[Linux-cluster] Apache/Cluster issue -- Single public IP address

[avi at myphonebook.co.in]

I am running Centos...hope that qualifies to post on this forum, if not plz ignore.

I want to set up a cluster that is used for web hosting (RHCS cluster). Recently, I experimented with a 2 node cluster and was able to run it successfully. However, I have started facing some issues with Apache, which I had configured as a service using the Cluster configuration tool. To do this Apache needs a floating IP address. This address is in addition to the network interface IP address. For example if my NIC IP is 192.168.1.1, then I need 192.168.1.2 as a floating IP address, and this has to be bound to apache. At least this is what I understood after several hours of experimentation. I also figured that if I configured 192.168.1.1 as a cluster resource and bound it to apache, the cluster manager failed to start apache and the NIC was put "off". ( In effect 192.168.1.1 was removed from the NIC ). 

However, the Apache service ran fine when bound to the ADDITIONAL IP i.e. 192.168.1.2 ( the floating IP ).

The above example was just a lab setup to test the cluster.

My problem is that I only have a single public IP address, to serve my web server and my question is this:

Is this the end of the road, for installing apache as a service with ONE public IP address??

I am willing to give further info, if required.