Dell PowerEdge Cluster SE500W Guide

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ PowerEdge™ Cluster
SE500W Systems
Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide
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Notes, Notices, and Cautions
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see "Abbreviations and Acronyms."
__________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, PowerVault, and Dell OpenManage are trademarks of Dell Inc.;
Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, and Windows Server is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products.
Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
June 2005
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Contents 3
Contents
1 Introduction
Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Obtaining Technical Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Virtual Servers and Resource Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Quorum Resource. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Shared Storage Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
PowerEdge™ Cluster SE500W Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Operating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Storage System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hardware and Software Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Cluster Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cluster Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Cluster storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Other Documents You May Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2 Cabling Your Cluster Hardware
Cabling for the Cluster SE500W Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Cabling One PowerVault™ 22xS Shared Storage System
to a Cluster SE500W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Cabling Two PowerVault 22xS Storage Systems
to a Cluster SE500W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Cabling Three or Four PowerVault 22xS Storage Systems
to a Cluster SE500W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Cabling Your Public and Private Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Cabling Your Public Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Cabling Your Private Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
NIC Teaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Cabling the Mouse, Keyboard, and Monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Cabling for the PowerEdge Cluster SE500W Solution. . . . . . . . . . 24
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4Contents
3 Preparing Your Systems for Clustering
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Selecting a Domain Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Configuring the Cluster Nodes as Domain Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Configuring the Internal Drives in Your Cluster Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Installing and Configuring the Windows Operating System . . . . . . . . . . 32
Configuring Windows Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Assigning Static IP Addresses to Your Cluster
Resources and Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Configuring IP Addresses for the Private Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Verifying Cluster Network Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Configuring the Internet Connection Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Installing the PERC RAID Adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Updating the Windows Driver for the PERC RAID Adapter . . . . . . . . 38
Installing and Configuring the Shared Storage System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Clustering PowerVault Storage Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Configuring the PowerVault 22xS Storage System
for Cluster Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Preparing the PERC RAID Adapter for Clustering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Enabling the Cluster Mode Using the PERC RAID Adapter. . . . . . . . . 44
Setting the SCSI Host Adapter IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Configuring and Managing Virtual Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003
Dynamic Disks and Volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Naming and Formatting Drives on the
Shared Storage System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
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Contents 5
Installing and Configuring MSCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Verifying Cluster Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Creating the Quorum Resource. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Configuring Cluster Networks Running Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . 49
Configuring Cluster Networks Running Windows Server 2003. . . . . . . 50
Installing and Configuring Microsoft Windows 2000
Cluster Service (MSCS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Configuring Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Cluster Service (MSCS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Adding Cluster Nodes Using the Advanced Configuration Option . . . . . 52
Verifying Cluster Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Verifying MSCS Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Verifying Cluster Resource Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Installing Applications in the Cluster Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Troubleshooting Failed Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4 Installing Your Cluster Management Software
Microsoft Cluster Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Launching Cluster Administrator on a Cluster Node . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Running Cluster Administrator on a Remote Console . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Launching Cluster Administrator on a Remote Console . . . . . . . . . . 56
Installing Cluster Administrator for Windows Clusters
on a Remote Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
5 Using MSCS
Cluster Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Cluster Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Preventing Network Failure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Node-to-Node Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Network Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Cluster Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Forming a New Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Joining an Existing Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
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6Contents
Cluster Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Dependent Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Setting Resource Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Configuring Resource Dependencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Setting Advanced Resource Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Resource Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Quorum Disk (Quorum Resource). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Resource Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Creating a New Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Deleting a Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
