Dell 4200 User Manual

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_______________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.



Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer Corporation is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, and PowerEdge are registered trademarks and DellWare is a registered service mark of Dell

Computer Corporation; Intel, Pentium, and LANDesk are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Windows NT, and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; 3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com 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 Computer Corporation disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

December 1997 P/N 17088

Safety Instructions

se the following safety guidelines to help protect

your computer system from potential damage and to ensure your own personal safety. See the Preface in this guide for information about the notational conventions used in this manual, including the distinction between warnings, cautions, and notes.

efore You Begin

Observe the following warnings while servicing this system:

WARNING: T he power supplies in t his computer system produce high voltages an d energy hazards, which can cause bodily harm. Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the computer covers and access any of the components inside the computer.

ADVARSEL: Dette system kan have mere end et strømforsyningskabel. For at reducere risikoen for elektrisk stød, bør en professionel servicetekniker frakoble alle strømforsyningskabler, før systemet serviceres.

VAROITUS: Tässä järjestelmässä voi olla useampi kuin yksi virtajohto. Sähköiskuvaaran pienentämiseksi ammattitaitoisen huoltohenkilön on irrotettava kaikki virtajohdot ennen järjestelmän huoltamista.

WARNING: This system may have more than one power supply cable. To reduce the risk of electrical shock, a trained service technician must disconnect all power supply cables before servicing the system.

ADVARSEL! Det er mulig at dette systemet har mer enn én strømledning. Unngå fare for støt: En erfaren servicetekniker må koble fra alle strømledninger før det utføres service på systemet.

VARNING: Detta system kan ha flera nätkablar. En behörig s ervicetekniker må ste koppla loss alla nätkablar innan service utförs för att minska risken för elektriska stötar.

hen Working Inside the

Compute r

Before taking the covers off of the computer, perform the following steps in the sequence indicated:

1. Turn off the computer and any peripherals.

2. Disconnect the computer and peripherals from their power sources. Also, disconnect any telephone or telecommunications lines from the computer.

Doing so reduces the potential for personal injury or shock.

3. Touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis, such as the power supply, before touching anything inside the computer.

While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components.

In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate:

•

To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after turning off the system before removing a component from the system board or disconnecting a peripheral device from the computer.

•

When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a connector with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, make sure both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.

•

Handle components and cards with care. Don’t touch the components or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a microprocessor chip by its edges, not by its pins.

WARNING

There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is incorrectly installed. Replace the battery only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Discard used ba tteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

rotecting Against Electrostatic

Discharge

Static electricity can harm delicate components inside the computer. To prevent static damage, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any of the computer’s electronic components, such as the microprocessor. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.

As you continue to work inside the computer, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface to remove any static charge your body may have accumulated.

You can also take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD):

•

When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping carton, do not remove the component’s antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the component in the computer. Just before unwrapping the antistatic packaging, be sure to discharge static electricity from your body.

•

When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic container or packaging.

•

Handle all sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use antistatic floor pads and workbench pads.

The following caution may appear throughout this document to remind you of these precautions:

CAUTION: See “Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge” in the safety instructions at the front of this guide.

hen Using the Compute r

System

As you use the computer system, observe the following safety guidelines:

If your computer has a voltage selection switch on

•

the power supply, be sure the switch is set to match the alternating current (AC) power available at your location:

— 115 volts (V)/60 hertz (Hz) in most of North and

South America and some Far Eastern countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan

— 230 V/50 Hz in most of Europe, the Middle

East, and the Far East

Be sure the monitor and attached peripherals are

•

electrically rated to operate with the AC power available in your location.

To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer

•

and peripheral power cables into properly grounded power sources. These cables are equipped with three-prong plugs to ensure proper grounding. Do not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from a cable. If you must use an extension cable, use a three-wire cable with properly grounded plugs.

To help protect the computer system from sudden,

•

transient increases and decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

Be sure nothing rests on the computer system’s

•

cables and that the cables are not located where they can be stepped on or tripped over.

Do not push any objects into the openings of the

•

computer. Doing so can cause fire or electric shock by shorting out interior components.

