Cisco TelePresence Content Server Release 6.2 Administration and User Guide

Overview of the Process

Step 1 Content Server Cluster Prerequisites

Step 2 Configure the External SQL Server Database

Step 3 Configure the NAS

Step 4 About Creating a Content Server Cluster

Step 5 Create a New Content Server Cluster

Step 6 Add a Content Server to an Existing Cluster

Step 7 Configure Gatekeeper Registration for H.323 Cluster

Step 8 Configure Domain Authentication

Step 9 Configure Network Load Balancing (NLB)

Content Server Cluster Prerequisites

Before creating a Content Server cluster, confirm that you have met these cluster prerequisites:

• For a mixed hardware Content Server cluster, verify that all the Content Servers are running Release 6.1 or 6.2.
• For a third-generation hardware Content Server cluster, verify that all the Content Servers are running Release 6.0.x.
• Add all Content Servers that you want to cluster to a Windows Active Directory domain. The general requirements for adding a Content Server to a Windows domain must be adhered to.
• Add the cluster option key. A cluster option key should be installed on each Content Server. To install the key, go to the Management tab. Then go to Diagnostics > Server overview, and locate the Software option section. The option key must be installed before running the Content Server Wizard so that the clustering option is accessible in the wizard.
• Install a security certificate from a trusted source, such as a Certificate Authority (COMODO, VeriSign, etc.) on each Content Server in the cluster. Using a common certificate on all the Content Servers ensures that users do not have to obtain unique certificates for each Content Server in the cluster when they access the cluster.

For more information on installing security certificates, see the Install a Security Certificate section in the Cisco TelePresence Content Server Release 6.0.x and 6.1 Quick Start Guide on Cisco.com.

• Confirm that the time zone, time, and date settings are identical on all Content Servers to be clustered.

Configure the External SQL Server Database

Ensure that your existing Microsoft SQL server is compatible with the Content Server cluster system requirements (see “System Requirements” section).

The process of configuring the external SQL server consists of the following steps. Each step is described in a separate section:

Step 1 Add an SQL Server Instance

Step 2 Configure the SQL Server Instance

Step 3 Create a Special User on the SQL Server

Add an SQL Server Instance

One SQL server database is used by all Content Servers in a cluster. This database must not be hosted on any of the Content Servers used in the cluster.

The Content Server cluster requires its own instance of the SQL server. If Microsoft SQL Server is already installed, you should add a new instance to your existing SQL server installation. If Microsoft SQL Server is not already installed, you must install it. See the “System Requirements” section to ensure that you use the correct version of the SQL server installer to create the new instance.

Note Only installation wizard steps that are required for a Content Server cluster are included in this document.

Using the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or 2008 installation media to add a new instance:

Step 1 Insert the Microsoft SQL Server installation media into the disk drive of the machine that will host your SQL server. Start the Microsoft SQL Server Installation Wizard.

Step 2 In Components to Install, check the SQL Server Database Services box.

Step 3 In Instance Name, click the Named instance radio button, and enter the instance name.

Step 4 In Service Account, choose Use the built-in System account (Local system, or Network service).

Step 5 In Authentication Mode, click the Mixed Mode (Windows Authentication and SQL Server Authentication) radio button. Enter and confirm the SA (system administrator) password.

Step 6 SQL server collation should be set to Latin1_General_CI_AS, 'Dictionary, case insensitive, 1252 character set'.

Note Don't install Reporting Services with SQL server, as it has some issues with Content Server Cluster creation.

Note For SQL Server 2005 installations, Service Pack 2 or later must be applied to the newly created instance. If you apply an earlier service pack, the Content Server Wizard database connection test fails, and you cannot create a Content Server cluster with this instance.

For more information on installing a Microsoft SQL Server, see the online documentation:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb545450.aspx

Configure the SQL Server Instance

To configure the SQL server instance for a Content Server cluster, follow these steps:

Step 1 Open the SQL Server Configuration Manager (usually located from the Start menu under All Programs > Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (or 2008) > Configuration Tools).

Step 2 In SQL Server 2005 (or 2008) Network Configuration, select Protocols for instance_name The instance_name is the name you specified when creating an SQL Server instance (see the “Add an SQL Server Instance” section).

Step 3 Ensure that these parameters are configured as follows:

a. Shared Memory is enabled.

b. Named Pipes are disabled.

c. TCP/IP is enabled.

d. VIA is disabled.

Step 4 Right click TCP/IP and click properties. Click the IP Addresses tab:

a. For each IP address, set Enabled to No.

b. Clear all TCP Dynamic Ports fields. Delete any zeros that appear in those fields.

c. Clear all TCP Ports fields from all IP Addresses.

d. Under IP All, enter the TCP port that the Content Server will use to connect to this instance:

An example for TCP Port is 2090.

You can use any port in the range of between 1000 and 64000 that is open on the firewall and is not used by other software on Content Server or on the server that is hosting the SQL server. The port that you specify here also must not conflict with ports set up for other instances on the server.

Step 5 Click SQL Server 2005 ( or 2008) Services, select the instance you just created, right-click, and then click Restart Service.

Create a Special User on the SQL Server

The user that you create in the following steps are used by the Content Servers to connect to the SQL server external database. For security reasons, we recommend that you do not use the existing system administrator (SA) user account. Instead, create a new user account.

The new user account requires administrative privileges and CREATE TABLE and ALTER TABLE authorization.