File Share Resource Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Configuring Active and Passive Cluster Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Failover and Failback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Failover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Failback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
6 Upgrading Your System to a Cluster Configuration
Certification Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Configurations Using Non-Dell Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Completing the Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Upgrading Your Operating System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Performing a Rolling Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
7 Maintaining Your Cluster
Adding a Network Adapter to a Cluster Node. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Changing the IP Address of a Cluster Node on the Same IP Subnet . . . . . . 77
Uninstalling MSCS From Clusters Running
Windows 2000 Advanced Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Removing Nodes From Clusters Running Windows Server 2003 . . . . . . . . 78
Running chkdsk /f on a Quorum Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Recovering From a Corrupt Quorum Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
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Contents 7
Replacing a Cluster-Enabled Dell PERC RAID Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Replacing a Cluster Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Changing the Cluster Service Account Password in
Windows Server 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Reformatting a Cluster Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Adding New Physical Drives to an Existing Shared Storage System. . . . . . 83
Rebuilding Operation in Dell OpenManage Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Upgrading the PowerVault 22xS EMM Firmware
Using Array Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
A Troubleshooting
B Cluster Data Form
PowerEdge Cluster SE500W Solution Data Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Abbreviations and Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Figures
Figure 1-1. Maximum Configuration of the PowerEdge
Cluster SE500W Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Figure 2-1. PowerVault 22xS Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Figure 2-2. Cabling a Clustered System With One
PowerVault 22xS Storage System . . . . . . . . . 19
Figure 2-3. Cabling Two PowerVault 22xS Storage Systems
to a PERC RAID adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 2-4. Example of Network Cabling Connection . . . . . . 22
Figure 2-5. Power Cabling Example With Three
Power Supplies in the Systems . . . . . . . . . . 25
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8Contents
Figure 2-6. Power Cabling Example With One Power Supply
in the Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 2-7. Power Cabling Example With Two Power
Supplies in the Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Figure 3-1. Back-Panel Module Features and Indicators . . . . 40
Figure 3-2. Bus Configuration Switch Modes . . . . . . . . . 41
Figure 3-3. Important System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Tables
Table 1-1. Windows Operating System Features . . . . . . 12
Table 1-2. Cluster Storage Requirements . . . . . . . . . . 12
Table 1-3. Cluster Node Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Table 2-1. Cluster Cabling Components . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Table 2-2. Network Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Table 2-3. Private Network Hardware Components
and Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Table 3-1. Applications and Hardware Requiring
IP Address Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Table 3-2. Examples of IP Address Assignments . . . . . . 35
Table 3-3. Split-bus Module Modes and Functions . . . . . 42
Table 5-1. Node States and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Table 5-2. Cluster Resources and Required
Dependencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Table 5-3. Resources and Configurable Parameters . . . . . 63
Table A-1. General Cluster Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . 87
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Introduction 9
Introduction
This guide provides information for installing a Dell™ PowerEdge™ Cluster SE500W solution
in a corporate enterprise.
The information in this guide includes:
• Basic SCSI cluster installation procedures, which include:
– Preparing server and storage systems for clustering
– Cabling the cluster configuration
– Installing the Microsoft
®
Windows
®
2000 Advanced Server or Windows Server™ 2003
operating system in your cluster configuration
NOTE: Reference to Windows Server 2003 in this guide implies reference to both Windows
Server 2003 Enterprise and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Editions, unless explicitly stated.
– Configuring the cluster peripherals, including PERC 4/DC or PERC 4e/DC cards and
network adapters
• Installation procedures for installing a SCSI cluster configuration in your corporate network
• Cluster upgrade and maintenance procedures
• Information about MSCS, the clustering software built into the Windows 2000 Advanced
Server, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems
• Troubleshooting procedures
• Data form for recording critical cluster configuration information
Intended Audience
This guide was developed for experienced IT professionals who need to install, cable, and
configure a PowerEdge Cluster SE500W solution in an enterprise environment and for trained
service technicians who perform cluster upgrade and maintenance procedures.
Obtaining More Information
See "Obtaining Technical Assistance" and "Overview" for a general description of PowerEdge
clusters and clustering technology.
See "Using MSCS" for an overview of the clustering software built into the Windows 2000
Advanced Server, Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, and Windows Server 2003 x64
Edition operating systems.
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10 Introduction
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Obtaining Technical Assistance
Dell Enterprise Training and Certification is available; see www.dell.com/training for more
information. This service may not be offered in all locations.
Overview
Clustering uses specific hardware and software to join multiple systems together to function as a
single system and provide an automatic failover solution. If one of the clustered systems (also
known as cluster nodes, or nodes) fails, resources running on the failed system are moved (or
failed over) to one or more systems in the cluster by the Microsoft®Cluster Service (MSCS)
software. MSCS is the failover software component in specific versions of the Windows
operating system.
When the failed system is repaired and brought back online, resources automatically transfer
back (or fail back) to the repaired system or remain on the failover system, depending on how
MSCS is configured. See "Failover and Failback" for more information.