Keep the computer away from radiators and heat

•

sources. Also, do not block cooling vents. Avoid placing loose papers underneath the computer, and do not place the computer in a closed-in wall unit or on a rug.

vii

viii

Preface

bout This Guide

This guide provides information about installing, configuring, and troubleshooting the hardware and software components of the Dell PowerEdge Cluster. This document addresses the use of two PowerEdge 4200 server systems and one or two PowerEdge Scalable Disk System 100 (SDS 100) storage systems in the PowerEdge Cluster. Dell plans future clustering products that will incorporate other products in the Dell server family. User documentation specific to those systems will be available as new cluster products are released.

This guide addresses two audience levels:

Users and system installers who will perform general

•

setup, cabling, and configuration of the PowerEdge Cluster

Trained service technicians who will perform more

•

extensive installations such as firmware upgrades and installation of required expansion cards

This guide identifies the appropriate audience for each topic being discussed.

The chapters and appendixes in this guide are summarized as follows:

Chapter 1, “Getting Started,” provides an overview

•

of the PowerEdge Cluster and outlines the steps for installing a new PowerEdge Cluster system or modifying an existing PowerEdge system into a PowerEdge Cluster.

Chapter 2, “Cabling the Cluster Hardware,” provides

•

instructions for properly cabling the system hardware components.

Chapter 3, “Configuring the Cluster Software,”

•

describes the software configuration options that must be specified to properly set up the cluster system.

Chapter 4, “Running Applications on a Cluster” pro-

•

vides general information about running applications on the PowerEdge Cluster.

Chapter 5, “Troubleshooting,” provides information

•

to help you troubleshoot problems with the cluster’s installation and configuration.

Appendix A, “Upgrading to a Cluster Configura-

•

tion,” provides specific information to service technicians about upgrading existing system hardware and software to a cluster configuration.

Appendix B, “Stand-Alone and Rack Configura-

•

tions,” lists the Dell-supported stand-alone and rack configurations and provides instructions for installing the network switch in a rack.

Appendix C, “Cluster Data Sheet,” provides a form

•

for gathering and recording important information about your PowerEdge Cluster.

Appendix D, “PowerEdge Cluster Configuration

•

Matrix,” describes the configuration matrix form, which is used to record information about the cluster hardware such as service tag numbers and types of adapters installed in the cluster node PCI slots.

Appendix E, “Regulatory Compliance,” lists the

•

regulatory standards with which the PowerEdge Cluster has been tested and certified for compliance.

Appendix F, “Safety Information for Technicians,”

•

provides important safety warnings about electrostatic discharge (ESD).

Appendix G, “Warranties and Return Policy,”

•

describes the warranty information pertaining to the system.

ther Doc u men t at io n Y o u May

Ne ed

You may need to reference the following documentation when performing the procedures in this guide:

The Dell PowerEdge 4200 Systems User’s Guide,

•

which describes system features and technical specifications, small computer system interface (SCSI) device drivers, the System Setup program, software support, and the system configuration utility.

The Dell PowerEdge SDS 100 Storage System

•

Installation and Service Guide, which provides installation and operation instructions for the PowerEdge SDS 100 storage system.

The Intel LANDesk Server Manager software,

•

which includes a CD containing the server manager software and the following documents: LANDesk

Server Manager Setup Guide, LANDesk Server Manager User’s Guide, LANDesk Server Control Installation and User’s Guide, and LANDesk Server Monitor Module Installation and User’s Guide.

The Dell Hardware Instrumentation Package for

•

Intel LANDesk Server Manager User’s Guide, which provides installation and configuration procedures as well as the alert messages issued by this server management software.

The Using the Dell Server Assistant CD document,

•

which provides instructions for using the Dell Server Assistant CD.