To create a special user on the SQL server, follow these steps:

Step 1 Using the sqlcmd utility, open a command prompt on the machine on which the SQL server is running.

Step 2 To connect to the SQL Server, enter one of the following commands:

• To use a trusted connection, enter sqlcmd -S (local)\ instance_name -E
• To connect with SQL authentication, enter sqlcmd -S (local)\ instance_name -U login_id -P password

The instance_name is the name you specified when creating an SQL Server instance (see the “Add an SQL Server Instance” section).

Step 3 At the Command Utility prompt 1>, enter the following command to create a user:

Step 4 Add administrator permissions to the new user account.

Step 5 At the prompt, enter GO and press Enter.

Step 6 Enter EXIT and press Enter to exit sqlcmd.

This example shows how to create user Content Server_DB_USER on the SQL server:

1>EXIT

Configure the NAS

The Content Server cluster uses a share on the network attached storage (NAS) as its media storage location. See “System Requirements” section first to ensure that your NAS is compatible with Content Server cluster system requirements.

The process of configuring the NAS consists of the following steps. Each step is described in a separate section:

Step 1 Manage the Windows Active Directory Domain

Step 2 Choose or Create a Domain Account to Access the NAS Share

Step 3 Set up a Share on the NAS

Step 4 Set Permissions and Security Settings on the Share

Manage the Windows Active Directory Domain

All Content Servers in the cluster and the NAS must be added to the same Windows Active Directory domain.

Choose or Create a Domain Account to Access the NAS Share

Choose or create a domain user. You can choose any username. In this document, we refer to this user as MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER. MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER is used by the Content Server cluster to access the NAS share.

Note You must enter the username and password for MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER when you run the Content Server Wizard.

Set up a Share on the NAS

Step 1 Log in to the NAS by using Windows Remote Desktop Connection.

Step 2 Create a folder on the NAS.

Step 3 Make the folder a shared folder.

Note You must enter the path to this share when you run the Content Server Wizard.

Set Permissions and Security Settings on the Share

All Content Servers and the domain account that the Content Server cluster uses to access the share on the NAS must be given full control over the share. You must set up the NAS share correctly to successfully use the Content Server Wizard.

Step 1 Right-click the shared folder and select Properties.

a. Select the Sharing tab. Click Share.

b. In the File Sharing window, select a name and click Share ; or type a name, click Add and then click Share.

c. In the Sharing tab, Advanced Sharing section, click Advanced Sharing.

d. Click Permissions. In the Select Users, Computers, Service Accounts, or Groups window:

– Enter the DNS names of the Content Servers that you want to cluster.

– Enter the name of the domain user (for example, MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER) account.

Click OK.

e. In the Share Permission window, give the Content Servers and the shared account full permission:

– Select each Content Server and click Allow in the Full Control, Change, and Read check boxes.

– Select the MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER and click Allow in the Full Control, Change, and Read check boxes.

Click OK.

f. In the Advanced Sharing window, click Apply to apply the configuration. Click OK to exit the window.

Step 2 Click the Security tab.

a. Click Edit. Add the Content Servers and the MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER that you added in Step 1 above.

b. In the Security Permission window, give the Content Servers and the shared account full permission:

– Click Allow in all check boxes for each of the Content Servers and the MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER.

c. In the Advanced Sharing window, click Apply to apply the configuration. Click OK to exit the window.

d. Click Apply in the Security tab window. Click Close to close the Properties window.

About Creating a Content Server Cluster

In order to create a cluster of Content Servers, you must run the Content Server Wizard from Remote Desktop on one of the Content Servers. Then you must run the Content Server Wizard on all the remaining Content Servers to add them to the cluster. See these sections:

• The Order of Content Servers Added to the Cluster
• Content Server Wizard Options
• User Accounts for the Content Server Wizard
• Before Running the Content Server Wizard

The Order of Content Servers Added to the Cluster

Caution If you cluster Content Servers that have existing recorded content and configurations that you want to keep, the order in which you add Content Servers to the cluster is important.

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• The first Content Server in the cluster. Existing content and configurations (recording aliases, templates, call configurations, media servers) from the first Content Server that you use to create a new cluster are added and available to other Content Servers in the cluster.

Only the first Content Server preserves its playback addresses to play back recordings on endpoints. The playback addresses of all subsequently added Content Servers are modified to avoid duplicates.

For example, these are playback addresses of three standalone content servers:

Playback addresses for standalone Content Server 1:

– 13115 Recording 1

– 14117 Recording 2

– 21416 Recording 3

Playback addresses for standalone Content Server 2:

– 1521 Recording A

– 1635 Recording B

Playback addresses for standalone Content Server 3:

– 1521 Recording X

– 2142 Recording Y

– 21413 Recording Z

Notice that standalone Content Servers 2 and 3 have a playback address that is the same (1521). If all three Content Servers are added in order to the cluster, playback aliases are modified for all servers added after the first server to avoid duplicate aliases. The playback aliases for the servers in the cluster would look like this:

All three Content Servers in the same cluster

– 13115 Recording 1 (Content Server 1—playback aliases are retained)

– 14117 Recording 2

– 21416 Recording 3

– 101 Recording A (Content Server 2—playback aliases are modified)

– 102 Recording B

– 103 Recording X (Content Server 3—playback aliases are modified)

– 104 Recording Y

– 105 Recording Z

• The second and any additional Content Servers. All content from the second and any other Content Servers that you add to the cluster is imported into the cluster. The following configurations are not imported:

– Configurations that are added include media servers associated with recordings and categories associated with recordings.

