Hi Rob,
We just changed our web architecture last week, to modify the way the websphere load balancing was working.
We have 2 web servers (windows 200, Websphere 4, IIS).
Before, 3 jas were installed on the first server (so we had 3 differents url to connect, one per subsidary), and then cloned to the second server (what is called horizontal cloning).
In that configuration, we then had 3 server groups, and 2 clones in each group. In IIS, we had 3 web sites defined on the first server (with the virtual directory to the 3 jas installed on the server).
Normally, with that cloning, you don't need to define IIS for the second web server. You always access by the first server, and then websphere manage wich jas server (wich clone) will be used. But the problem is that if your first server is down, you don't have access anymore. So as a backup solution, we had also defined 3 web sites on IIS of the second server, pointing to the each jas of the second server (but it means you have to change your connexion url. instead of
http://server1
ortx/jde/owhtml, you use
http://server2ortx/jde/owhtml).
The issue we had was that the structure of our company changed, and using different url for each subsidary was no longer relevant. We had many users connected to some url, and few for other.
So we decide to change the jas structure to have only one url, and use 6 clones, using the 2 web servers.
We then used vertical and horizontal cloning :
One jas is installed on the first server (using jde install cd), a single server group is created, and we cloned the first jas 2 times on the first server (vertical cloning. The clones uses the same jas directory. It's only that you have 3 JVM). Then, the jas is cloned 3 times on the second server (you have to copy the jas directory on the second server, and the 3 clones will use it).
For IIS, you only define 1 web site on the first server.
You can define one on the second server if you want a backup solution if the first server is down.
A problem with the websphere cloning is that when you connect to the web saw, it works just like when you connect to jde application and websphere will use one of the clone, and the information we'll get will be on the clone you are connected to. But you can't access to the jas you want.
Nevertheless, there are some set up that can be done to solve this issue and be able to explicitly see the clone you want. I did not set this up for the moment, i need to try (i 'm not sure it's possible for our SP level).
You can fine many information about all that in a jde pdf called "webadmin". If you don't have it or don't find it, let me know, i can send it to you.