You may also have one or more of the following documents:

The Dell PowerEdge Rack-Mountable Solutions

•

Installation Guide, Dell PowerEdge 4xxx and 6xxx Systems Rack Kit Installation Guide, and Dell PowerEdge SDS 100 Storage System Rack Installation Guide, which provide detailed instructions for install-

ing the cluster components in a rack. The following documents accompany the Dell

•

PowerEdge Expandable Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) Controller: Dell PowerEdge

Expandable RAID Controller User’s Guide, Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller Client User’s Guide, Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller General Alert Server User’s Guide, and Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller Battery Backup Module User’s Guide.

Documentation for the Microsoft Windows NT

•

Server Enterprise Edition operating system is included with the system if you ordered the operating system software from Dell. This documentation describes how to install (if necessary), configure, and use the operating system software.

Documentation is included with any options you

•

purchase separately from the system. This documentation includes information that you need to configure and install these options in the Dell computer.

Technical information files—sometimes called

•

“readme” files—may be installed on the hard-disk drive to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to the system or advanced technical reference material intended for experienced users or technicians.

NOTE: Documentation updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to the system or software. Always read these updates other documentation because the updates often contain information that supersedes the information in the other documents.

otational Conventions

The following subsections list notational conventions used in this document.

consulting any

before

Warning s, Cautions, an d No t es

Throughout this guide, there may be blocks of text printed in bold type within boxes or in italic type. These blocks are warnings, cautions, and notes, and they are used as follows:

WA RNING: A WARNING indicates t he potenti al for bodily harm and tells you how to avoid the problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of the computer system.

Typographical Conventions

The following list defines (where appropriate) and illustrates typographical conventions used as visual cues for specific elements of text throughout this document:

Keycaps, the labeling that appears on the keys on a

•

keyboard, are enclosed in angle brackets. Example: <Enter> Key combinations are a series of keys to be pressed

•

simultaneously (unless otherwise indicated) to perform a single function.

Example: <Ctrl><Alt><Enter> Commands presented in lowercase bold are for refer-

•

ence purposes only and are not intended to be typed when referenced.

Example: “Use the format command to . . . ” In contrast, commands presented in the Courier New

font are part of an instruction and intended to be typed.

Example: “Type format a: to format the diskette in drive A.”

Filenames and directory names are presented in

•

lowercase bold. Examples: autoexec.bat and c:\windows Syntax lines consist of a command and all its

•

possible parameters. Commands are displayed in lowercase bold; variable parameters (those for which you substitute a value) are displayed in lowercase italics; constant parameters are displayed in lowercase bold. The brackets indicate items that are optional.

Example: del [drive:] [path] filena m e [/p] Command lines consist of a command and may

•

include one or more of the command’s possible parameters. Command lines are presented in the Courier New font.

Example: del c:\myfile.doc Screen text is text that appears on the screen of your

•

monitor or display. It can be a system message, for example, or it can be text that you are instructed to type as part of a command (referred to as a command line). Screen text is presented in the Courier New font.

Example: The following message appears on your screen:

No boot device available

Example: “Type md c:\dos and press <Enter>.”

Variables are placeholders for which you substitute a

•

value. They are presented in italics. Example: SIMMn (w he re n represents the SIMM socket

designation)

xii

Contents

Chapter 1

Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

PowerEdge Cluster Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Minimum System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Basic Installation Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Adding Peripherals Required for Clustering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Setting Up the Cluster Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Cabling the Cluster Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Updating System BIOS/Firmware for Clustering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Setting Up the Shared Storage Subsystem Hard-Disk Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Setting Up the Internal SCSI Hard-Disk Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Installing and Configuring Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition. . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Installing and Configuring the Microsoft Cluster Server Software. . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Installing PowerEdge Cluster Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Checking the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Chapter 2

Cabling the Cluster Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Cluster Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

One Shared Storage Subsystem Cabled to a Cluster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Two SDS 100 Storage Systems Cabled to a Single RAID Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Two SDS 100 Storage Systems Cabled to Dual RAID Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

SMB Cabling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

NIC Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Power Cabling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Mouse, Keyboard, and Monitor Cabling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Disconnecting SCSI Cables While the Cluster Is Running. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

xiii

Chapter 3

Configuring the Cluster Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Low-Level Software Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Important System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

SCSI Host Adapter IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Disabling a RAID Controller BIOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