– Configurations that are not added include recording aliases; templates; call configurations; media servers not associated with recordings; categories not associated with recordings; and LDAP servers and users.

For all Content Servers that are added to the cluster, the wizard does not move any media files that are not associated with the Content Server's database. Media files that are not moved include orphaned temporary files not used in any recordings;.tcb import or export files; or files placed in the data folder by the user. These files are not moved to the NAS from the local Content Server disk drive and are deleted. If you move media between NAS locations or from the NAS to a local Content Server disk drive, the wizard does not move or delete the files.

Content Server Wizard Options

The Content Server Wizard available as a shortcut from the Remote Desktop of the Content Server has the following options:

• Alternate Storage (NAS) Wizard for a standalone Content Server.
• Cluster Management Wizard.

If you select the Cluster Management Wizard on a standalone Content Server, you see these options:

• Create a new cluster.
• Add to an existing cluster.

If you select the Cluster Management Wizard on a clustered Content Server, you see these options:

• Generate Cluster Settings File.
• Configure Load Balancer Configuration.
• Update Cluster Settings.
• Remove from Cluster.

User Accounts for the Content Server Wizard

The Content Server Wizard can run under the following user accounts:

• A domain administrator account.
• The special domain account you set up in the “Configure the NAS” section.
• The local default administrator account.

Note Unless explicitly stated otherwise, this document assumes that the Content Server Wizard is run under a domain administrator account.

Before Running the Content Server Wizard

Before you run the Content Server Wizard, confirm that you have:

• Performed a backup of the Content Server
• Turned off any antivirus software
• Stopped all recordings on the Content Server

Make sure that you have the following information available:

• External SQL server IP address or name.
• Name of the SQL database instance.
• The TCP/IP port you have chosen for your instance. The Content Server Wizard uses this TCP/IP port to connect to your instance. The wizard does not verify that this port is the correct one for your instance; the wizard connects to whatever database instance is available from that port. Make sure that this port is the port that you specified for your instance and that no other instance is using it.
• The password for system administrator (SA) user or the username and password of an SQL user with create and alter privileges (not Content Server_DB_USER).
• The username and password of Content Server_DB_USER.
• Path to the NAS share in the format of \\servername\sharefolder. IP addresses cannot be used for the NAS path.
• The username and password of the MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER domain account.

Create a New Content Server Cluster

Follow these steps to create a new Content Server cluster:

Step 1 Using Windows Remote Desktop Connection as a domain administrator, log in to the first Content Server that you want to cluster.

Step 2 Go to Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage User Accounts. Add the domain account MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER to the Administrators group on the Content Server.

Step 3 Double click the Content Server Wizard icon on the desktop, or go to Start > All Programs > Cisco > Content Server > Content Server Wizard. Click Next from the Welcome screen.

Step 4 The wizard overview screen appears and then runs through an initialization phase. When the wizard finishes initialization, it puts the Content Server in Idle mode. No calls can be made, and no transcoded outputs are processed. (The Content Server returns to online mode when the wizard process is completed or is cancelled.)

Step 5 Click the Cluster Management Wizard radio button. Click Next.

Step 6 The wizard verifies cluster prerequisites. Click Next.

Step 7 Click the Create a new cluster radio button. Click Next. Read the informational screen. Click Next.

Step 8 Choose H.323 or SIP to create a cluster using specified protocol.

Step 9 At the Connect to an external SQL Server Database screen, enter the information for the database instance:

• SQL server IP address or name.
• Name of the database instance.
• Content Server/IP port that was chosen for the instance.
• Assign a database (catalog) prefix to your instance. It can be any string that you want. The wizard appends “3” to the end of the string that you specify. The wizard uses this prefix to distinguish the database instance from other versions that might be added later to the instance.
• The username and password of the SA user, or the username and password of another SQL user with create and alter privileges (not Content Server_DB_USER). The credentials of the SA user are used to create and configure the cluster database when running the wizard. The Content Server does not store the credentials of the SA user.

Click Next.

Step 10 Enter the username and password of the database user that you created. The Content Server uses these user credentials to connect to the database. Click Next.

Step 11 Enter the path for the NAS share that you set up. The path is in this format: \\ server \ share. Make sure that you enter the NAS server computer name, not the IP address of the NAS. Click Next.

Step 12 In the IIS Anonymous User Account screen, enter the username and password of the domain account that you created, MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER. The Content Server uses these credentials to access the share on the NAS. Click Next.

Step 13 In the Content Server System Configuration screen, you can change the System name and default Non-Live and Live system aliases for the Content Server. The defaults suggested by the wizard are based on the current settings of the standalone Content Server. For factory new Content Servers, it is the serial number for the non-live H.323ID and the serial number with “.live” appended ( serial number.live) for the live H.323 ID.

Note Skip this step for SIP Cluster.

Step 14 In the Content Server Checks screen, confirm that the Content Server is backed up and that antivirus software is stopped (if it is installed).

Step 15 The Cluster: Test Result screen displays information about your intended setup. If all tests are successful, click Configure to configure the cluster.

When you click Configure, the wizard configures your system and moves the media files to the NAS share. This process might take some time, depending on the amount of media to be moved to the NAS.

