Clustered MAPS Installations for Argos

MAPS 6.1.1 introduces a new optional clustering feature designed to better support running Argos in high-demand environments. A clustered MAPS installation consists of multiple redundant MAPS server nodes working together to handle a large user load, all connected to the same MAPS and Argos databases. This provides several benefits:

• Ability to support larger numbers of users.
• Increased performance, particularly in high-usage environments.
• Redundancy in case of server failure.
• Ability to take individual servers offline for maintenance without impacting users.

A clustered configuration uses several servers, including a database server and three or more MAPS server nodes. These servers can be either physical servers or virtual machines, so long as they have sufficient resources. Each MAPS server node connects to a PostgreSQL database server containing the MAPS and Argos databases, ensuring that all users have access to the same data in real time. A load balancer or load balancing software is used to distribute incoming traffic among the available MAPS server nodes.

Existing MAPS and Argos environments can easily be moved to a new clustered environment, preserving your data, user configuration, and other MAPS and Argos settings through a simple migration process.

Note: Argos is the first MAPS application to support running in a clustered environment, due to the relatively high number of Argos users. If your institution also uses FormFusion and/or IntelleCheck, you would simply keep your existing standalone installation for use with these products in addition to the new clustered environment for Argos.

If you would like more information on the optional clustering feature, please contact your Evisions account representative.