The Top 10 reasons to choose SafeKit to cluster your servers

An inexpensive, user-friendly software-only solution

SafeKit removes the need for costly dispatching boxes, shared disk bays and other specific hardware. It saves you the expense of deploying and maintaining complex hardware clustering solutions. SafeKit is a software-only clustering solution that you can deploy on your existing standard servers. It is 10 times easier to deploy and far less expensive than a hardware cluster.

Many operating systems, one clustering solution

Most of the time, you have applications running on different operating systems. What if a new application on a new operating system needs to be made highly available? Are you ready to invest in a different clustering technology each time? With SafeKit, the technology is the same, no matter what the operating system: Linux, Windows, AIX or Solaris – so you do not need to re-train your administrators several times. You can manage all your clusters with the same tool, the same configuration, the same on-line commands and the same administration console!

For more details, read the white paper.

Many application types, one clustering solution

SafeKit combines two functions in one. Traditionally, two different product types are required to create an application cluster with both network load balancing and data high availability. With SafeKit, the same product provides a farm solution for load balancing, a mirror solution for high availability, or a combination of farm and mirror solutions on the same cluster, with common servers. This offer is unique on the market!

The 3 scenarios where SafeKit is the best solution on the market

There are three cases where SafeKit is the clustering solution clearly preferred by our customers. The first is in data centers, for making small-to-medium applications on the periphery of large databases highly available with the same clustering solution. The second is in distributed organizations, to cluster applications in local branches on standard hardware with a very simple solution. The third case is software publishing companies wishing to add a multi-platform high-availability option to their applications

A simple but complete clustering solution

The simplicity of SafeKit does not mean lack of functions. SafeKit is a simple but complete high-availability solution.

All the high-availability mechanisms are combined in the same product: network load balancing, real-time file replication, surveillance with automatic recovery in case of failure, customized application modules, single-module clusters for a single application on a cluster, multi-module clusters for N applications on the same cluster, farm clusters, mirror clusters, mixtures of farm and mirror modules, mutual takeover between two servers, and N-to-1 clusters with one passive server backing up multiple active servers

A clustering solution you can try before you buy

Within 10 minutes of demonstration, you can understand how SafeKit works on very simple applications. Within 1 hour, you can deploy your first software cluster on these same applications, and you are ready to deploy software clustering on your own applications.

A clustering solution ideally suited to farms of up to 10 servers

The SafeKit farm solution, with network load balancing and high availability, is very suitable, in terms of price and functionality, for small-to-medium server farms, typically with 2 to 10 servers. For larger farms, investing in costlier network load balancing boxes becomes justifiable.

A clustering solution ideal for small-to-medium databases

The SafeKit mirror solution, with real-time file replication and high availability, is very suited to small-to-medium databases, typically with less than 500 Gigabytes and less than a million files. For larger databases, it is better to use hardware clustering solutions with shared disk bays and internal replication systems. Nevertheless, SafeKit can very easily adapt to shared disk bays in NAS mode and thus exceed the limits on size and number of files.

Synchronous, fault-tolerant replication that doesn't lose data when a server fails

There is a big difference between the synchronous data replication offered by the SafeKit mirror solution and asynchronous data replication.

With asynchronous replication, any data not copied from the network to the second server is lost if the first server fails. In particular, a transactional application can lose committed data.

With SafeKit, synchronous real-time data replication of the files opened by the application eliminates the loss of data in case of server failure.

The bandwidth of a LAN is required between the servers to implement synchronous data replication, possibly with an extended LAN in two computer rooms located a few kilometers apart. Asynchronous replication is good for data replication through a low-speed WAN, to back up data remotely over a distance of more than 100 kilometers.

For more details, read our white paper on choosing a high-availability solution.

Advanced software clustering technology

Designed and developed by clustering solution experts, SafeKit technology defines the state of the art. The same product integrates the following finely configurable technologies: multiple heartbeat channels, multiple virtual IP addresses with a virtual MAC technology for transparent rerouting, process monitoring and automatic restart, checkers for network interface, external router and TCP services, customized checkers, dedicated replication channel, access in read-only mode to replicated data on the secondary server, non-replicated files in a replicated directory, customizable start-up scripts, virtual host names, disconnectable automatic recovery system,....

All these are explained in a single configuration document for Windows, Linux, AIX and Solaris platforms.

