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Locator supports the deployment of multiple Locator servers, configured to work together to search and index documents from the various data sources within the customer environment. In a multi-server scenario, the secondary Locator search server can be added to the SolrCloud of the primary Locator Search Server to offer distribution of index, replication, failover and load balancing.  You can add as many Secondary Search Servers as you like to the Primary Locator Server depending on the needs and requirements.

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  1. In the Locator Installer choose Custom Install 
  2. On the Server Address page, replace localhost with the primary server hostname for the Licensing service address field
  3. For the Zookeeper address, replace localhost with the primary server IPV4 address and keep the port :9983
  4. If using PostgreSQL, on the Database Information page, leave the drop down as PostgreSQL and the database name as Locator.
  5. If using Microsoft SQL, on the Database Information page, change the drop down as Microsoft SQL Server and fill in the database server hostname, database name and database user account credentials. Click Verify Connection
  6. Choose the following components
  7. Finish the installer and wait for the installation to complete.

...

  1. Make sure you have installed and configured the primary Locator Server, see Installing/configuring a Primary Server in a multi-server environment
  2. Add a new rule to the Windows firewall allowing all traffic inbound on TCP port 8983 for Solr.  Run the following from an elevated command prompt.  This command will work on Windows Server 2008 R2 or later:

    Code Block
    languagepowershell
    themeRDark
    netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Locator Solr (TPC-In)" protocol=TCP localport=8983 action=allow dir=IN remoteip=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx,yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy

    Replace xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx and yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy with the IP(s) of the servers involved with the multi server setup. This applies both to servers in a multi server SOLR ViaWorksCloud setup, as well as setups where additional fetch servers are set up.

  3. Once installed, stop all Locator services in the specified order.  This can be accomplished either manually, via the Windows Services UI, or from a PowerShell session.

    Windows Services UI Method

    From the Windows Services app, stop each Locator Service in the following order:


        • All Fetch Services, in any order (e.g. ayfie FileServer Fetch Service, ayfie Exchange Fetch Service, etc.)
        • Locator IndexBuilder Service
        • Locator Index Service
        • Locator Licensing Service
        • Locator Database Service


    PowerShell Method

    Paste the following code into an elevated PowerShell session to stop all Locator services:

    Code Block
    languagepowershell
    themeRDark
    # Create an array of Locator service names in the order they should be stopped. Get the fetch services first.
    $vwServices= Get-Service | Where { $_.DisplayName -like "*ViaWorks*Fetch*" -or $_.DisplayName -like "*Locator*Fetch*" -or $_.DisplayName -like "*ayfie*Fetch*"}
    
    # These services must be stopped in this order after fetch services are stopped.
    $vwServiceNames= @(
    "ViaWorksIndexBuilder",
    "Via.Index.Service",
    "Via.Licensing.Service",
    "ViaWorksDatabaseService"
    )
    
    # Add to the array of services for each of the additional services that are NOT fetch services
    foreach ($n in $vwServiceNames) {
    	$vwServices += (Get-Service -Name $n)
    }
    
    # Stop each Locator service
    $vwServices| ForEach-Object {
    	Stop-Service $_.Name -Verbose
    }


  4. From Locator 2.11 and above: The ayfie Authority Service is available from Locator 2.11. This component should not have been selected during Custom Install. If installed on the Fetch Server anyway, stop and disable the ayfie Authority service. Perform this manually from the Services UI or by executing the command in an elevated PowerShell session:

    Code Block
    languagepowershell
    themeRDark
    $authorityService= Get-Service | Where {$_.DisplayName -like "ayfie Authority Service"}
    $authorityService| ForEach-Object {Stop-Service $_.Name -Verbose}
    $authorityService| Set-Service -StartupType Disabled -Verbose


  5. Postgres only: If you used Custom Install Path in the Locator Installer these values should have already been set. Please verify in %ProgramFiles%\ayfie\Locator\Config\DataAccess.config. If the values are still localhost, do the following from an elevated command prompt, first make a backup copy and then edit the file %ProgramFiles%\ayfie\Locator\Config\DataAccess.config

    1. Change the value of the “ViaDatabaseServer” key to reflect the IPv4 address of the Primary Locator server as opposed to the default value of 127.0.0.1.