NOTE: Reference to Windows Server 2003 in this guide implies reference to both Windows Server 2003
Enterprise and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Editions, unless explicitly stated.
Virtual Servers and Resource Groups
In a cluster environment, you do not access a physical server; you access a virtual server, which is
managed by MSCS. Each virtual server has its own IP address, name, and hard drive(s) in the
shared storage system. MSCS manages the virtual server as a resource group, which contains the
cluster resources. Ownership of virtual servers and resource groups is transparent to users. See
"Groups" for more information on resource groups.
When MSCS detects a failed node or failed application, MSCS moves the entire resource group
to another node and remaps the virtual server to the new network connection. Users of an
application in the virtual server experience only a momentary delay in accessing resources while
MSCS re-establishes a network connection to the virtual server and restarts the application.
Quorum Resource
A single disk, which is designated as the quorum resource, maintains the configuration data
(including all the changes that have been applied to a cluster database) necessary for recovery
when a node fails.
The quorum resource can be any resource with the following attributes:
• Enables a single node to gain and defend its physical control of the quorum resource
• Provides physical storage that is accessible by any node in the cluster
• Uses the Microsoft Windows NT
®
file system (NTFS)
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Introduction 11
See "Quorum Disk (Quorum Resource)" and the MSCS online documentation for more
information.
NOTE: PowerEdge Cluster SE500W solutions do not support the Majority Node Set (MNS) Quorum
resource type.
Shared Storage Systems
Cluster nodes can share access to external storage systems; however, only one of the nodes can
own any RAID volume in the external storage system at any time. MSCS controls which node
has access to each RAID volume in the shared storage system.
Dell OpenManage™ Array Manager or Dell OpenManage enhanced Storage Manager provides
storage management and monitoring for SCSI storage components. See your Array Manager or
OMSM documentation for more information.
PowerEdge Cluster SE500W Solution
The PowerEdge Cluster SE500W solution implements two-node clustering technology based
on the MSCS software incorporated within the Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows
Server 2003 operating systems. This cluster solution provides the following benefits to meet the
needs of mission-critical network application programs:
• High availability of system services and resources to network clients
• Redundant storage for application program data
• Failure recovery for cluster-aware applications
• Flexible maintenance capabilities, allowing you to repair, maintain, or upgrade a cluster node
without taking the entire cluster offline
Each cluster node is configured with software, storage, and network resources that enable it to
monitor and interact with the other node to provide mutually redundant operation. If a cluster
node fails for any reason, virtual servers and resource groups are failed over to the healthy cluster
node. When the failed node is repaired and brought back online, the virtual servers and resource
groups are failed back to the repaired node (if desired).
The cluster nodes, therefore, operate as a single resource, rather than a collection of individual
systems. Because the cluster nodes interact in this way, each virtual server appears as a single
system to the network clients.
Operating Systems
The PowerEdge Cluster SE500W solution supports two-node cluster configurations that vary in
size and performance. Table 1-1 provides an overview of the supported Windows
operating systems.
See your operating system documentation for a complete list of features.
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12 Introduction
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
NOTE: The amount of RAM supported per node also depends on your cluster platform.
NOTE: Running different operating systems in a cluster is supported only during a rolling upgrade. You
cannot upgrade to Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition. Only a new installation is permitted for
Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition.
NOTE: MSCS and Network Load Balancing (NLB) features cannot coexist on the same node, but can be
used together in a multitiered cluster. For more information, see the Dell PowerEdge Clusters website at
www.dell.com/ha or the Microsoft website at www.microsoft.com.
Storage System
Table 1-2 provides a list of supported storage components and the configuration requirements
for the cluster nodes and stand-alone systems connected to the storage systems.
