Adding servers to the system

You can provide high availability and failover support by adding servers to support specific functions. For example, you might want to set up several search servers to spread the query processing load across processors.

Before you begin

You must install Watson Explorer Content Analytics on the server that you want to add to the system topology before you specify the purpose of the server in the administration console.

You must ensure that all software that is needed to support the intended server role is installed. For example, if you add a search server and want to use WebSphere® Application Server to support your applications, you must ensure that a supported version of WebSphere Application Server is installed.

If you add a high availability server or an index server, the new server and the master server must share the same data directory (ES_NODE_ROOT). The high availability servers are supported through IBM® PowerHA® for AIX® and Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) on Windows.

About this task

The types of servers that you can add depends on how you install the core components:

Single server
In a single server installation, you have one master controller server. You can then add additional search servers, document processing servers, and index servers. You can also add servers that combine functions, such as a server that supports document processing and search or a server that supports indexing and search. On AIX or Windows platforms, you can also add one high availability master server to support crawling, parsing, indexing, and search.
Distributed servers
In a distributed server installation, you have a master controller server, a master crawler server, and at least one search server. You can then add additional search servers, document processing servers, and index servers. You can also add servers that combine functions, such as a server that supports document processing and search or a server that supports indexing and search. On AIX or Windows platforms, you can also add one high availability server to support crawling and one high availability server to support parsing and indexing.

Procedure

To add a server to the system and assign a role for how the server is to be used:

  1. Verify that Watson Explorer Content Analytics and all required software is installed on the server that you want to add, and verify that the new server is running. To add the server, the system must be able to connect to it.
  2. Click System to open the System view.
  3. Click Add Server.
  4. On the Add a Server page, type the fully qualified host name of the server that you want to add. Also specify the common communication layer (CCL) port that was specified when Watson Explorer Content Analytics was installed on the server.
  5. Select the server role and click OK. The server that you added is shown in the system topology and becomes available for processing requests on this system.

What to do next

You can monitor the server status, start and stop the server, or remove the server from the system topology. For a search server, you can also view detailed statistics about query processing.
Restriction: After you add a server, you cannot change its host name, port, or role. If you want to change the server configuration, you must remove the server from the system topology and then add it again.