[Info-vax] Wide area cluster, metro area network, seeking info

[dthi...@gmail.com]

> > VSI _is_ involved and we are working with them on this possibility. At this point I think the additional license subscription costs are going to kill the HBVS/cluster option, especially if a third node was needed (and a third location and connection, and set of licenses). That means going with the one-day latency backup option and generating and testing the procedures for failing back to the main system when it is available again. 

This is just a thinking-outside-the-box thought to bounce off of VSI in the design discussions.  Since OpenVMS doesn't really have a good solution for stabilizing a wide area 2-node cluster without extensive hardware/software investment, you might ask them if they would authorize you to set up a FreeAXP OpenVMS VM at a third site using the Alpha Community License solely to provide a tie-breaking vote for your production two-node cluster, and to do no other work. It never hurts to ask if there's an acceptable lower cost alternative to an expensive situation. This tie-breaker VM could even be hosted at an offsite VM provider like AWS so that your company doesn't have to invest in a physical 3rd site and network presence.