A server cluster is a group of servers that work together to provide improved performance, availability, and reliability. Clusters allow multiple servers (also called nodes) to function as a single system, providing redundancy and balancing workloads. This means that if one server in the cluster fails, another can take over its tasks, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous service.
There are different types of server clusters:
- High Availability (HA) Clusters: These are designed to ensure services remain available even if one or more servers fail. They use failover techniques so that when a server goes down, another server in the cluster can take over its responsibilities.
- Load Balancing Clusters: These distribute the workload evenly across multiple servers to improve performance and prevent any single server from becoming overloaded.
- High-Performance Computing (HPC) Clusters: These are used in situations that require significant computing power, such as scientific research or data analysis, by combining the processing power of multiple servers.
- Storage Clusters: Focused on providing a scalable and reliable way to store and manage large amounts of data.
Server clusters are commonly used in critical systems like financial services, cloud computing, e-commerce websites, and databases where high availability and reliability are essential.
