Expansion question and failover server

[CrK01]

Hello all,

I'm managing a dedicated server with more or less 400 domains and subdomains with different webs.

There are 400 mysql dbs more or less, and my system is a centOS 5, with plesk, project gamera in other server, ASL incorporated etc.

Since i put ASL , specially mod_security rules, my server uptime goes down, as the CPU consumption is higher ( It's normal, of course )

It's a dual core dual xeon ( 2 processors with 2 cores each one ), 1,6 and 2 GBS of RAM.

No huge webs are hosted, except 2 or 3.

My question is, in this environment how can I add more stability ? I know that a hardware replacement is the best choice but I have no time to make a general backup, report to clients.. etc etc.

Is there a way to make load balancing with a normal PLESK environment with mysql or apache ? Maybe with plesk expander and moving some domains to other machine will do the trick ?

The other question is if there's a way to make a "clone" machine, so if this machine goes down, another comes UP with same content, in plesk bases of course

thanks

[scott]

Yeah you could do a hot spare. There are lots of ways to do it, I assume you've got physical control over where everything is set up?

[Highland]

I would also suggest trying to set up your second machine as a dedicated MySQL box. Plesk can be configured easily to run the databases off the new box.

I would also suggest making a full Plesk backup at least once a week (unless you relish the thought of trying to rebuild 400 domains). It can easily be automated to make the backup and move it offsite.

[CrK01]

Yeah you could do a hot spare. There are lots of ways to do it, I assume you've got physical control over where everything is set up?

I have no physical control ( as the datacenter is 600 KM away from our office, but we have remote KVM, etc ) and the number of servers isn't a problem

I would also suggest trying to set up your second machine as a dedicated MySQL box. Plesk can be configured easily to run the databases off the new box.

I would also suggest making a full Plesk backup at least once a week (unless you relish the thought of trying to rebuild 400 domains). It can easily be automated to make the backup and move it offsite.

Yes this was my first idea, to make a second machine as a dedicated MySQL box, but there's a little problem with webs that our clients have in their configs "localhost" to connect to their DBS.
Is there a way to "clusterize" the DB that makes no changes on their webs ?

A full plesk backup is allways a great idea, but I want to avoid also the "offtime" period with another mirror

thanks for your suggestions

[scott]

Theres an SQL proxy server you could set up on the plesk box, Ive done that in the past when setting up big Plesk clusters.

[CrK01]

OK good

some first steps ? or the name of a good sql proxy server or config in a normal sql server ?

I've read a little about the mysql cluster option also

tanks

[scott]

I think its called sqlproxy or sqlrelay

[CrK01]

thanks, I will post here my configs and how to make that for other users interested