GTPP Storage Server Overview 
Cisco ASR 5000 Series Product Overview ▄  
Cluster Support in GSS 
The cluster mode feature enables GSS to provide high availability and critical redundancy support to retrieve CDRs in 
failure of any one of the system. A GSS cluster is two or more GSS systems, or nodes, that work together as a single, 
continuously available system to provide applications, system resources, and data to GSS users. Each GSS node on a 
cluster is a fully functional, stand-alone system. However, in a clustered environment, the GSS nodes are connected by 
an interconnected network and work together as a single entity to provide increased availability and performance. 
Highly available clusters provide nearly continuous access to data and applications by keeping the cluster running 
through failures that would normally bring down a single Server system. 
A cluster offers several advantages over traditional single-server systems. These advantages include: 
  Support for failover and scalable services. 
  Capacity for modular growth. 
  Low entry price compared to traditional hardware fault-tolerant systems. 
  Reduce or eliminate system downtime because of software or hardware failure. 
  Ensure availability of data and applications to GSS user, regardless of the kind of failure that would normally 
take down a single-server system. 
  Provide enhanced availability of the system by enabling you to perform maintenance without shutting down the 
entire cluster. 
 
Cluster Components 
Following are the cluster components work with GSS to provide this functionality: 
 
  GSS Cluster Node 
A GSS cluster node is a GSS server that runs both the GSS Application software and Cluster Agent software. 
The Cluster Agent enables carrier to network two GSS nodes in a cluster. Every GSS node in the cluster is 
aware when another GSS node joins or leaves the cluster. Also, every GSS node in the cluster is aware of the 
resources that are running locally as well as the resources that are running on the other GSS cluster nodes. 
Each GSS cluster node is a stand-alone server that runs its own processes. These processes communicate with 
one another to form what looks like (to a network client) a single system that cooperatively provides 
applications, system resources, and data to GSS users. 
  Common Storage System 
A common storage system is a Fiber Channel (FC) -based cluster storage with FC drives for the servers in the 
cluster environment. It is interconnected with GSS cluster nodes with carrier class network connectivity to 
provide high level redundant storage and backup support for CDRs. It serves as common storage for all 
connected GSS cluster nodes. 
This system provides high storage scalability and redundancy with RAID support. 
Important:  For information on Switching CDRs from HDD to GSS and Switching CDRs from GSS to HDD 
procedures, refer to the AAA Interface Administration and Reference Guide.