Sizing a Cluster

Sizing a cluster is the process of determining the number and architecture of components to meet your performance, availability, and scalability requirements. During this phase, you also need to perform load tests to determine the best configuration for your needs.

For a traditional cluster, your design should specify the following:

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Load-balancing hardware, software, and policies.

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Size and number of cluster nodes, with characteristics such as processors and memory.

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JasperReports Server configuration optimized for the user load and cluster environment.

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Shared resources, especially databases for the repository and data sources.

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Network service levels or upgrades.

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Policies and procedures for scaling and maintaining performance.

The following sections look at the trade-offs of various designs for each component.