RAID Level for the Shared Storage Subsystem(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

RAID Level for the Internal Hard-Disk Drives (Optional). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

High-Level Software Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Installing Intel LANDesk Server Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Choosing a Domain Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Static IP Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

IPs and Subnet Masks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Configuring Separate Networks on a Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Changing the IP Address of a Cluster Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Naming and Formatting Shared Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Driver for the RAID Controller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Updating the NIC Driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Adjusting the Paging File Size and Registry Sizes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Verifying the Cluster Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

1 x 8 Mode on the SDS 100 Storage System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

SCSI Controller IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Cluster Domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

RAID Controller Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Shared Storage Subsystem Drive Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Cluster Network Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Cluster Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Availability of Cluster Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Uninstalling Microsoft Cluster Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Removing a Node From a Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Setting Up the Quorum Resource. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Using the ftdisk Driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Cluster RAID Controller Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Rebuild Function Does Not Complete After Reboot or Power Loss . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Rebuild Rate Not Adjustable on

Cluster-Enabled RAID Controller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Using the Maximize Feature in PowerEdge RAID Console. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Rebuild Operation in RAID Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

xiv

Chapter 4

Running Applications on a Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Setting Up Applications

Software to Run on the Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Internet Information Server Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

File Share Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Print Spooler Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Using the Rediscovery Application in Intel LANDesk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Running chkdsk /f on a Quorum Disk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Tape Backup for Clustered Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Chapter 5

Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Appendix A

Upgrading to a Cluster Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Checking Your Existing Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-1

Adding Expansion Cards for a Cluster Upgrade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-1

Mounting, Cabling, and Configuring the Cluster Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-2

Installing and Configuring the Cluster Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3

Upgrading the PowerEdge 4200 Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3

Upgrading the PowerEdge SDS 100 Storage System Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3

Setting the Cluster Mode With BIOS Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3

Installing and Configuring NICs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3

Appendix B

Stand-Alone and Rack Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Power Requirements of the PowerEdge Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-1

Supported Stand-Alone Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-2

Rack Safety Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-2

Kit Installation Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-2

Rack Stabilizer Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-2

Supported Rack Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-5

Rack-Mounting the Network Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-6

Appendix C

Cluster Data Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

Appendix D

PowerEdge Cluster Configuration Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1

Appendix E

Regulatory Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

Regulatory Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

CE Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

Safety Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

EMC Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

Appendix F

Safety Information for Technicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-1

Appendix G

Warranties and Return Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1

Limited Three-Year Warranty (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1

Coverage During Year One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1

Coverage During Years Two and Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-2

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-2

“Total Satisfaction” Return Policy (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-2

Index

Figures

Figure 1-1. PowerEdge Cluster Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Figure 1-2. Back View of a PowerEdge 4200 Cluster Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Figure 2-1. Cabling a Clustered System With One PowerEdge SDS 100

Storage System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Figure 2-2. Cabling Single RAID Controllers to Two PowerEdge SDS 100

Storage Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Figure 2-3. Cabling Dual RAID Controllers to Two PowerEdge SDS 100

Storage Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Figure 2-4. SMB Cable Connected to One SDS 100 Storage System . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Figure 2-5. SMB Cables Connected to Two SDS 100 Storage Systems . . . . . . . 2-5

Figure 2-6. Cabling the Network Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Figure 2-7. PowerEdge Cluster Power Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Figure A-1. Back View of a PowerEdge 4200 Cluster Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Figure B-1. Supported Stand-Alone Configurations With One SDS 100

Storage System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Figure B-2. Supported Stand-Alone Configurations With Two SDS 100

Storage Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

Figure B-3. Supported Rack Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5

xvi

Figure B-4. Attaching the Rack-Mounting Hardware on the Network Switch . . .B-6

Figure D-1. PowerEdge Cluster Configuration Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-2

Table

Table 5-1. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

xvii

xviii

Chapter 1

Getting Started

he Dell® PowerEdge® Cluster is an enterprise system that implements clustering technology based on the Microsoft® Windows NT® Server, Enterprise Edition 4.0 operating system and Microsoft Windows NT Cluster Server. The Dell PowerEdge Cluster provides the following benefits in meeting the needs of mission-critical network applications:

