About clustering Internet Services Using Internet Services clustering to plan your system Note There is no need to set up a cluster if you only have one instance of Internet Services set up on a separate machine from the server. Clustering refers to running multiple services of the same type, for example Internet Services or Voice Services, from a single FirstClass server. You can use clustering to route different Internet protocols (for example, SMTP or HTTP) to better organize your FirstClass environment. For example, you can dedicate a clustered machine to only handle one protocol or you can have multiple clusters for the same protocol to balance the traffic. You can also run multiple clusters on separate machines gatewayed to one FirstClass server on Mac OS X and Windows platforms. In all cases, you must have Internet Services already installed on your clustered machines. You also need to have the client installed to configure your gateway login settings file and for testing purposes. Although each clustered service is set up and configured independently, it is possible to share components such as web content or filters using FirstClass folder linking. Note If you want to create web sites for your clusters, see Creating a FirstClass web site. In this section, we discuss: •       creating a clustered service and connecting the new clustered service to your FirstClass server •       clustering by domains •       clustering by protocols and user groups •       clustering by protocols and domains Although the examples we discuss in this section may cover some of the scenarios you may want to implement, they are by no means exhaustive. Once you understand Internet Services clustering you can configure multiple combinations (either simple or complex) for your FirstClass site. For clarity, we highly recommend you diagram your clustered environment before you create it. Top For more information Creating a FirstClass web site