Table 1-1. Windows Operating System Features
Windows 2000 Advanced Server Windows Server 2003 Enterprise
Edition
Windows Server 2003 Enterprise
x64 Edition
Supports two-node SCSI clusters Supports two-node SCSI clusters Supports two-node SCSI clusters
Supports up to 8 GB of RAM
per node
Supports up to 32 GB of RAM
per node
Supports up to 1 TB RAM
per node
Cluster configuration and
management using
Control Panel utilities
Cluster configuration and
management using Configure
Your Server (CYS) and Manage
Your Server (MYS) wizards
Cluster configuration and
management using Configure
Your Server (CYS) and Manage
Your Server (MYS) wizards
Metadirectory Services Metadirectory Services
Table 1-2. Cluster Storage Requirements
Hardware Components Minimum Requirement
Supported storage systems Up to four Dell PowerVault™ 22xS storage systems (for the shared disk resource)
Enclosure management
modules
Two enclosure management modules (EMMs) per PowerVault
22xS enclosure
Power and cooling
requirements
Redundant configuration: two fans and dual power supplies per PowerVault
22xS enclosure
Hard drives At least two SCSI hard drives in each PowerVault 22xS enclosure to support
hardware-based RAID functionality
NOTE: The minimum recommendation for an active/passive cluster
configuration is two virtual disks. If you are going to use an active/active
configuration, at least three virtual disks are recommended.
Cables Two 1-, 4-, 8-, or 12-m SCSI cables for each PowerVault 22xS storage system
in the cluster
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Introduction 13
Hardware and Software Technologies
The PowerEdge Cluster SE500W solution implements the following hardware and
software technologies:
• Clustering technology based on the MSCS software in the Windows 2000 Advanced Server,
and Windows Server 2003 operating systems
• PERC 4/DC card or PERC 4e/DC card
• Storage management software
Clustering Technology
Clustering is the process of connecting multiple servers together to achieve higher availability
and performance. MSCS is a software component in Windows 2000, Advanced Server and an
integrated service in Windows Server 2003, which provides failover support for applications and
services running on each node.
See "Using MSCS" for more information on the Cluster Service.
NOTE: MSCS and network load balancing (NLB) features cannot coexist on the same cluster node, but
can be used together in a multi-tiered cluster configuration. For more information, see the PowerEdge
Clusters website located at www.dell.com/ha or the Microsoft website located at www.microsoft.com.
Cluster Components
• Two PowerEdge systems in a homogeneous pair.
NOTE: Dell or Microsoft can support only the specific configurations described in the Dell
PowerEdge Cluster SE500W Platform Guide.
• Up to four PowerVault 22 x S storage systems, each with dual EMMs and split-bus module.
• Supported network adapters for a public and private LANs.
• Support for RAID 1, 5, 1+0, and 5+0 levels and hot spare drives. If you are using two
enclosures, Dell recommends configuring RAID 1 or 1+0 across enclosures for
additional redundancy.
NOTE: RAID 0 and independent drives are possible but are not recommended for a high-availability
system because they do not offer data redundancy if a disk failure occurs.
• PERC 4/DC or PERC 4e/DC adapter(s) for the cluster’s shared storage.
NOTE: The PowerEdge Cluster SE500W supports up to two PERC 4/DC or PERC 4e/DC adapters in a
single cluster node. Dell does not support use of PERC 4/DC and PERC 4e/DC adapters together in
the PowerEdge Cluster SE500W solution.
NOTE: PERC RAID adapter refers to a PERC 4/DC card or a PERC 4e/DC card.
• Ethernet network adapter or integrated network adapter for node-to-node
cluster communications.
• Ethernet crossover or straight cable for node-to-node cluster interconnect.
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14 Introduction
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Figure 1-1 shows a sample configuration of the PowerEdge Cluster SE500W components and
their interconnections. See the Dell PowerEdge Cluster SE500W Platform Guide for
system-specific configuration information.
Figure 1-1. Maximum Configuration of the PowerEdge Cluster SE500W Solution
System Requirements
PowerEdge Cluster SE500W configurations require the following hardware and
software components:
• Cluster nodes
• Storage
• Interconnects (private network)
• Client network connections (public network)
• Operating system and storage management software
PowerEdge systems (2)
(two PERC 4/DC or two
PERC 4e/DC controllers
per PowerEdge system)
PowerVault 22xS storage
systems (up to 4)
SCSI cables (8)
network cable
node-to-node cluster
(heartbeat) interconnect
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Introduction 15
Cluster Nodes
Table 1-3 lists the hardware requirements for the cluster nodes.