If you click Finish, the system exits the wizard without creating the cluster or making any changes. If any of the tests failed, you cannot continue to run the wizard.

Note Media files that are not associated with the Content Server's database include orphaned temporary files not used in any recordings,.tcb import file, and.tcb export files. These files are not moved to the NAS and are deleted from the local disk.

Step 16 After the configuration process is complete, in the Cluster: Save Cluster Settings File screen, save the cluster settings file. Browse to the location where you want to save the file. Click Save.

You can also generate the cluster settings file by running this Content Server Wizard again after you finish creating the cluster (see “Generate a Cluster Settings File” section). You need the cluster settings file if you want to add other Content Servers to the cluster.

Step 17 When the configuration is complete, click Finish to exit the wizard. The log location for the wizard is displayed on this screen.

You have successfully set up a new cluster with one Content Server. You can now add additional Content Servers to this cluster.

Note Your cluster cannot make calls until you have registered it to a gatekeeper. See the “Configure Gatekeeper Registration for H.323 Cluster” section.

Add a Content Server to an Existing Cluster

To add a Content Server to an existing cluster, you must meet the following prerequisites:

• Additional Content Servers must meet the criteria that are described in the “Content Server Cluster Prerequisites” section.
• Additional Content Servers must be given full control over the NAS share that you created. If they are not given full control, you cannot successfully add these Content Servers to an existing cluster.
• You must copy the cluster settings file to the desktop of the Content Server that you want to add. You can generate a cluster settings file at any time by running a Content Server Wizard on any of the Content Servers that are already in the cluster. See the “Generate a Cluster Settings File” section.
• Review the “The Order of Content Servers Added to the Cluster” section to understand how the Content Server configurations and media content are added to the cluster.
• Review the information in the “Before Running the Content Server Wizard” section.

After confirming that additional Content Servers meet the prerequisites, run the Content Server Wizard on the Content Server that you want to add to the cluster.

Step 1 Using Windows Remote Desktop Connection as a domain administrator, log in to the first Content Server that you want to cluster.

Step 2 Go to Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage User Accounts. Add the domain account MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER to the Administrators group on the Content Server.

Step 3 Double click the Content Server Wizard icon on the desktop, or go to Start > All Programs > Cisco > Content Server > Content Server Wizard. Click Next from the Welcome screen.

Step 4 The wizard overview screen appears and then runs through an initialization phase. When the wizard finishes initialization, it puts the Content Server in Idle mode. No calls can be made, and no transcoded outputs are processed. (The Content Server returns to online mode when the wizard process is completed or is canceled.)

Step 5 Click the Cluster Management Wizard radio button. Click Next.

Step 6 The wizard verifies cluster prerequisites. Click Next.

Step 7 Click the Add to an existing cluster radio button.

Step 8 In the Cluster: Load Cluster Settings File window, browse to the cluster settings file that you copied to the desktop.

Step 9 In the Content Server System Configuration screen, you can change the System name and default Non-Live and Live system aliases for the Content Server. The defaults suggested by the wizard are based on the current settings of the standalone Content Server. For factory new Content Servers, it is the serial number for the non-live H.323ID and the serial number with “.live” appended ( serial number.live) for the live H.323 ID.

Step 10 In the Content Server Checks screen, confirm that the Content Server is backed up and that antivirus software is stopped (if it is installed).

Step 11 The Cluster: Test Result screen displays information about your intended setup. If all tests are successful, click Configure to configure the cluster.

When you click Configure, the wizard configures your system and moves the media files to the NAS share. This process might take some time, depending on the amount of media to be moved to the NAS.

If you click Finish, the system exits the wizard without creating the cluster or making any changes. If any of the tests failed, you cannot continue to run the wizard.

Step 12 When the configuration is complete, click Finish to exit the wizard. The log location for the wizard is displayed on this screen.

You have successfully added another Content Server to a cluster. Repeat this process for each new Content Server that you want to add to the cluster.

Configure Gatekeeper Registration for H.323 Cluster

After you add Content Servers to the cluster, you must configure your gatekeeper registration before you can start making calls to record. The gatekeeper is permanently enabled for a Content Server cluster; it is not possible to disable the gatekeeper functionality.

A Content Server cluster needs two gateway registrations with separate prefixes: a live gateway prefix for live transcoded calls and a non-live gateway prefix for offline transcoded calls. Having two gateway registrations with separate prefixes ensures good load balancing of both types of calls across the cluster. In Premium Resolution clusters, you also have the option of entering playback gateway prefixes to enable playing recordings back from endpoints.

To register the cluster with the VCS, each Content Server needs four system IDs/aliases: live and non-live H.323 IDs and live and non-live E.164 system aliases. It is important that each is unique on that Content Server and on the Content Server cluster. See the “Inbound H.323 Call Routing” section for more information.

To configure the gatekeeper registration, follow these steps:

Step 1 Log in to the web interface of any of the Content Servers in the cluster as an administrator. From the Management tab, go to Configuration > Site settings.

Step 2 In the Gatekeeper settings section, enter a gatekeeper address.

Step 3 Enter Live and Non-Live H.323 and E.164 gateway prefixes. In Premium Resolution clusters, you also have the option of entering playback gateway prefixes to enable playing recordings back from endpoints. The prefixes that you enter cannot be subsets of one another. Ensure that they are unique and that they follow the dialing plan set up on the VCS.

