Note: SQL Server can be external. In this case, at step 4 during the step by step configuration of milestone.safe:This guide explains how to set up a milestone cluster for Milestone XProtect using SafeKit, ensuring automatic failover and synchronous replication without the need for shared storage.
For help, you can use SafeKit AI 🤖.
milestone.safe application module.Resynchronization time after a failure (step 3)
The solution is described here: The Simplest Milestone XProtect High Availability: 2-Node Synchronous Replication& Failover.
Note: SQL Server can be external. In this case, at step 4 during the step by step configuration of milestone.safe:You can implement redundancy of the external SQL Server with SafeKit and the sqlserver.safe module.
In this case on both management nodes, configure the connection of Milestone Management to SQL with the virtual IP address of the sqlserver.safe module (registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREVideoOSServerConnectionString).
Note: The Event server can be external to the Management server.In this case, you have 2 clusters with 2 installations of milestone.safe: one for the Management cluster, the other one for the Event cluster.
For the Management cluster, at step 4 during the step by step configuration of milestone.safe:
And for the Event cluster, at step 4 during the step by step configuration of milestone.safe:
### Recorder redundancyIn case of migration of Milestone from version N to version N+1 in a SafeKit cluster, read this article: Milestone Management Migration with SafeKit⬇️ Download milestone.safe (Windows) >
This configuration requires **at least Milestone XProtect 2023 R3**. For previous versions, please see this article.
http://localhost:9010.admin as user name and the password defined during installation.You can also run the console in a browser on a workstation external to the cluster.
The configuration of SafeKit is done on both nodes from a single browser.To secure the web console, see 11. Securing the SafeKit web service in the User's Guide.
Tab key to check connectivity and fill node names. If either node1 or node2 has a red color, check connectivity of the browser to both nodes and check firewall on both nodes for troubleshooting.Save and apply to save the configuration.Success ✅ message on both nodes.Failure ❌ occurs on one node, open the ▼ accordion for that node and review the messages. Note that you can use the SafeKit AI 🤖 for assistance.If you want, you can add a new `LAN and nodes` ( first ➕) to create a second heartbeat and a dedicated replication network.If you click on `Advanced configuration`, the `cluster.xml` file is displayed. This file is automatically populated by the console and deployed on the nodes.
New module, click on the milestone.safe module.In the blue banner at the top, 🛜 `node1` represents the console connection node. This node relays requests to `node2` when required.The console looks for `xxx.safe` in the `Application_Modules/generic/` directory on the connection node (`node1`) if you placed a module there during installation.
Module startup at boot, choose an automatic start of the module at boot without delay.Macros / SERVICES, enter the service names of your application, in the startup order, separated by commas. See this screenshot for a visual example of Milestone XProtect services 🖼️.
Heartbeat networks, you should have a single heartbeat network on which the replication is made. If you have added a private LAN at step 2, then you can configure two heartbeats with the replication flow on the private LAN.Virtual IP addresses, enter a virtual IP address. A virtual IP address is a standard IP address in the same IP network (same subnet) as the IP addresses of both nodes.Replicated directories, set the paths of directories to replicate. Check that they exist on both nodes and contain the application data.
Checkers, you will be able to configure checkers if needed, such as process monitoring, custom checkers, TCP, ping, or split-brain checkers.Monitored processes/services, it will be monitored with a restart action in case of failure. Configuring a wrong process name will cause the module to stop right after its start.If SQL is on the management server:If you click on `Advanced configuration`, the `userconfig.xml` file is displayed. This file is automatically populated by the console and deployed on the nodes with the restart scripts.When you apply the SafeKit configuration, the `startup type` of services is automatically set to `Manual` in Windows Services. This ensures that the services do not start automatically when the system boots, but are instead started only when the module itself is started.
Next step.start_prim.ps1 starts all services in the order specified in the SERVICES list, and starts the IIS application pools used by Milestone. stop_prim.ps1 stops all services in the reverse order.start_prim.ps1 checks the startup of each service and stops the module if any service fails to start correctly.
Save and apply the configuration and scripts on both nodes.
Success ✅ message on both nodes and click on Monitor modules.Failure ❌ occurs on one node, open the ▼ accordion for that node and review the messages. Note that you can use the SafeKit AI 🤖 for assistance.
Force start ▶ As primary.When node 2 will be started, all data will be copied from node 1 to node 2.
If you make the wrong choice, you run the risk of synchronizing outdated data on both nodes.It is also assumed that the Milestone XProtect and SQL application is stopped on node 1 so that SafeKit installs the replication mechanisms and then starts the application in the `start_prim` script.Use `Start` for subsequent starts: SafeKit retains the most up-to-date server. Starting `As primary` is a special start-up the first time or during exceptional operations.
start_prim script has been executed on node 1.If ALONE (green) is not reached or if the application is not started, analyze why with the module log 🖼️ of node 1.
node1 to open the module log and look for error messages such as a checker detecting an error and stopping the module.start_prim in the log: output messages of the script are displayed on the right and errors can be detected such as a service incorrectly started.If the cluster is in `WAIT (red) not uptodate, STOP (red) not uptodate` state, stop the WAIT node and force its start as primary 🖼️.
