The diagram on the right shows the way COSbatch
components are distributed and connected.
COSbatch Server
COSbatch is typically
implemented as a Server-Agent configuration, with all background and
foreground processes scheduled from a single scheduling node running
the COSbatch Server component. COSbatch Server
must run on a UNIX or Linux system but may also schedule
jobs on remote Windows systems. The COSbatch
Server holds the repository of jobs and job suites plus definitions
of the COSbatch objects – queues, processors, calendars,
users, and user classes. One COSbatch Server is designated as
the Scheduler Node.
It is possible, often
desirable, to have multiple COSbatch Servers within a COSbatch
domain. One or more COSbatch Servers may be designated as
Control Nodes which synchronize their data repository with the
Scheduler Node, taking over the scheduling in the event of planned or
unplanned down-time of the Scheduler Node. This way, a COSbatch
domain can be configured so that the Scheduler will automatically
fail-over to a Control Node.
As the COSbatch Server
software is network aware, multiple additional Servers can be run in
parallel at larger sites, each being regularly updated with the
information held on the others. When configured in this
manner, the COSbatch Servers are designated as Standard Nodes.
They are neither the Scheduler nor the Control (fail-over) nodes, but
do have a synchronized copy of the COSbatch repository. An
administrator can log into any COSbatch Server and view all
jobs being processed within the entire enterprise. This provides a
distributed point of control for administrators and help desk
personnel, so providing a quicker mean time to resolve problems.
The benefit of being able to
log in across multiple hosts must be traded off against the network
traffic generated by multiple databases being continually
synchronized. For this reason, the default configuration is to use
one Scheduler Node and one Control Node, and use the lightweight COSbatch
Agent to run jobs on the remaining systems within the domain.
COSbatch Agent
Any UNIX, Linux or Windows
application server on which COSbatch is intended to control
the running of background and/or foreground tasks normally runs the
COSbatch Agent, a lightweight software component that handles
all the instructions from the Scheduler Node for the system on which
it resides. The Agent includes a secure communications method which
can be changed to align with the organization's standards, for
example by using SSH.
.gif){kind=small}
