Active-Passive Clustering
Active-Passive Clustering is a high-availability architecture where one node (the active node) handles all client requests and processing, while one or more standby nodes (passive nodes) remain idle, ready to take over if the active node fails. This setup ensures minimal downtime by automatically switching to a passive node when a failure occurs, typically using a heartbeat mechanism to monitor node health. It is commonly used in critical systems like databases, web servers, and enterprise applications to maintain service continuity.
Developers should learn and use Active-Passive Clustering when building systems that require high availability and fault tolerance, such as financial services, e-commerce platforms, or healthcare applications where downtime can lead to significant losses or risks. It is particularly useful in scenarios with predictable workloads and where data consistency is crucial, as the passive nodes can be kept in sync with the active node to ensure seamless failover without data loss.