Cluster storage
PowerEdge Cluster SE500W configurations support up to four PowerVault 22xS storage systems
per cluster.
Table 1-3. Cluster Node Requirements
Component Minimum Requirement
Cluster nodes Two supported PowerEdge systems running Windows 2000 Advanced
Server operating system.
or
Two supported PowerEdge systems running Windows Server 2003
operating system.
Processors At least two processors for each cluster node.
RAM At least 256 MB of RAM installed on each cluster node for Windows
2000 Advanced Server and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition.
At least 512 MB RAM installed on each cluster node for Windows
Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition.
On-board hard drive
controller
For the internal drives, you can use any RAID controller or SCSI
adapter supported by the server platform.
Two disk drives are required for mirroring (RAID 1) and at least three
disk drives are required for disk striping with parity (RAID 5).
NOTE: Dell strongly recommends that you use hardware-based RAID or
software-based disk-fault tolerance for the internal drives. At least 4 GB
disk space is required for Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition.
Clustered RAID adapter Up to two PERC 4/DC or two PERC 4e/DC cards for each cluster node.
Dell recommends placing your RAID adapters on separate I/O busses to
improve availability and performance.
See the Platform Guide for more information about supported
PowerEdge systems.
Network adapters Minimum of two network interfaces: one for the public network (client
LAN connections) and another for the private network (cluster
interconnect).
The network adapters installed in each cluster node must be identical
and supported by the server platform.
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16 Introduction
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Other Documents You May Need
CAUTION: The Product Information Guide provides important safety and regulatory information.
Warranty information may be included within this document or as a separate document.
• The Dell PowerEdge Cluster SE500W Systems Platform Guide provides information about the
systems that support the PowerEdge Cluster SE500W configuration.
• The
Rack Installation Guide included with your rack solution describes how to install your
system into a rack.
• The
Setting Up Your System document provides an overview of initially setting up
your system.
• The
Users Guide for your PowerEdge or PowerVault system describes system features and
technical specifications, SCSI drivers, the System Setup program (if applicable), software
support, and the system configuration utility.
• The
Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for your PowerEdge or PowerVault system
describes how to troubleshoot the system and install or replace system components.
• The PERC 4/DC or PERC 4/eDC documentation includes information on the
SCSI RAID controller.
• The Dell OpenManage Array Manager or Dell OMSM documentation provides instructions
for using the array management software to configure RAID systems.
• Operating system documentation describes how to install (if necessary), configure, and use
the operating system software.
• Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 Cluster Service documentation.
• The
System Administrator’s Guide provides system operation and management operation.
• Documentation for any components you purchased separately provides information to
configure and install these options.
• Updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to the system, software,
and/or documentation.
NOTE: Always read the updates first because they often supersede information in other documents.
• Release notes or readme files may be included to provide last-minute updates to the system
documentation or advanced technical reference material intended for experienced users
or technicians.
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Cabling Your Cluster Hardware 17
Cabling Your Cluster Hardware
Dell™ PowerEdge™ Cluster SE500W configurations require cabling for the storage systems,
cluster interconnects, client network connections, and power connections.
Cabling for the Cluster SE500W Solution
The cluster systems and components are interconnected to provide four independent functions
as listed in Table 2-1, each of which is described in more detail throughout this section.
Table 2-1. Cluster Cabling Components
Components Description
Shared storage system Connects the host-based, RAID controller(s) to the disk
enclosure(s). This interconnect is made from the PERC 4/DC or
PERC 4e/DC card in each PowerEdge system to the Dell
PowerVault™ 22xS EMMs, using Dell-qualified U320 SCSI cables.
Cluster interconnect
(private network)
Connects the systems to each other to exchange information and
status. This connection can be made by using a supported
Ethernet network adapter and cabling that is connected to each
cluster node.
See the Platform Guide for a list of supported network adapters for
your configuration.
Network connection for public
traffic (public network)
Provides a connection between each cluster node and the client
network. This connection can be made using an Ethernet network
adapter and cabling that is connected to the public network.
See the Platform Guide for a list of supported network adapters for
your configuration.
Power connection Provides a connection between the power source and the power
supplies in your system. By using power strips or Power
Distribution Units (PDUs) and separate AC circuits, the cluster
can fully utilize the redundant power supplies.
