In the example just described, the operator starts each member on a different system and designates the PRIMARY, BACKUP, and NO-BACKUP members. Here is another way you can designate these members:

• If, in your installation, member 1, member 2, and member 3 all have access to the database, any member could be PRIMARY and any member could be BACKUP.
• When each member issues IXCJOIN, have the member set its user state value to BACKUP.
• Each member can check the return code from the IXCJOIN macro to determine if it is the first member to join the group.
• The first member can issue IXCSETUS to change its user state value to PRIMARY.
• The second and third members will determine that they are not the first to join the group, so their user state values remain BACKUP.
• Your program would then contain logic to determine which member takes over when the PRIMARY member fails.