Installing a clustered listener environment

Follow these instructions if you want to install a clustered listener configuration. A listener cluster is a set of two or more listeners that act as a unit to provide load balancing and high availability. HCL® Campaign listener clusters are Active-Active; meaning each node serves requests using the load-balanced approach. Each Campaign listener provides an interface between front-end clients (such as the Campaign web application) and back-end analytical server processes.

Procedure

  1. Confirm that you have met the prerequisites listed separately in Supported listener clustering configurations. For example, it is important that a shared file location is already configured and that you have prepared separate machines for each node in the cluster.
  2. Follow the instructions below to install a clustered listener configuration.
    StepDescription
    A. Start the installer. Go to the folder where you saved the HCL Marketing Software installer and run the installer. This invokes all of the product installers that are in that location (Marketing Platform, Campaign).
    B. Install Marketing Platform if necessary. If you have not already done so, complete the screens that install Platform, and click Done on the Installation Complete window. If you need help, see Installing Contact Optimization.
    C. Install HCL Campaign in a clustered listener configuration, optionally including the first listener. The HCL Campaign installer opens. In this installer, you must configure HCL Campaign for a clustered configuration and, optionally, install the first listener in the cluster as well. One listener in the cluster may be installed on the Campaign web application server; however, each subsequent listener must be installed on its own standalone server. To install Campaign in a clustered listener configuration, complete the following screens:
    • Introduction
    • Software License Agreement
    • Installation Directory
    • Campaign Components: Select the desired options and be sure to select Campaign Server, which is the option to install the listener.
    • Single or Multiple Listeners: Select Clustered listener configuration (two or more nodes)
    • Complete the following screens to install the first listener:
      • Shared Network File Location. The clustered listener configuration requires that certain files and folders are shared and accessible to all of the listeners in a cluster. Use this screen to specify the path to the shared file location. Use a mapped Microsoft™ Windows™ server path (such as Z:\Campaign_Shared ) or a mounted UNIX™ path (such as /mnt/Campaign_Shared). This location is known as the campaignSharedHome.
      • Listener Node Properties. For each listener node that you install in a cluster, you must specify properties such as a unique name for the node, the node's network host and port, and so on.
      • Master Listener Priority. The priority determines which node in the listener cluster is the master listener and which node to use in the event of failover.
      • Load Balancing Weight. The weight determines how much listener traffic the node can support to share processing with the other nodes. Specify any value other than zero, because a value of zero prevents the node from handling any listener connections.

    From this point in the installation process, the remaining screens are essentially the same as for a single-node install. When you complete the Pre-installation Summary screen, click Install to complete the installation of Campaign and the first listener node in the cluster.

    The Campaign installer runs with the specified options.

    D. Deploy and package the EAR file

    For the first installer node in the cluster, which you might be installing on the Campaign web application server, the installer displays screens to deploy and package the EAR file, the same as for a single-node installation.

    Continue with the process of deploying and running Campaign in your web application server, and running the listener on the Campaign server, as described in Configuring Contact Optimization before deployment.
    E. Install the second node in the cluster.
    Important: Each listener node must be installed on a separate machine.

    If you have not already done so, copy the HCL Marketing Software master installer and the Campaign installation files onto the server where your next Campaign installer node will run, and launch the master installer. Complete the screens as described here:

    • In the master installer, provide the information necessary to connect to the Marketing Platform database, exactly the same way as for the first listener you installed. Each listener in the same cluster must use the same master installer configuration.

      When the Campaign installer appears, complete the screens as described here:

    • Introduction
    • Software License Agreement
    • Installation Directory
    • Campaign Components: Select only Campaign Server, because you are only installing the listener on this system.
    • Single or Multiple Listeners: Select Clustered listener configuration (two or more nodes)
    • Complete the following screens to install the second listener:
      • Shared Network File Location. The clustered listener configuration requires that certain files and folders are shared and accessible to all of the listeners in a cluster. Use this screen to specify the path to the shared file location. Use a mapped Microsoft Windows server path (such as Z:\Campaign_Shared) or a mounted UNIX path (such as /mnt/Campaign_Shared). This location is known as the campaignSharedHome.
        Note: The value that you enter here must be the same for every listener in the cluster.
      • Listener Node Properties. For each node that you install in a cluster, you must specify properties such as a unique name for the node, the node's network host and port, and so on.
      • Master Listener Priority. The priority determines which node in the listener cluster is the master listener, and which node to use in the event of failover.
      • Load Balancing Weight. The weight determines how much listener traffic the node can support for sharing the processing with the other nodes. Specify any value other than zero, because a value of zero prevents the node from handling any listener connections.

    From this point in the installation process, the remaining screens are essentially the same as for a single-node install. When you complete the Pre-installation Summary screen, click Install to complete the installation of Campaign and the first listener node in the cluster.

    The Campaign installer runs with the options that you specified.
    F. Restart the web app server and listeners.

    When the installation is complete, restart the web application server and then start all listeners which are installed.
    G. Install each subsequent node in the cluster. Repeat the installation steps that you performed for the second listener node for each additional node you want to install. Remember that each node must be installed on a separate system from the other nodes. Restart the web application server and the listener on each node as you complete its installation.
    H. Optionally, adjust configuration settings. Log in to Campaign to view or modify any of the configuration settings. See the HCL Campaign Administrator's Guide for instructions.

Results

You have now installed the Campaign clustered listeners.