. The UK user open the Webex meeting at HK location and it would use the HK CWMS resources, even the UK account register on UK CWMS?