Set up farm instances using a shared configuration
You maintain only one installation for all members of a farm in a shared configuration. Farm maintenance is easier because it is deployed to only one system. The single installation is shared by multiple servers, which has significant benefits.
The disadvantage is there is no ability to apply specific changes on a per-server basis. If we did, the change would be visible through the shared filesystem and shared database to all members. Most maintenance requires downtime of the farm. Implement a "two lines of production" system to avoid downtime and eliminate the shared installation as a singe point of failure. With this setup, there is a shadow installation of the Farm in an active and passive mode of operation.
The server used to maintain the farm installation is referred to as the Farm Master.
Set up the farm instance using a shared configuration...
- Configure a shared file system
- Install Portal on the Farm Master and start farm workers
- Set up a support server for the portal farm
- Disable farm mode