Splitting a GridLink Farm

In the case that a user has more than one GridLink licences, he/she can use them in a single GridLink farm with multiple job queues. While a big GridLink farm is very powerful for running AXIS jobs, there are times when the user wishes to split it into smaller farms.

Suppose you had only one Farm Profile before. After the splitting, you have 2 profiles for 2 smaller farms. You may use the same Profile Host to store the 2 new profiles, or use one server as the Profile Host for each farm to make the 2 small farms totally separate.

No matter which method that you use, please make sure that the farm is not in use before you start to split the farm.

Let's assume that you have the following servers in the farm, and the name of the current farm is "Farm1".

MACHINE1 (licenced. Profile Host)

MACHINE2

MACHINE3 (licenced)

MACHINE4

Method 1: Use One Profile Host for 2 Farms

1. Run GridLink Utility, log on to the existing Profile Host MACHINE1, and suspend the farm ("Tools - Suspend Farm").

2. Make sure that there's no AXIS job running on the farm.

3. Select the menu "Farm Profile - Create Farm Profile".

4. Enter the name of the new farm ("Farm2") and make it use configurations from an existing farm, that's "Farm1". A new Farm Profile "Farm2" is created with the same information in "Farm1".

5. Remove MACHINE1 by right-clicking on MACHINE1 and selecting "Remove Server from Farm".

6. Repeat Step 5 for MACHINE2.

7. Select the menu "Farm Profile - Select Current Farm", then select "Farm1" from the list and click on "OK".

8. Remove MACHINE3 by right-clicking on MACHINE3 and selecting "Remove Server from Farm".

9. Repeat Step 8 for MACHINE4.

10. Resume Farm1 by selecting the menu "Tools - Resume Farm".

Now you have 2 Farms, and their profiles are stored in the Profile Host.

Method 2: Use Separate Profile Host for Each Farm

1. Run GridLink Utility, log on to the existing Profile Host MACHINE1, and suspend the farm ("Tools - Suspend Farm").

2. Make sure that there's no AXIS job running on the farm.

3. Remove MACHINE3 by right-clicking on MACHINE3 and selecting "Remove Server from Farm".

4. Repeat Step 3 for MACHINE4.

5. Resume the farm, and close GridLink Utility.

The first farm is ready to use. Now, let’s create the second one.

6. Log on to MACHINE3 using Remote Desktop, go to the directory where GridLink service is installed, run FirstAid.exe, change Profile Host name to "MACHINE3", and then click on “OK”.

7. Repeat Step 6 for MACHINE4.

8. Run GridLink Utility, but this time, you should specify the Profile Host as MACHINE3.

9. Then you will be asked to create a new Farm. Enter "Farm2" as the name, select to retrieve the configurations from an existing server, and specify it as MACHINE3.

After this, you will see all 4 servers in the list.

10. Remove MACHINE1 by right-clicking on MACHINE1 and selecting "Remove Server from Farm".

11. Repeat Step 10 for MACHINE2.

Now the second farm is created.

Use the New Farms

After the farm is split, if you submit a job to MACHINE1, only MACHINE1 and MACHINE2 will be used to run this job; and if you submit a job to MACHINE3, only MACHINE3 and MACHINE4 will be used to run this job. You can always merge them together in the future if you wish.