High availability of system services and resources to

•

network clients Redundant storage of application data

•

Failure recovery for cluster applications

•

Capability to repair, maintain, or upgrade a cluster

•

server without taking the whole cluster off-line Sharing of processing and communication work load

•

between the two servers

The term cluster refers to two or more server systems (referred to as nodes) that are interconnected with appro- priate hardware and software to provide a single point of continuous access to network services (for example, file service, database applications, resources, and so on) for network clients. Each cluster node is configured with software and network resources that enable it to interact with the other node to provide a mutual redundancy of operation and application proces sing. Because the servers interact in this way, they appear as a single system to the network clients.

As an integrated system, the PowerEdge Cluster is designed to handle most hardware failures and downtime

dynamically. In the event that one of the cluster nodes fails or experiences downtime, the processing work load of the failed node switches over (or fails over) to the remaining node in the cluster. This fail-over capability enables the cluster system to keep network resources and applications up and running on the network while the failed node is taken off-line, repaired, and brought back online. The overall impact of a node failure to network operation is minimal.

owerEdge Clus ter Components

The Dell PowerEdge Cluster consists of two Dell PowerEdge 4200 systems (the cluster nodes) equipped with one or two Dell PowerEdge Expandable redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) Controllers and two network interface controllers (NICs) to provide a dedicated nodeto-node network interconnection and a regular Ethernet local area network (LAN) connection. Each server has shared Ultra/Wide small computer system interface (SCSI) connections to one or more Dell PowerEdge Scalable Disk System (SDS 100) storage system(s). Figure 1-1 shows a layout of the PowerEdge Cluster components and their interconnections.

Each component of the PowerEdge Cluster has a minimum system requirement. The following section lists and describes the minimum system requirements for the PowerEdge Cluster.

Getting Started 1-1

Figu re 1-1. Power Edge Cl ust er Layout

3Com SuperStack II Switch 3000 TX

PowerEdge 4200 systems (2)

PowerEdge SDS 100 storage systems (1 or 2) with RAID

inimum System Requireme nts

NOTE: If you are upgrading an existing system to a PowerEdge Cluster, check this list to ensure that your upgrade meets these requirements.

The PowerEdge Cluster requires the following minimum system hardware configuration:

Two PowerEdge 4200 systems with the following

•

configuration: — One or two 233-megahertz (MHz), one or two

266-MHz, or one or two 300-MHz Intel® Pentium® II microprocessors with at least 512 kilobytes (KB) of level 2 (L2) cache.

128 megabytes (MB) of random-access memory

—

(RAM) .

— A minimum of one PowerEdge Expandable

RAID Controller in each PowerEdge system with 16 MB of (SIMM) memory. This controller must have cluster-specific firmware and must be installed in Peripheral Component Interconnect [PCI] slot 7. A second cluster RAID controller can be added to slot 5, but the first cluster RAID controller must be installed in slot 7.

single in-line memory module

— Two 4-GB internal SCSI hard-disk drives (three

drives are required for an internal RAID 5 configuration).

— Two Ethernet NICs, installed in PCI slots 4 and

8. The LAN-connected NIC resides in PCI slot 8, and the node-to-node interconnect NIC occupies slot 4.

Power cabling and distribution components required:

•

— For the Americas: Two Power Techniques

power strips with Type B plugs, Model P905200

— For Europe: One or two Marway power distri-

bution units (PDUs), Model MPD-411013 or two Power Techniques power strips with Type B plugs, Model P906200

One or two SDS 100 storage system(s) for the shared

•

disk resource with the following configuration: — Cluster-specific basic input/output system

(BIOS) upgrade for the PowerEdge systems for turning the SDS 100 storage system backplane into a 1 x 8 mode (one SCSI channel with up to eight hard-disk drives) when two RAID controllers are present.

1-2 Dell PowerEdge Cluster (PowerEdge 4200) Installation and Troubleshooting Guide

— At least three SCSI hard-disk drives in each

SDS 100 storage system to support RAID 5 functionality. Mic rosoft Cluster Server currently supports only the Microsoft Windows NT file system (NTFS) format for the shared storage subsystem.