Execute the following bullets on node 1 according the menu in the image:
<Failover>...<VirtualAddress>XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX</VirtualAddress>...</Failover>: replace the XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX with the actual virtual IP address.<ClusterMember>false</ClusterMember> to true<ClusterLocalWebserverUri>http://NODE1_FQDN:9010</ClusterLocalWebserverUri> (or NODE1 hostname if workgroup).
For more information, see this Milestone KB.This procedure registers the node 1 management server in the SQL database (running on node 1) through a connection to the virtual address.
<Failover>...<VirtualAddress>XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX</VirtualAddress>...</Failover>: replace the XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX with the actual virtual IP address.<ClusterMember>false</ClusterMember> to true<ClusterLocalWebserverUri>http://NODE2_FQDN:9010</ClusterLocalWebserverUri> (or NODE2 hostname if workgroup).
For more information, see this Milestone KB.The account of the user executing the registration on node 2 must have the administrator role in Milestone on node 1.If it is the local administrator on node 2 who makes the registration, the built-in Windows group BUILTIN/Administrators must have been set in Management Client / Security / Roles at Step 13. Else the registration will not work.
This procedure registers the node 2 management server in the SQL database (running on node 1) through a connection to the virtual address.
When you start the Milestone XProtect Management Client, you have to authenticate using one of the following methods. Depending on your choice, specific steps are required to ensure the login works after a SafeKit failover. Reference: View Login Screenshot 🖼️.
Configuration: No special configuration is required.
If Milestone “Windows authentication” is configured with an Active Directory, the user and password information is retrieved from the external AD. After a failover, the secondary node connects to the same AD, so authentication works automatically.
Configuration: You must add the BUILTIN/Administrators group in “Security / Roles”.
Warning: In a Workgroup, local users have different Security Identifiers (SIDs) on each node, even if the names are identical. Only the BUILTIN/Administrators group has the same SID on both nodes.
Configuration: Create a user with “Basic authentication” (e.g., “Admin”).
For “Basic authentication”, the user credentials are stored directly in the SQL database. Because SafeKit replicates the SQL database to the secondary node in real-time, these users are always available immediately after a failover.
Start node 2 with its contextual menu.Node 2 stays in the SECOND (orange) state while resynchronizing the replicated directories (copy from node 1 to node 2).This may take a while depending on the size of files to resynchronize in replicated directories and the network bandwidth.
To see the progress of the copy, see the module log 🖼️ and the replication resources 🖼️ of node 2. Use the SafeKit AI 🤖 for assistance with log messages.
Components that are clients of Milestone XProtect and SQL services must be configured with the virtual IP address. The configuration can be done with a DNS name (if a DNS name has been created and associated with the virtual IP address).
Stop.stop_prim script and started on node 2 in the start_prim script).If ALONE (green) is not reached on node2 or if the application is not started, analyze why with the module log 🖼️ of node 2.
node2 to open the module log and look for error messages such as a checker detecting an error and stopping the module.start_prim in the log: output messages of the script are displayed on the right and errors can be detected such as a service incorrectly started.If everything is okay, initiate a start on node1, which will resynchronize the replicated directories from node2.If things go wrong, stop node2 and force the start as primary 🖼️ of node1, which will restart with its locally healthy data at the time of the stop.
Note that you have a 🕒 **timeline 🖼️** that can be helpful to understand what happens in the cluster.Find more details, along with videos, in the SafeKit Online Training.
Snapshots (2 .zip files), one for each node.
In this video, discover how SafeKit implements a mirror HA cluster without the complexity of a SAN. While this demonstration uses Microsoft SQL Server, the solution works identically for other databases and applications.
&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;
Explore SafeKit: Features, technical videos, documentation, and free trial
| Resource Type | Description | Direct Link |
|---|---|---|
| Key Features | Why Choose SafeKit for Simple and Cost-Effective High Availability? | See Why Choose SafeKit for High Availability |
| Use Cases | Explore How SafeKit Ensures the High Availability of Critical Infrastructure | See All Use Cases (OEM Software, Edge Servers, SCADA, and more) |
| Deployment Model | All-in-One SANless HA: Shared-Nothing Software Clustering | See SafeKit All-in-One SANless HA |
| HA Strategies | SafeKit: Infrastructure (VM) vs. Application-Level High Availability | See SafeKit HA & Redundancy: VM vs. Application Level |
| Technical Specifications | Technical Limitations for SafeKit Clustering | See SafeKit High Availability Limitations |
| Proof of Concept | SafeKit: High Availability Configuration & Failover Demos | See SafeKit Failover Tutorials |
| Architecture | How the SafeKit Mirror Cluster works (Real-Time Replication & Failover) | See SafeKit Mirror Cluster: Real-Time Replication & Failover |
| Architecture | How the SafeKit Farm Cluster works (Network Load Balancing & Failover) | See SafeKit Farm Cluster: Network Load Balancing & Failover |
| Competitive Advantages | Comparison: SafeKit vs. Traditional High Availability (HA) Clusters | See SafeKit vs. Traditional HA Cluster Comparison |
| Technical Resources | SafeKit High Availability: Documentation, Downloads & Trial | See SafeKit HA Free Trial & Technical Documentation |
| Pre-configured Solutions | SafeKit Application Module Library: Ready-to-Use HA Solutions | See SafeKit High Availability Application Modules |