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18 Cabling Your Cluster Hardware
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Cabling One PowerVault 22xS Shared Storage System to a Cluster SE500W
NOTE: See "Configuring the PowerVault 22xS Storage System for Cluster Mode" for more information
about configuring the storage systems.
NOTICE: Do not turn on the systems or the storage system(s) until the split-bus module on the back of
the PowerVault system has been set to cluster mode and all cabling is complete.
NOTICE: The asymmetrical, D-shaped SCSI connectors can be damaged if they are forced together
when they are not oriented to each other correctly. To avoid connector damage, match the connector
shapes (long side-to-long side and short side-to-short side). Insert the cable connector straight (not at an
angle) into the card connector.
1 Connect the SCSI connector A (see Figure 2-1) on the back of the PowerVault 22 x S storage
system to the 68-pin connector on the first SCSI cable (see Figure 2-2), and then tighten the
retaining screws.
NOTE: As viewed from the back of the system, the left EMM is the primary EMM and the right EMM
is the secondary EMM.
NOTE: See "Enabling the Cluster Mode Using the PERC RAID Adapter" for more information about
cluster-enabling the card.
2 Connect the very high-density connector interface (VHDCI) connector of the first SCSI
cable to the channel 0 connector on the cluster-enabled PERC RAID adapter in the first
PowerEdge system (see Figure 2-2), and then tighten the retaining screws.
Figure 2-1. PowerVault 22xS Back Panel
NOTE: Ensure that you securely tighten the retaining screws on all SCSI connectors to ensure a
reliable connection.
SCSI connector A
power supply
redundant power supply
SCSI connector B
redundant cooling fans (2)
split bus module
primary EMM
secondary EMM
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Cabling Your Cluster Hardware 19
3 Connect the VHDCI connector of the second SCSI cable (see Figure 2-2) to the channel 0
connector on the cluster-enabled PERC RAID adapter in the second PowerEdge system, and
then tighten the retaining screws.
4 Connect the SCSI connector B (see Figure 2-1) on the back of the PowerVault 22 x S storage
system to the 68-pin connector on the second SCSI cable (see Figure 2-2), and tighten the
retaining screws.
NOTE: If the PowerVault 22xS storage system is disconnected from the cluster, it must be
reconnected to the same channel on the same PERC RAID adapter for proper operation.
Figure 2-2. Cabling a Clustered System With One PowerVault 22xS Storage System
PowerVault 22xS
storage system
SCSI connections from
channel 0 on each
cluster-enabled
PERC RAID adapter
VHDCI
node 1 node 2
PERC RAID
adapter
shared storage
connector A(68-pin connector) shared storage connector B
(68-pin connector)
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20 Cabling Your Cluster Hardware
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Cabling Two PowerVault 22xS Storage Systems to a Cluster SE500W
Connecting the cluster to two PowerVault 22xS storage systems is similar to connecting the
cluster to a single PowerVault 22xS storage system. Connect channel 0 of the PERC RAID
adapter in each node to the back of the first storage system, as described in "Cabling One
PowerVault 22xS Shared Storage System to a Cluster SE500W." Repeat the process for channel 1
on the controller in each node using a second PowerVault 22xS storage system. See Figure 2-3.
With dual storage systems connected to a single PERC RAID adapter, mirroring disk drives
from one storage system to another is supported through RAID 1 and 1+0. To protect the
cluster applications and your data if an entire storage system fails, Dell strongly recommends
using RAID 1 or 1+0.
NOTE: If you have dual cluster-enabled PERC RAID adapters (total of four channels) and only two shared
storage systems, you may want to connect one storage system to each controller. If you remove the
cable connections, you must reconnect the cables as they were previously connected. To ensure that
the cables are reconnected correctly, Dell recommends that you tag or color-code the cables.
Figure 2-3. Cabling Two PowerVault 22xS Storage Systems to a PERC RAID adapter
SCSI connections from
channel 1 on each
PERC RAID adapter
68-pin connectors (2)
VHDCI (channels 0
and 1)
PERC RAID adapter
PERC RAID
adapter
channel 0 PERC RAID adapter
channel 1
68-pin connectors (2)
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