— Two 4-meter (m) SCSI cables for each SDS 100

storage system in the cluster.

A 3Com® SuperStack II Switch 3000 TX 8-port

•

switch and accessories, which includes the following:

— Four Category 5 unshielded twisted pair (UTP)

Ethernet cables

— Hardware for mounting the network switch in a

Dell Rack-Mountable Solutions enclosure (optional)

In addition to the preceding hardware components, the following software components are also required:

Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition 4.0 operat-

•

ing system installed on the PowerEdge systems. Two Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition licenses are required, plus workstation licenses for all the client systems running on the network.

Clustering software recovery kits for the customer

•

environment. These recovery kits are in addition to the standard file, print, and Internet Information Server (IIS) resources that are bundled with the Cluster Server software.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol

•

(TCP/IP) running on the LAN. NetBIOS Extended User Interface (NetBEUI) and Internet Packet Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange (IPX/SPX) are not supported.

Server Management Agent rediscovery application.

•

Cluster-specific Windows NT Server driver for the

•

PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controllers.

asic Installation Procedure

NOTE: Before installing the PowerEdge Cluster, ensure that your site power is adequate to handle the power requirements of the cluster equipment. PowerEdge

Cluster requires two alternating current (AC) circuits with a minimum load capacity of 20 amperes each.

Your installation of the PowerEdge Cluster may be either a completely new installation or an upgrade of an existing system. If your PowerEdge Cluster is completely new, the operating system and some applications may be installed on your system already. Installation in this case is a matter of setting up and cabling the hardware, setting some configuration options, setting network addresses, and performing checks on the system.

If you are upgrading existing equipment, several additional steps must be performed such as installing additional NIC and RAID expansion cards, updating firmware, and installing both the operating system and cluster software on each cluster node. Hardware installation and updates to firmware should be performed only by trained service technicians.

The following is a comprehensive list of the steps that may be required to install a PowerEdge Cluster, whether it is a new system installation or an upgrade to an existing sy stem:

1. For system upgrades, add NICs, RAID controllers, hard-disk drives, and so on to the existing system hardware to meet the requirements for a clustered system.

2. Set up the cluster equipment in either a standalone or rack configuration.

3. Cable the system hardware for clustering.

4. For system upgrades, update the existing system components with cluster-specific firmware.

5. If not already done, configure the RAID level on the shared storage subsystem using the PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller BIOS configuration utility.

6. If not already done, partition and format the hard-disk drives in the shared storage subsystem(s). Also, partition and format any new hard-disk drives added to the cluster nodes for a system upgrade.

7. If not already done, install and/or configure Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition and the included Service Pack on each cluster node.

Getting Started 1-3

8. Configure the public and private NIC interconnects in each node and place the interconnects on separate IP subnetworks.

9. If not already done, install and/or configure the Microsoft Cluster Server software on each cluster node.

10. Check out the functionality of the fully installed cluster.

11. Install and set up applications.

The following sections briefly describe each of these steps.

Add ing Peripheral s Requi red for Clustering

NOTE: Hardware installation should be performed only by trained service technicians.

If you are upgrading your existing hardware to a cluster configuration, additional peripheral devices and expansion cards need to be added to the system to meet the minimum cluster requirements listed earlier in this chapter.

For example, you need to install a second NIC card to ensure that the system meets the minimum configuration of two NIC cards—one card in PCI slot 8 for the public LAN connection and another card in PCI slot 4 for the node-to-node interconnection. You also need to add a cluster-enabled PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller for the required shared storage subsystem used by the two nodes.

NOTE: The first cluster-enabled PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller must be installed in PCI slot 7.

Figure 1-2 shows the placement of these devices in a Pow erEdge 4200 sys tem. See Appendi x A for further information about upgrading an existing PowerEdge 4200 system with expansion cards required for clustering.

