This section describes the steps for setting the pending time-out and failback properties for the primary companion’s cluster resource. If you are configuring a symmetric setup, you must set the properties for both companions.
When the Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) takes the cluster resource for the primary companion on or off line, it allows for a certain amount of time to perform its processing before assuming that the operation will not complete. By default, this amount of time is 180 seconds (3 minutes). This value is known as the “pending timeout,” and can be set for each resource in the MSCS cluster.
For the Sybase Companion Server resource, the pending time-out period must be long enough to boot the Adaptive Server, run recovery on its databases, and possibly execute sp_companion resume. For companions that have large databases, it is likely that this processing will take more than 180 seconds, and you should set the pending time-out property to a higher number.
If you are repairing or restarting the primary node after a failover, MSCS automatically fails back to the primary node as soon as the primary node comes back up unless the MSCS group containing the Sybase Companion Server resource is set to not automatically fail back.
To configure both of these properties:
Select Start | Administrative Tools | Cluster Administrator.
From the Cluster Administrator window, select Configure an Existing Resource.
Select Advanced from the Properties window.
Change the Pending Timeout property to a value that is comfortably larger than the longest time the server takes to recover, plus about 2 minutes.
Select Failback and make sure the Prevent Failback radio button is selected.
Click OK.
