If we haven't created a virtual IP yet, we can skip the first three steps. Otherwise, in order to use an IP address, it must be available. Setting up the same IP address on multiple servers can wreak havoc on network traffic routing.
It's important to never operate while two PostgreSQL servers claim the same IP address.
Next, we ping the desired address to ensure there are no replies. This should prove that our IP address is free for use. It should end with something like this:
--- 127.0.0.10 ping statistics --- 3 packets transmitted, 0 received, +3 errors, 100% packet loss, time 2015ms
We want to see 100 percent packet loss. This means that the IP address is currently unclaimed. If this results in an active server, we need ...
