First of all sorry for my english (I'm from argentine) I have a server wich I setup with this great guide http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect-se...ot-ispconfig-3 and is working great with a few websites and domains. Now, looking for information for setup a second server (for failover purpose) that will be in another phisical place with another ip and internet connection I found this 2 excelents howtos: http://www.howtoforge.com/setting-up...n-debian-lenny http://www.howtoforge.com/setting-up...n-debian-lenny This howtos are for use with private IPs (lan) and I want to setup 2 servers in different locations; both with public statics IP. Can I do this with a VPN? If the internet connection of one server goes down would the other server take the job? Another thing... The howtos are only for web server and I want to failover all the services (web, mail, ftp, etc) I found another thread where people are talking about UNISON for this job http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28246 but I think unison is for replication and not for the failover purpouse. In that thread a user says that he could setup this with unison. Is there any way to setup this in a free way? (not paying another service for the failover purpouse) Thanks in advance
I think that there is many different ways of doing this. I have a few questions Are the 2 servers at the same location? Are these both on the same internet connection? Meaning WAN interface, NOT Ip's Do you have any extra servers or regular PC's for use. Here is my way of doing this. 1. take your DSL modem and configure it into bridge mode. 2. Install pfsense router on to older I386 hardware. 3. Setup Pfsense to use 1:1 NAT and setup your private IP's for the servers, setup the virtual static ips for the outside. setup 1:1 nat from virtual external ips to internal ip. 4. Install openfiler onto 2 servers that have identical storage. There is a how to on here for openfiler replication for High availability storage. 5. basically you will map network drives and store all the services on the mirrored openfiler setup. That way both web,mail,dns,mysql are all stored in one place and then you just have the actual servers connect to shared storage. This could be done with NFS but have never tried or GlusterFS I am new to pfsence my self and can only offer little about it. You can have 2 pfsense routers for high availability as dual wans and load balance them. They sky is the limit or in this case your computer hardware. Linux and BSD provide just about everything you need.
Hi mmidgett; thanks a lot for your answer. I have the two servers in diferent locations with diferent ISPs. Here (I'm in argentine) ISPs have a lot of problems (especially in my area) and thats why I want a failover system. My server doesn't have a lot of traffic but we usually have connection problems. In both sides I have good VPN routers; do I still need the pfsense setup? I can't figure out how to setup this, did you know a good Howto for the load balance/failover setup? I think I could do the replication setup but don't know everything about the load balancing. Think that I'm trying to setup a failover system for my connections problems. Thanks in advance
Yes I would ditch the routers on site. They have no way of knowing when the other goes down. Do you host you own DNS? howmany sites are being hosted at each locataion?
yes, I have my own DNS. At this moment only one server is working as a web + mail server with ispconfig 3 wich was setup using the perfect server guide with debian lenny. The other location actually only had a DNS server and I want to setup a second server for this location for the failover purpose
What type of machine is at each location? How fast? How much ram? How much storage? Your single problem is that your going to need to run DNS servers at both locations of your going to run your own DNS For Example Location 1 webserver1.domainname.com mailerver.domainname.com ns1.domainname.com Location 2 webserver2.domanname.com mailserver2.domainname.com ns2.domainname.com Of course the web and mail server share the same address just use a cname for each in the dns. How many static ips available at each location?
You could always use rent a VPS or put it in the cloud? What type if internet connection are at both locations?
In one location I have a DSL connection and in the other CABLE MODEM. The Idea is (if possible) make the setup in a free way
Please do not double post. Its making hard for someone to follow your thead. I am sorry that I haven't been able to respond to your questions. I changed my email address and I wasn't able to active it again. How many static IP's per location. I am going to be off the net till tomorrow I will get back with you when I return.
Sorry, the idea wasan't doble post. I was looking for a way to make the failover for the web server while we find a final solution for my configuration. I have only one static public IP per location Thanks in advance and sorry again for the double post but my ISPs make me do this things (yesterday I spent 4 hours without internet connection in the location where I actually have my only webserver)
I understand that you are needing to do this with what you have, But its not going to work. You need more IPS at each location if your to provide failover. Is this for you and a friend or is this a small business that wants to run their own servers. You need at the least 2 routable ips at each loaction. I would recommend renting a server from one of the many of us out there on the net. Physical or virtual is your choice. If your dead set on hosting your own at your locations then here is how you do it. Offload your DNS to where you bought your domain. Install pfsense and modify it to your suite. Here is a how to Im not sure how your going to sync your data except for over the internet. Maybe you can use a VPN connection for the data sync. Since your going small time you don't need much of a computer for the firewall. Then just setup your rules to allow the ports (traffic) that you want. But id just rent a VPS as this would be way easier.
