Initial release 1992 License Proprietary | Development status Production | |
Operating system Type Cluster messaging layer | ||
SIOS LifeKeeper Single Server Protection for Linux is a high-availability cluster software, for Linux computer systems. It provides application cluster capabilities to systems running databases, file sharing on a network, electronic commerce websites, or other applications.
It was originally designed and developed by AT&T Bell Labs in 1992 to ensure high availability of their worldwide voice network system running on Unix-based Star Servers. After AT&T divested the LifeKeeper division to NCR, SIOS, then called SteelEye, acquired the technology in 2000. SteelEye was later acquired in 2006 by SIOS Technology Corp.
Description
High availability clusters (HAC) improve application availability by failing them over or switching them over in a group of systems—as opposed to High Performance Clusters, which improve application performance by running them on multiple systems simultaneously. LifeKeeper Single Server Protection for Linux provides single node high availability protection for physical hosts and virtual machines. It protects applications running in VMware®, KVM and physical environments from downtime. LifeKeeper software integrates with the VMware application monitoring interface and adds application awareness and prescriptive intelligence to VMware HA for faster recovery times and complete application protection.
Similar products include Fujitsu PRIMECLUSTER, IBM HACMP, HP ServiceGuard, IBM Tivoli System Automation for Multiplatforms (SA MP), Linux-HA, Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS), NEC ExpressCluster, Red Hat Cluster Suite, Veritas Cluster Server and Sun Cluster.
In 2009, the company launched a program enabling users of HP ServiceGuard, which HP stopped selling that year, to migrate to the LifeKeeper for Linux product. LifeKeeper has won the Best Clustering Solution Award at LinuxWorld on several occasions.