Test a Server Array

Objective

To launch a sample server instance in the server array for testing purposes.

Overview

Before you enable an array and make it active so that triggered alert conditions can cause scale-up actions that launch new instances in the array, you may want to perform a few precautionary tests to ensure that any new server instances will boot correctly and be properly configured with the correct inputs.

Steps

Go to Manage -> Arrays and select your server array.  Click the Launch action button to launch a single server into the array.  You can manually launch a new server instance into the array regardless of whether or not the array is active (enabled).

Warning!  Your existing frontends or load balancers will send traffic to the server instance once it becomes operational, so it's best to perform this test in a staging environment or during non peak time to minimize any customer facing errors.

Under the Server Array's Instances tab you'll find your test server instance that you just launched.

Once the server becomes operational, click on the Server's link to view more information.

Click the server's Public DNS name link under the Server's Info tab to test its functionality.  Check the Inputs tab to make sure it's connecting to the correct frontend / load balancer.  Test to make sure that the server is properly communicating with the database.  Remember, if you find configurations that need to be changed, you will need to make them at the ServerTemplate or Server Array level so that the change will persist and be inherited by future server launches in the server array.  If you make such changes, you should terminate the existing server instance and launch a new one.

If you are satisfied that newly launched server instances are being properly configured, it is reasonably safe to assume that you can now enable the server array and make it active.

See also

• Enable or Disable a Server Array