System for implementing a high volume availability server cluster including both sharing volume of a mass storage on a local site and mirroring a shared volume on a remote site

A server cluster for providing high availability of a service, comprising:

• a first mass storage device located at a first site and comprising at least one volume associated with said service;
• a second mass storage device located at a second site and comprising at least one volume associated with said service;
• a first subcluster located at said first site and comprising a plurality of servers operably coupled to said first mass storage device;
• a second subcluster located at said second site and comprising at least one server operably coupled to said second mass storage device;
• and
• a cluster manager operable to:
• allocate said service and said at least one volume of said first mass storage device to a first server of said first subcluster,
• mirror said at least one volume of said first mass storage device to said at least one volume of said second mass storage device,
• determine to reallocate said service to a first server of said second subcluster,
• allocate said at least one volume of said second mass storage device to said first server of said second subcluster, and
• allocate said service to said first server of said second subcluster in response to detecting a first failure of said first server of said first subcluster.

A computer readable medium for providing high availability of a service, comprising a plurality of instructions, which when executed, cause a cluster manager to:

• allocate said service and at least one shared volume of a first mass storage device associated with said service to a first server of a first subcluster that (i) is located at a first site, and (ii) comprises a plurality of servers that share said first mass storage device;
• mirror said at least one shared volume to a second mass storage device of a second subcluster that (i) is located at a second site, and (ii) comprises at least one server in order to obtain a first mirrored copy of said at least one shared volume at said second site;
• determine to reallocate said service to a first server of said second subcluster;
• allocate said first mirrored copy to said first server of said second subcluster;
• and
• allocate said service to said first server of said second subcluster in response to determining to reallocate said service to said first server of said first subcluster.