Step 4 Check the Q.931 and Ras ports—the H.323 call setup and registration ports. By default, a Content Server cluster uses the range of 1719 to 1722 so that it can independently register OOR (out of resources) for live calls (recordings that are transcoded live) and non-live calls (recordings that are transcoded after recording finishes). The ports are editable because you can instruct the cluster to listen on different ports (for example, non-standard ports). Ensure that the ports you enter do not conflict with each other or with ports that are used by other services on the Content Server. Conflicts with other ports will prevent users from making recordings.

Step 5 Click Save. Wait until Registration Status displays that registration is successful.

If you are experiencing problems registering to the gatekeeper, verify that you do not have duplicate gateway prefixes or a duplicate system H.323 ID or E.164 alias. Duplications might cause the gatekeeper to reject registration.

If you want to change a system H.323 ID and E.164 alias for a Content Server, do the following:

Step 1 From the Management tab, go to Diagnostics > Cluster overview.

Step 2 Locate the Content Server whose H.323 ID or E.164 alias you want to change. Click the Server overview link for that Content Server.

Step 3 Update the H.323 ID or the E.164 alias, and click Save.

Step 4 Repeat this procedure for any other Content Server whose H.323 ID or E.164 alias you want to change.

Configure Gatekeeper Registration for SIP Cluster

After you add Content Servers to the cluster, you must configure your gatekeeper registration before you can start making calls to record. The gatekeeper is permanently enabled for a Content Server cluster; it is not possible to disable the gatekeeper functionality.

To create a TCS Trunk and Route pattern on CUCM, refer the section Cisco Content Server Cluster Configuration.

To configure the gatekeeper registration, refer the section CUCM Configuration Setting on Content Server.

Configure Domain Authentication

The recommended authentication mode for the Content Server cluster is domain authentication. Domain authentication ensures that Active Directory users can log in to the cluster network load balanced frontend address.

To use domain authentication, click the Management tab and go Configure > Site settings. In the Authentication section, click the Domain radio button. Add details for your domain LDAP servers. See the “Groups and Users” section for more information about how to configure domain authentication.

The use of local authentication is not recommended in a Content Server cluster because local users would have to be added to every Content Server to view pages that are served from the network load balanced interface.

Configure Network Load Balancing (NLB)

To ensure that web page requests are spread across all Content Servers in a cluster rather than going to one specific Content Server interface, Cisco recommends that you set up an NLB solution. With an NLB solution, users access the cluster with the Virtual IP (VIP) address that you configure for the cluster on the load balancer. Users would not access the cluster with individual Content Server IP addresses.

The VIP address of the cluster is also referred to as the network load balanced frontend address of the cluster.

The load balancer as configured in this chapter works in direct routing mode. With direct routing, the load balancer changes the MAC address of a packet to the MAC address of the server that it sends the packet on to. In order for the Content Server to respond to this routing request it must assume the position of the VIP specified in the request and yet not advertise this address to the rest of the network. The Content Server cannot advertise this address because all Content Servers in the cluster assume the same VIP position. To verify this process, you must install a loopback adapter and set its IP to the VIP.

To set up network load balancing for a Content Server cluster, do the following:

Step 1 Configure a Load Balancer.

Step 2 Set up a Loopback Adapter on Each Content Server in Cluster.

Step 3 Enter the Cluster Virtual IP Address as the Frontend Address on the Content Server.

Configure a Load Balancer

The following procedure is based on Loadbalancer.org Enterprise version and should be applicable to any Loadbalancer.org product.

The steps below outline the process for configuring a load balanced cluster of three Content Servers. The IP addresses in the steps are examples.

Step 1 Go to the web interface for the load balancing device.

Step 2 Set up a virtual server.

The virtual server represents the entire cluster. The VIP address will be accessed by Content Server users. When successfully configured, the load balancer receives a request on the VIP address and forwards the request to one of the Content Servers in the cluster.

The VIP in this example is 10.10.2.111. In the example, we configure four virtual servers for the cluster, one for each port needed for a Content Server to operate. The four ports are 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS), 8080 (Windows Media HTTP streaming) and 554 (RTSP). If you want to load balance MMS streams, you also need a virtual server for port 1755.

a. To configure the virtual server, go to Edit Configuration > Virtual Servers. Click Add a new Virtual Server. For the label, give the server an appropriate name (you might want to include the protocol name). Enter the VIP address that you want to use, followed by the port for the virtual server.

In this example, 10.10.2.111:80 is for the HTTP virtual server, with the persistent option set to Yes.

b. Create one virtual server for each of the ports that you want to load balance. Use different labels each time but the same VIP address.

Step 3 Configure the virtual server.

a. Click Modify for each server.

b. Change the Check Type to connect. Ensure that Service to check is set to none.

c. The Check Port should be set to 80 for HTTP, 8080 for Windows Media HTTP streaming, 554 for RTSP, 443 for HTTPS, and 1755 for MMS.

d. Leave the other options at their default values.

Step 4 Add each of the Content Servers in the cluster to each of the virtual servers you configured.

a. Go to Edit Configuration > Real Servers.

b. For the first virtual server in the list, click Add a new Real Server. Enter a label for the Content Server along with the server IP address, followed by virtual server port (for example, 80 for the HTTP virtual server).

c. Ensure the weight is 1. A weight of 0 disables the server so that it receives no traffic. Also ensure that the forwarding method is set to DR.

d. Repeat this procedure to add each additional server in the cluster to each of the virtual servers.

