Configure and Manage Active-Active (Read-Only) Essbase Clusters

To provide high-availability and load balancing for cubes that are heavily used for query and reporting, you can create active-active (read-only) clusters of identical Essbase cubes.

This configuration is available for independent deployments of Essbase. The applications and cubes in the cluster may be hosted on a single Essbase Server, or they maybe hosted on more than one Essbase Server.

Whether the cluster is on a single Essbase Server or spans multiple servers, Smart View users can access the cluster by connecting to just one centralized URL.

The benefit of an active-active (read-only) cluster is to provide high-availability and load balancing for cubes that are heavily used for query and reporting, but do not need to be updated frequently. A cluster enables client requests to be distributed amongst the cubes replicas in the cluster. Clusters support only read operations. You cannot update data or modify the outlines.

Configure a Read-only Cluster

To set up an active-active (read-only) cluster,

  1. If the cluster needs to include applications hosted on more than one Essbase Server, complete steps 1-3 in Access Multiple Essbase Servers Using a Centralized Smart View URL.

  2. Configure your read-only cluster using the Essbase web interface.

    1. Navigate to the Console and click Configuration.

    2. Go to the ReadOnly Clusters tab and click Create.

    3. Enter a cluster name; for example, Sample-Readonly.

    4. Optionally enter a description; for example, Read only cluster of Sample application.

    5. Under Essbase Server, select either LocalMachine or any other Essbase Server available in the list (for which you already configured centralized URL access).

    6. Under Application, select the application containing the cube for which you are configuring this cluster.

    7. Under Database, select the cube for which you are configuring this cluster.

    8. Optional: Under Actions, click the check mark to add another cube to the cluster. Repeat steps e - g.


      Create ReadOnly Cluster dialog defining a cluster named Sample-Readonly, consisting two Sample Basic cubes. One cube is on Essbase Server with the alias of LocalMachine, and one is on the Essbase Server with the alias of PHX250.

    9. Click Submit to finish the cluster definition.

Manage a Read-only Cluster

To manage an existing active-active (read-only) cluster,

  1. In the Essbase web interface, navigate to the Console and click Configuration.

  2. Go to the ReadOnly Clusters tab.

  3. Under Actions, select Manage, Edit, or Delete.

    • Select Manage to view status of cubes in the cluster, or to toggle their availability state on or off.

    • Select Delete to remove a cluster definition.

    • Select Edit to update which cubes are included in the cluster definition.