    2. Add this line before the </appSettings> line:

      Code Block
      languagexml
      <add key="LicensingServiceServer" value="<IPv4_addr>" />


      Where 
      <IPv4_addr> is the IPv4 address of the Primary Locator server.


  6. Edit the REST Service web.config: "[Drive]:\Program Files\ayfie\Locator\RestService\web.config": change <add key="LicenseHostName" value="localhost" /> to <add key="LicenseHostName value="FQDN_of_primary_server" />. Use "[Drive]:\Program Files\ayfie\Locator\RestService\Custom\web_config_overrides.config" to persist change through upgrades, see How do override files work?

  7. Verify that the REST Service web.config "[Drive]:\Program Files\ayfie\Locator\RestService\web.config": AuthorityServiceBaseUrl key reflect the FQDN of the primary Locator Server. The Locator installer sets this value.
  8. Disable all Locator services except the Locator Index Service. Perform this manually from the Services UI or by executing the command in an elevated PowerShell session:

    Code Block
    languagepowershell
    themeRDark
    # Create an array of Locator service names in the order they should be stopped. Get the fetch services first.
    $vwServicesExceptIndexService= Get-Service | Where { $_.DisplayName -like "*ViaWorks*Fetch*" -or $_.DisplayName -like "*Locator*Fetch*" -or $_.DisplayName -like "*ayfie*Fetch*"}
    
    # Locator services, except Locator Index Service
    $vwServiceNamesExceptIndexService= @(
    "ViaWorksIndexBuilder",
    "Via.Licensing.Service",
    "ViaWorksDatabaseService"
    )
    
    # Add to the array of services for each of the additional services that are NOT fetch services
    foreach ($n in $vwServiceNamesExceptIndexService) {
    	$vwServicesExceptIndexService += (Get-Service -Name $n)
    }
    
    # Disable each Locator service
    $vwServicesExceptIndexService| Set-Service -StartupType Disabled -Verbose

    Note: Some connectors have services used by Locator authentication like ayfie Domino REST Service and ayfie SharePoint Security Service. These services need to be running. Make sure you only disable the connector fetch services.

  9. Start the Locator Index Service. Perform this manually from the Services UI or by pasting the following code into the same elevated PowerShell session:

    Code Block
    languagepowershell
    themeRDark
    Get-Service | Where {$_.DisplayName -like "Locator Index Service"} | ForEach-Object {Start-Service -Name $_.Name -Verbose}


  10. This server is now configured as a Locator Search server. See section below to verify the configuration. If all servers you plan as secondary search servers now are configure, you can continue with configuring the SolrCloud index. See Web Server and Solr Cloud Configuration. If not configure the remaining secondary search servers before continuing with configuring the SolrCloud index.

...

  1. On the Primary or Secondary Locator Search server, open your browser and got to http://localhost:8983/solr/#/~cloud. This should now display the SolrCloud and all shards on all Locator Search Servers.
  2. On the Primary Locator server:
    1. (Optional for PostgreSQL installations) From an elevated command prompt, run %ProgramFiles%\ayfie\Locator\PostgreSQL\bin\pgAdmin3.exe
    2. Select the Locator database
    3. Select the SQL button and paste the following text into the window:

      Code Block
      languagesql
      SELECT * FROM config.via_works_server;


    4. Run the query
    5. Verify there is a second row showing the secondary Locator server (see the computer_name and dns_name columns).
    6. Close pgAdmin


Potential issues

Secondary search index unavilable - ZooKeeper/Solr config

The Zookeper is an embedded software installed under Solr regime and runs under the Locator index service. There has been some issues where the shards on the second search server were not accessible after install or after a reboot.

In these cases try to stopp the index service on search#2, then search#1. Then start them in the same order, after a "cooldown" of atleast 30 seconds. Also: check netstat -a to see if the correct ports are listening on the servers.

If that doesn't help, take a look at the Solr.in.cmd file located under \program files\Locator\Solr\bin on the primary search server and adjust the yellow parameters:

Image Added

We ran into this issue twice for one customer. The first time the solution seemed to be to comment out the set ZK_HOST line (then restart both index services), and the second time the solution was to set SOLR_HOST parameter to the Ip address for the primary search server.

This issue is easily fixable, but there should be a robust solution for this. Is there a process where the solr.in.cmd gets modified after server reboot?


See also

Child pages (Children Display)
pageInstalling the ayfie Locator Server