Set up a Loopback Adapter on Each Content Server in Cluster

The Content Server Wizard is used to set up a loopback adapter for network load balancing. This operation must be repeated on each Content Server in the cluster.

Step 1 Log in to the Content Server using Windows Remote Desktop Connection. Run the Content Server Wizard.

The wizard scans your system. If the Content Server is in a cluster, only the Cluster Management Wizard option is available.

Step 2 Click Configure Load Balancer Configuration.

Step 3 In the Frontend address field, enter the virtual IP (VIP) address of the cluster that you set up on the load balancer. In the Subnet mask field, enter the subnet mask of your network.

Note Ensure that you enter the correct VIP address. An incorrect VIP address results in unexpected behavior when users attempt to access the cluster interface.

Step 4 Click Next.

Step 5 Click Configure for the wizard to install the loopback adapter.

Step 6 Click Finish.

Step 7 Repeat this procedure for all the other Content Servers in the cluster.

See the “Update Load Balancer Configuration” section for details about updating the load balancer configuration.

Enter the Cluster Virtual IP Address as the Frontend Address on the Content Server

The virtual IP address or DNS name of the cluster as set up on the load balancer must be entered in the Frontend address field in Site settings. To enter the VIP address or DNS name, click the Management tab. Then go to Configure > Site settings. Entering the frontend address ensures that all recording links that are generated by a Content Server and on Cisco TelePresence Management Suite (TMS) use the frontend address.

Access Cluster Administrative Pages

You can access the web interface of a Content Server cluster by logging in to the IP address or DNS name of a specific Content Server in the cluster. If you set up load balancing, you log in with the network load balanced frontend address of the cluster. The items available in the Management tab vary depending on the address that you log in to.

If you log in with the IP address or DNS name of a specific Content Server in the cluster, the Management tab includes these four menus and their sub-menus:

• Diagnostics—Cluster overview, Server overview, Server logs, Trancoding queue
• Recordings—Edit recordings, Import recordings, Create recording
• Recording Setup—Recording aliases, Categories, Templates, Media server configurations, Call configurations
• Configuration—Site settings, Groups and users, Window server

If you log in to the cluster with the network load balanced frontend address (the VIP address), the Management tab includes these four menus and their sub-menus:

• Diagnostics—Cluster overview, Trancoding queue
• Recordings—Edit recordings, Import recordings, Create recording
• Recording Setup—Recording aliases, Categories, Templates, Media server configurations, Call configurations
• Configuration—Site settings, Groups and users

When accessing the cluster through the network load balanced fronted address, you do not see Server logs, Server overview, and Windows server because these sub-menus are specific to each Content Server. To see these sub-menus for a specific Content Server, access the specific server from Cluster overview page.

View Cluster Status

Management: Diagnostics > Cluster overview

The Cluster overview page does the following:

• Lists the system names and IP addresses of all Content Servers in the cluster.
• Displays a link to the Server overview page for each Content Server.
• Reports the total number of current calls for the cluster and for each Content Server.
• Reports the total number of offline transcodes for the cluster and for each Content Server.
• Reports the server mode for each Content Server.
• Reports the status for each Content Server. If the Content Server mode is online, then the status displays a green check, which means that the Content Server is running correctly. If the server mode is not online, then the status displays a red exclamation mark. Go to the Server overview page for the specific Content Server to see more details. From the Server overview page, you can check which of the services is not running.
• Displays links to each Content Server's logs and Windows Server administration interface.
• Allows you to End all Calls on the entire cluster. You can end recording calls on a specific Content Server from the Server overview page for the selected Content Server.
• Allows you to put a Content Server in maintenance mode. When the Content Server is in maintenance mode, the server cannot accept new recording calls. Current calls and transcoding jobs continue until finished. The other Content Servers in the cluster continue working as usual.

Maintenance mode should be used to ensure that no new calls are made to a Content Server—for example, when you want to defragment the server drive, run a Windows security update installer, or update antivirus software on the server. You should also put a Content Server in maintenance mode (after ending current recording calls on that server) if you need to shut it down and move it to another location.

To enter maintenance mode, click the Enter maintenance mode button. The button label changes to Rejoin cluster, and server mode shows that the server is in maintenance. When you finish maintenance on the server, click the Rejoin cluster button. The button label changes to Enter maintenance mode and Server mode is online. The Content Server is now ready to receive calls.

Server overview with log in to a specific Content Server—Management: Diagnostics > Server overview

Server overview with log in to the network load balanced frontend address— Management: Cluster overview > Server overview link

The Server overview page provides this additional information relevant to the cluster:

• Total disk space and free disk space on the cluster media storage location (in addition to the disk space information for the C and E drives of this Content Server).

Caution If remaining disk space on the NAS is below the critical 10% level, it is displayed in red as a warning to the administrator. The administrator should free up space on the NAS. If free disk space on that share falls below 5%, the cluster stops receiving recording calls and processing offline transcoded jobs.

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• Database data source—displays the address of the external database server, port, and instance name.
• Database name—displays the database (catalog) prefix that you entered when you created the cluster and a suffix added by the Content Server Wizard (3).
• Cluster media storage location—displays the external NAS share name.

Edit Information for Each Content Server in Cluster

Go to the Server overview page to edit information specific to each Content Server in a cluster.

