Some sites run an FTP server on the same computer as MOVEit Automation. Remote servers or mainframes send files to MOVEit Automation via FTP, and MOVEit Automation tasks process the files. For better performance and reliability, the local FTP directory is configured as a filesystem source rather than an FTP source.
In a failover scenario, the following types of problems can occur:
If MOVEit Automation server A fails after some files have been sent to MOVEit Automation, but before the related task runs, those files are not transferred when the secondary server B takes over, because they are on the failed computer. (If MOVEit Automation has been set to use filesystem notifications, this time window is short.) If the new primary B fails days, weeks, or months later, the old, unprocessed files on server A might be processed when it becomes the primary. Depending on how tasks are configured, this coulc cause obsolete files to be sent, confusing the recipient.
Remote processes that have been programmed to send files to FTP server A might not know to send those files to FTP server B if A is down.
These problems can be addressed with features built into Microsoft Windows which allow you to create a single system image from two FTP servers:
To address these problems, use the following Microsoft Windows features to create a single system system image from two FTP servers
Use Distributed File System to create a single storage area into which files sent via FTP to either of the MOVEit Automation computers are stored. See FTP Replication - DFS.
Use Network Load Balancing to assign a single IP address that can be used by remote computers to access either FTP server as if the two were a single computer. See FTP Replication - NLB.