Additionally, you may need to add hard-disk drives and another PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller to the PowerEdge system if you are configuring the system’s internal drives as a RAID array. However, this is not a requirement for clustering. Refer to the Dell PowerEdge 4200 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for instructions on installing expansion cards or hard-disk drives in the PowerEdge 4200 system.

If you are upgrading an existing SDS 100 storage system to meet the cluster requirements for the shared storage subsystem, you may need to install additional hard-disk drives to the shared storage subsystem. The size and number of drives you add depend on the RAID level you want to use and the number of hard-disk drives already present in your system. For information on installing hard-disk drives in the PowerEdge SDS 100 storage system, refer to the Dell PowerEdge SDS 100 Storage System Installation and Service Guide.

1-4 Dell PowerEdge Cluster (PowerEdge 4200) Installation and Troubleshooting Guide

Figu re 1-2. Back View of a PowerEdge 4200 Cluster Node

RJ45 Ethernet connector node-to-node

interconne c ted NIC

second cluster-specific RAID controller (not shown)

standard RAID controller (optional)

cl u s ter -s p e c ific RAID controller (required)

RAID channel 0

RAID channel 1

LAN-connected NIC

Se t t in g Up the Cluster Ha rdware

The PowerEdge Cluster can be set up in either a freestanding configuration or installed in a Dell Rack-Mountable Solutions enclosure. Information on Dell-supported rack configurations for the cluster is provided in Appendix B, “Stand-Alone and Rack Configurations,” in this guide. Also included in Appendix B are instructions for installing the network switch in a rack. For instructions on installing all other PowerEdge Cluster components (including the Apex Outlook Concentrator switch) in a Dell rack, refer to the Dell

PowerEdge Rack-Mountable Solutions Installation Guide.

Cabling the Cluster Ha rdware

After the PowerEdge Cluster hardware is set up, the system must be properly cabled for clustering. Chapter 2, “Cabling the Cluster Hardware,” provides instructions for cabling the cluster components.

Updati ng System BIOS/F irmware for Clustering

NOTE: BIOS upgrades should be performed only when instructed by a Dell support technician.

If you are upgrading existing hardware to a PowerEdge Cluster, the BIOS firmware for the PowerEdge system(s) and SDS 100 storage system(s) must be updated to support clustering. Appendix A, “Upgrading to a Cluster Configuration,” provides instructions on performing all necessary firmware updates.

Getting Started 1-5

Setting Up the Shared Storage Subsystem Hard- Disk Drives

If your Power-Edge Cluster consists of all new components, the hard-disk drives in the shared storage subsystem may already be partitioned, formatted, and set up in a RAID configuration for clustering. If you are upgrading a shared storage subsystem in an existing system, the shared hard-disk drives must be set up for clustering as part of the upgrade.

The first step is to configure the RAID level that you will be using in your cluster. For instructions on setting up a RAID array, refer to the Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Contr oller Us er’ s G uide. Then the hard-disk drives in the shared storage subsystem must be partitioned and formatted, and drive letters must be assigned to each drive. For instructions on partitioning and formatting the shared storage subsystem hard-disk drives, refer to the

Microsoft Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition Administrator’s Guide and Release Notes and the Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller User’s Guide.

Chapter 3, “Configuring the Cluster Software,” in this guide describes how to assign drive letters to the shared hard-disk drives.

Setting Up the Internal SCSI Hard-Disk Drives

If you have added new hard-disk drives to your PowerEdge system or are setting up the internal drives in a RAID configuration, you must configure the RAID, if applicable, and partition and format the drives before you can install Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition. For instructions on partitioning and formatting SCSI harddisk drives, refer to your PowerEdge system User’s Guide. For instructions on setting up a RAID array, refer to the Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller User’s Guide.

Installing and Configuring Windows NT Se rver Ente rprise Editio n

If it has not already been done, Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition must be installed on the internal harddisk drives of both cluster nodes.

NOTE: Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition cannot be run from the shared storage subsystem.

Cluster-specific device drivers are also installed at this time. Refer to the Microsoft Windows NT Server Enter- prise Edition Administrator’s Guide and Release Notes for instructions on installing and configuring the operating system and adding cluster-specific device drivers.

