Sun Cluster 2.2 Software Installation Guide

Choosing an Install Location for Netscape Binaries

The Netscape binaries and data directories can be installed on either the shared disk or on the local disk of each cluster node.

Installing the binaries and data directories on the shared disk eases administration and consumes less disk space, but increases down time during application upgrades, because the application must be brought down for the duration of the binary upgrade.

Installing the data directories on the shared disk and the binaries locally on each node preserves high availability during failover, and also reduces downtime during future upgrades of the application. You can upgrade the binaries on a node that is not currently hosting the application, switch the application over to that node, then upgrade the binaries on the original node. The application remains available except for during the brief switchover period.