More information:

Customer case studies




SafeKit > Choice 10 reasons to choose SafeKit Competitive advantages Hardware vs. software clustering The 3 top scenarios Datacenter Distributed organization Software publisher SafeKit Home	Evidian > Products > SafeKit > Choice The Top 10 reasons to choose SafeKit to cluster your servers An inexpensive, user-friendly software-only solution SafeKit removes the need for costly dispatching boxes, shared disk bays and other specific hardware. It saves you the expense of deploying and maintaining complex hardware clustering solutions. SafeKit is a software-only clustering solution that you can deploy on your existing standard servers. It is 10 times easier to deploy and far less expensive than a hardware cluster. Many operating systems, one clustering solution Most of the time, you have applications running on different operating systems. What if a new application on a new operating system needs to be made highly available? Are you ready to invest in a different clustering technology each time? With SafeKit, the technology is the same, no matter what the operating system: Linux, Windows, AIX or Solaris – so you do not need to re-train your administrators several times. You can manage all your clusters with the same tool, the same configuration, the same on-line commands and the same administration console! For more details, read the white paper. Many application types, one clustering solution SafeKit combines two functions in one. Traditionally, two different product types are required to create an application cluster with both network load balancing and data high availability. With SafeKit, the same product provides a farm solution for load balancing, a mirror solution for high availability, or a combination of farm and mirror solutions on the same cluster, with common servers. This offer is unique on the market! The 3 scenarios where SafeKit is the best solution on the market There are three cases where SafeKit is the clustering solution clearly preferred by our customers. The first is in data centers, for making small-to-medium applications on the periphery of large databases highly available with the same clustering solution. The second is in distributed organizations, to cluster applications in local branches on standard hardware with a very simple solution. The third case is software publishing companies wishing to add a multi-platform high-availability option to their applications A simple but complete clustering solution The simplicity of SafeKit does not mean lack of functions. SafeKit is a simple but complete high-availability solution. All the high-availability mechanisms are combined in the same product: network load balancing, real-time file replication, surveillance with automatic recovery in case of failure, customized application modules, single-module clusters for a single application on a cluster, multi-module clusters for N applications on the same cluster, farm clusters, mirror clusters, mixtures of farm and mirror modules, mutual takeover between two servers, and N-to-1 clusters with one passive server backing up multiple active servers A clustering solution you can try before you buy Within 10 minutes of demonstration, you can understand how SafeKit works on very simple applications. Within 1 hour, you can deploy your first software cluster on these same applications, and you are ready to deploy software clustering on your own applications. A clustering solution ideally suited to farms of up to 10 servers The SafeKit farm solution, with network load balancing and high availability, is very suitable, in terms of price and functionality, for small-to-medium server farms, typically with 2 to 10 servers. For larger farms, investing in costlier network load balancing boxes becomes justifiable. A clustering solution ideal for small-to-medium databases The SafeKit mirror solution, with real-time file replication and high availability, is very suited to small-to-medium databases, typically with less than 500 Gigabytes and less than a million files. For larger databases, it is better to use hardware clustering solutions with shared disk bays and internal replication systems. Nevertheless, SafeKit can very easily adapt to shared disk bays in NAS mode and thus exceed the limits on size and number of files. Synchronous, fault-tolerant replication that doesn't lose data when a server fails There is a big difference between the synchronous data replication offered by the SafeKit mirror solution and asynchronous data replication. With asynchronous replication, any data not copied from the network to the second server is lost if the first server fails. In particular, a transactional application can lose committed data. With SafeKit, synchronous real-time data replication of the files opened by the application eliminates the loss of data in case of server failure. The bandwidth of a LAN is required between the servers to implement synchronous data replication, possibly with an extended LAN in two computer rooms located a few kilometers apart. Asynchronous replication is good for data replication through a low-speed WAN, to back up data remotely over a distance of more than 100 kilometers. For more details, read our white paper on choosing a high-availability solution. Advanced software clustering technology Designed and developed by clustering solution experts, SafeKit technology defines the state of the art. The same product integrates the following finely configurable technologies: multiple heartbeat channels, multiple virtual IP addresses with a virtual MAC technology for transparent rerouting, process monitoring and automatic restart, checkers for network interface, external router and TCP services, customized checkers, dedicated replication channel, access in read-only mode to replicated data on the secondary server, non-replicated files in a replicated directory, customizable start-up scripts, virtual host names, disconnectable automatic recovery system,.... All these are explained in a single configuration document for Windows, Linux, AIX and Solaris platforms. More information: Customer case studies	Abstract An inexpensive, user-friendly software-only solution Many operating systems, one clustering solution Many application types, one clustering solution The 3 scenarios where SafeKit is the best solution on the market A simple but complete clustering solution A clustering solution you can try before you buy A clustering solution ideally suited to farms of up to 10 servers A clustering solution ideal for databases up to 500 Gigabytes Synchronous, fault-tolerant replication that doesn't lose data when a server fails Advanced software clustering technology QUESTIONS?

SafeKit > Choice