From the Server overview page, you can edit the following:

• System name
• Non-live and live H.323 IDs and non-live and live E.164 system aliases

Non-Live and Live system IDs/aliases are required for registering to the gatekeeper.

Note You should not use those system IDs/aliases for dialing the cluster because they will always (and only) be routed to a specific Content Server. Only calls made to recording aliases or playback addresses are balanced across the cluster by the gatekeeper.

Any changes made to the system name and to non-Live and live system IDs/aliases fields are applied to a Content Server that is not currently in a recording call. Changes cannot be applied to a Content Server in a call. Saving changes on this page automatically puts this server in Configuration reload mode. In Configuration reload mode, incoming calls are not accepted and outgoing calls cannot be made from that Content Server.

The administrator might also choose to override Configuration reload mode and apply changes immediately by ending recording calls manually on the Content Server. Clicking End all calls from the Server overview page stops all calls on the Content Server. When calls have ended, the new settings are applied to the Content Server. When the Content Server comes back online, it is ready to accept new calls.

Edit Information Common to All Content Servers in Cluster

Any changes made in these areas are applied to all Content Servers in the cluster through the shared database:

• Cluster overview
• Import recordings
• Recording aliases
• Categories
• Templates
• Media server configurations
• Call configurations
• Site settings
• Groups and users

This section highlights some exceptions and special considerations when managing the cluster.

Import recordings

When importing files smaller than 2 GB, log in to the IP address of one of the Content Servers. Do not use the network load balanced frontend address.

Click the Management tab, then go to Recordings > Import recordings to import recording files through the web interface.

When importing files larger than 2 GB in size, place the.tcb file in the Imports folder on a desktop of one of the clustered Content Servers. You then need to log in to the web interface of this Content Server (using its IP address or DNS name) to import the.tcb file. After it is imported, the recording is available to the whole cluster. However, the import file is only visible on the Import recordings page for the Content Server to which it was uploaded.

Site settings

The Site settings page (from the Management tab, Configuration > Site settings) is available for editing even if Content Servers are in recording calls.

Most settings from the Site settings page can be changed and applied while Content Servers are in recording calls. Settings that cannot be changed and applied when recording calls are in progress are the following:

• Cluster name
• Gatekeeper settings
• Advanced H.323 settings
• E-mail settings
• Default recording alias

Any changes that are made in those areas are applied only to Content Servers that are not currently in recording calls. Changes cannot be applied to Content Servers that are in calls, so saving Site settings automatically puts those servers in Configuration reload mode.

Note In Configuration reload mode, incoming calls are not accepted and outgoing calls cannot be made from that Content Server.

After all current calls are complete, the new settings are applied and the Content Server mode changes back to online.

The administrator might also choose to override Configuration reload mode and apply changes immediately by ending calls manually on all Content Servers. Clicking End all calls from the Cluster overview page stops all calls in the cluster. When recording calls end, new settings are applied to the Content Servers and all Content Servers are in online mode again, ready to accept calls.

API

The clustering functionality requires that API be enabled. You cannot disable the API when Content Servers are clustered.

Generate a Cluster Settings File

You need a cluster settings file to add more Content Servers to an existing cluster (see the “Add a Content Server to an Existing Cluster” section). Cluster settings are in an XML file that contains details of the external database and the Content Server_NAS_USER. If cluster settings change from the original cluster setup, you must generate a new cluster settings file to use when you want to add more Content Servers to the cluster.

To generate a cluster settings file, do the following:

Step 1 Log in to a Content Server by using Windows Remote Desktop Connection. Run the Content Server Wizard.

The wizard scans your system. If the Content Server is in a cluster, only the Cluster Management Wizard option is available.

Step 2 Click the Generate Cluster Settings File radio button.

Step 3 Click Browse if you want to save the cluster settings file in a location other than the Content Server desktop. Click Next.

Step 4 Click Finish to exit the wizard.

Update Load Balancer Configuration

If you have changed the cluster VIP address on the load balancer, you need to update it on each Content Server by using the Content Server Wizard.

Step 1 Log in to the Content Server by using Windows Remote Desktop Connection. Run the Content Server Wizard.

The wizard scans your system. If the Content Server is in a cluster, only the Cluster Management Wizard option is available.

Step 2 Click the Configure Load Balancer Configuration.

Step 3 Click Update Load Balancer Configuration.

Step 4 Enter the cluster VIP address that you set up on the load balancer and/or the subnet mask of your network. Click Next.

Step 5 Click Configure for the wizard to update the loopback adapter. This process might take some time.

Step 6 Click Finish.

Step 7 Repeat this procedure for each Content Server in the cluster.

Step 8 In Site settings page, update the frontend address in Site Settings to the new VIP. See “Enter the Cluster Virtual IP Address as the Frontend Address on the Content Server” section for details.

Note The loopback adapter is automatically removed when you remove the Content Server from a cluster. You can also remove it using the Content Server Wizard. Run the wizard as described above and click the Remove Load Balancer Configuration option. Applying this option only uninstalls the loopback adapter on the specific Content Server. You will need to manually remove the Content Server from your load balancer configuration.

Update Cluster Settings

You can update alternate media location (NAS) settings for the cluster by using the Content Server Wizard.

The Content Server Wizard allows you to:

• Update the Password for MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER Account
• Change the MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER Account to Another Domain Account
• Change the Location of the Media Files to a Different NAS Share

Note As an alternative to the procedures described below, you could remove all Content Servers from the cluster (see “Removing a Content Server from the Cluster” section) and run the Alternate Storage (NAS) wizard option on the last Content Server removed from the cluster to update the password, change the account, or change the media location. Then create a new cluster and add the Content Servers to the cluster again.