Refer to Chapter 3, “Configuring the Cluster Software,” of this guide for information specific to configuring Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition on your PowerEdge Cluster.

Ins t a llin g a nd C onfigu ri ng the M ic r os oft Cluster Server S oftwa re

Like Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition, the Cluster Server software must be installed on both cluster nodes if it has not already been done. Refer to the Microsoft Windows NT Cluster Server Adminstrator’s Guide for instructions on installing and configuring the clustering software. Also refer to Chapter 3, “Configuring the Cluster Software,” for specific information about installing and configuring Microsoft Cluster Server on your PowerEdge Cluster.

Ins t a llin g P owe r Edge Clu ste r Ap plicatio ns

Additional steps are required to configure applications software to run on the cluster. Chapter 4 in this guide provides general information about this process and cites example procedures for setting up the Windows NT Internet Information Server (IIS) Virtual Root service, the File Share service, and the Print Spooler service to run on a cluster.

Chapter 4 also describes the rediscovery application, which must be run whenever the primary cluster node fails over to the secondary cluster node. The rediscovery application enables the secondary cluster node to rediscover and reestablish system management of the SDS 100 storage system(s).

Checki ng the System

When installation is complete, you should check the functionality of your cluster system by performing a number of tests. See “Verifying the Cluster Functionality” in Chapter 3 for specific tests and procedures that you can perform to check out the cluster.

1-6 Dell PowerEdge Cluster (PowerEdge 4200) Installation and Troubleshooting Guide

Chapter 2

Cabling th e Cluster Hardware

he Dell PowerEdge Cluster must be installed and cabled correctly to ensure that the cluster functions properly. This chapter instructs you on how to cable your system hardware for a cluster configuration.

Information about configuring your PowerEdge Cluster is provided in Chapter 3, “Configuring the Cluster Software.”

For instructions on installing the Microsoft Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition operating system and the Microsoft clustering software, refer to the Microsoft

Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition Administrator’s Guide and Release Notes and the Microsoft Windows NT Cluster Server Administrator’s Guide. For installation

and configuration information specific to the Dell PowerEdge 4200 systems or the Dell PowerEdge Scalable Disk System 100 (SDS 100) storage system, refer to the Dell documentation for those systems.

luster C abling

The PowerEdge Cluster consists of two PowerEdge 4200 server systems, one or two PowerEdge SDS 100 storage systems, a 3Com SuperStack II Switch 3000 TX, and a pair of power strips or a single power distribution unit, depending on how the system is configured. These components are interconnected as follows:

A 4-meter (m) small computer system interface (SCSI)

•

cable is connected from the RAID controller in each PowerEdge system to the SDS 100 storage system(s).

A system management bus (SMB) cable is con-

•

nected from the SMB connector on one of the two PowerEdge systems (preferably the system designated as Node 1 or the primary node) to the SMB connector on the SDS 100 storage system.

Category 5 Ethernet cables are connected from each

•

of the network interface controllers (NICs) in each PowerEdge system to the 3Com switch.

Power cables are connected according to the safety

•

requirements for your region: — For customers in the Americas: Power cables

for the cluster components are routed through two Power Techniques power strips. The primary power supplies of the cluster components are all cabled to one power strip, and the redundant power supplies on the components are all cabled to the second power strip. Each power strip is connected, via Type B plugs and connectors, to a separate alternating current (AC) circuit, each with a minimum power capacity of 20 amperes (amps).

— For customers in Europe: All power cables are

connected to one or two Marway power distribution units (PDUs), Model MPD-411013 or two Power Techniques power strips with Type B plugs, Model P906200.

The following sections describe each of these cabling procedures.

ne Shared Storage Subsy st em

Cabled to a Clus ter

Use the following procedure to connect your cluster system to a single SDS 100 storage system. Refer to Figure 2-1 for a diagram of the cabling scheme.

CAUTION: Do not turn on the PowerEdge 4200 systems or the SDS 100 storage system(s) until all cabling is complete.

Cabling the Cluster Hardware 2-1

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