Thousands of IT organizations have adopted clustering to improve the availability of mission-critical software services. Today, with the rapid growth of cloud computing environments, clustering is even more crucial. Now, there's a comprehensive, authoritative guide to the industry's most stable, robust clustering platform: the Oracle Solaris Cluster. Oracle(R) Solaris Cluster Essentials thoroughly covers both Oracle Solaris Cluster 3.2 and Oracle Solaris Cluster Geographic Edition, offering start-to-finish lifecycle guidance for planning, implementation, management, and troubleshooting. Authored by Oracle Solaris Cluster expert Tim Read, this book covers both high availability and disaster recovery features, and offers detailed guidance for both Oracle and non-Oracle database environments. It also presents several example implementations that can be used to quickly construct effective proofs-of-concept. Whether you're new to clustering or upgrading from older solutions,this bookbrings together all the information you'll need to maximize the value, reliability, and performance of any Oracle Solaris Cluster environment. You'll learn how to Understand Oracle Solaris Cluster's product features and architecture, and their implications for design and performance Establish requirements and design clustered systems that reflect them Master best practices for integrating clustering with virtualization Implement proven disaster recovery planning techniques Efficiently maintain Oracle Solaris Cluster environments Part of the Solaris System Administration Series, Oracle(R) Solaris Cluster Essentials combines a complete technology introduction and hands-on guide for every architect, administrator, and IT manager responsible for high availability and business continuity.