Update the Password for MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER Account

If the MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER password expires, the cluster cannot connect to the NAS and media files cannot be moved to their media location. Users will not be able to view recordings.

You need to set a new password for the account on the domain and then run the Content Server Wizard on each Content Server in the cluster to update the password. Follow these steps:

Step 1 Log in to the Content Server by using Windows Remote Desktop Connection as a domain administrator. Run the Content Server Wizard.

The wizard scans your system. If the Content Server is in a cluster, only the Cluster Management Wizard option is available.

Step 2 Click the Update Cluster Settings radio buttons.

Step 3 The wizard displays the username and password for the account that the cluster uses to connect to the NAS. Change the password, and click Next.

Step 4 The wizard displays the current media location. Click Next.

Step 5 The Cluster: Test Result screen displays information about your intended setup. If all tests are successful, click Configure to update the cluster settings.

When you click Configure, the wizard configures your system and updates settings. This process might take some time.

Step 6 When the configuration is complete, click Finish to exit the wizard.

Step 7 Repeat the procedure on all Content Servers in the cluster.

Change the MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER Account to Another Domain Account

If you need to change the MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER account, follow these steps:

Step 1 Add the new account (for example, MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NEW_NAS_USER) to the permissions on the NAS share. Give the account full control (see“Set Permissions and Security Settings on the Share” section).

Step 2 Log in as a domain administrator to one of the Content Servers in the cluster by using Windows Remote Desktop Connection.

Step 3 Go to Computer Management > System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Groups > Administrators. Add MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NEW_NAS_USER to the Administrators group.

Step 4 Start the Content Server Wizard.

The wizard scans your system. If the Content Server is in a cluster, only the Cluster Management Wizard option is available.

Step 5 Click the Update Cluster Settings radio button.

Step 6 The wizard displays the username and password of the account that the cluster uses to connect to the NAS. Change the username and password to the new account, MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NEW_NAS_USER. Click Next.

Step 7 The wizard displays the current media location. Click Next.

Step 8 The Cluster: Test Result screen displays information about your intended setup. If all tests are successful, click Configure to update the cluster settings.

When you click Configure, the wizard configures your system and updates settings. This process might take some time.

Step 9 When the configuration is complete, click Finish to exit the wizard.

Step 10 Repeat this procedure on all Content Servers in the cluster.

Change the Location of the Media Files to a Different NAS Share

If you need to change the default media location for the cluster to a different NAS share, follow these steps:

Step 1 Set up a new NAS share (see the “Configure the NAS” section). The permissions on this share must allow all Content Servers in the cluster and the MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER full control of the share. You can continue to use the same MYDOMAIN\Content Server_NAS_USER, or create and use a different domain account.

Step 2 Manually copy the data folder from the old NAS share to the new NAS share.

Note You cannot copy files that are in use (files that are being watched or downloaded by users). We recommend that the cluster not be active during the copy process. Follow your usual file server migration procedures when copying the files. Putting the Content Servers in maintenance mode alone is not sufficient to guarantee a safe copy of media because maintenance mode still allows users to watch and download recordings.

Step 3 After the copy process is complete, verify that the number of files and size of the data folder on the new NAS share is identical to the old NAS share.

Step 4 Log in to a Content Server in the cluster by using Windows Remote Desktop Connection. Start the Content Server Wizard.

The wizard scans your system. If the Content Server is in a cluster, only the Cluster Management Wizard option is available.

Step 5 Click the Update Cluster Settings radio button.

Step 6 The wizard displays the username and password of the account that the cluster uses to connect to the NAS. Change the username and password to a new account, if required. Click Next.

Step 7 The wizard displays the current media location. Enter the location of the new NAS share in the format \\servername\share.

Step 8 The Cluster: Test Result screen displays information about your intended setup. If all tests are successful, click Configure to update the cluster settings.

At this stage you can also click Finish to exit the wizard without updating the cluster settings.

When you click Configure, the wizard configures your system and updates settings. This process might take some time.

Step 9 When the configuration is complete, click Finish to exit the wizard.

Step 10 Repeat this procedure on all Content Servers in the cluster to set the new media location information in IIS.

Backing Up Clustered Content Servers

To back up and restore the Content Servers in a cluster, follow the backup and restoring procedures as described in Chapter8, “Maintaining the Content Server”

Backing Up the External MS SQL Database

To back up and restore the external SQL server database, follow the administrative guidelines for your SQL server.

Ensure that you back up the database at the same time as the Content Server and the NAS. If you restore from backup, you must restore the database backup that was done at the same time as your Content Server and NAS backups; otherwise, you might not be able to view some recordings.

Backing Up Media on the NAS/External Streaming Server

To back up cluster media, follow the administrative guidelines for backing up your file servers. To ensure all media are backed up, back up all files in the share on the NAS that is used by the cluster and also any media on external streaming servers.

To restore the media, copy the relevant backup back to the share on the NAS (and the correct location on the external streaming server).

Ensure that you back up your NAS or an external media server at the same time as the Content Server and the SQL server database. If you restore from backup, you must restore the NAS and external streaming server backup that was done at the same time as your Content Server and SQL server database backup; otherwise, you might not be able to view some recordings.