After having successfully installed your system on both nodes, it is time to verify that your system works properly. Use the following list as a guide:
1. Make sure you have successfully installed on both nodes.
2. Invoke the Cluster Administrator on either node.
3. Expand the group containing the Loftware resources and note which node owns it.
4. The loftware$, Loftware IP Address, and Loftware Virtual Server should all be online. If they are not, review this document starting from the top and correct any mistakes that you may have made. Right click them and try to bring them online. If they fail, you may have to call the Loftware technical support department.
5. The Loftware Mirror Manager should be online.
6. Invoke Label Design mode on the node that owns the quorum.
7. Design a simple test label with one or two variable fields. (Refer to Chapter 3 in the LLM User’s Guide for information.)
8. The Loftware Print Server should be online.
9. Test Print your label from Design Mode and when the label prints successfully, exit Design Mode.
10. Using a text editor, such as Notepad, create a .pas file that prints your label.
11. Copy your file to the wddrop (default) directory on the central store.
Your label should print. If it does not, be sure to review Chapter 2 in the LLM User’s Guide, and Chapter 1 in this User’s Guide.
12. Initiate a failover by either shutting down the primary node or right clicking the Loftware Print server resource and choosing Initiate Failover. The cluster service tries to restart the LPS on the same node 4 times before actually failing over. (Remember, you must initiate failover 4 times.)
13. Drop your pass file to the wddrop directory again after the failover is complete. It should print the same way as it did on the other node.
Helpful Things to Remember
ODBC Data Sources - If you are using an ODBC datasource, do not put your database on one of the cluster nodes. If it is not a host type of database, the file should be placed in the central store. The ODBC Driver and datasource for the database must be set up on each node.
Windows Drivers and Spoolers - If your printer requires that a driver be installed, you must install the driver on both nodes of the cluster. Be sure to use the same driver name and settings on both nodes. If you are using Loftware Native Drivers with TCP/IP addresses, your printers only need to be configured on one of the nodes, the quorum. All settings transfer to the other node at the first failover.
Configuring your System to Auto-start
Note: As explained in a previous section, do not use the service control manager to set the LPS to autostart. Doing so nullifies cluster support and may cause unpredictable behavior.
When your system is completely set up and you are ready to go live, bring all Loftware resources online, and log off the system. The LPS service serves all requests coming from your applications and other Loftware client modules without having anyone logged in. If one or both machines are rebooted, the cluster service automatically starts the LPS without the need for logging in. If this is not the desired behavior, simply take the LPS resource off line before logging out or shutting down. In other words, the cluster service returns all resources to their previous state on bootup.