Dell EMC CX4i Owner's Manual

Dell/EMC CX4-series

iSCSI Storage Arrays With

Microsoft

Hardware Installation

and Troubleshooting

Windows Server

Failover Clusters

Guide

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of

your computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of

data and tells you how to avoid the problem

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage,

personal injury, or death.

___________________

Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, and PowerVault are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Active Directory, Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, Windows XP and Windows NT are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; EMC, Navisphere, and PowerPath are registered trademarks and MirrorView, SAN Copy, and SnapView are trademarks of EMC 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.

January 2010 Rev A02

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Cluster Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Cluster Hardware Requirements

Cluster Nodes

Cluster Storage

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

NICs Dedicated to iSCSI

Network Switches Dedicated to iSCSI

Supported Cluster Configurations

Direct-Attached Cluster

iSCSI Switch-Attached Cluster

Introduction

A Dell™ Failover Cluster combines specific hardware and software components to provide enhanced availability for applications and services that are run on the cluster. A Failover Cluster is designed to reduce the possibility of any single point of failure within the system that can cause the clustered applications or services to become unavailable. It is recommended that you use redundant components like system and storage power supplies, connections between the nodes and the storage array(s), and connections to client systems or other systems in a multi-tier enterprise application architecture in your cluster.

This document provides information to configure your Dell/EMC CX4-series iSCSI storage array(s) with one or more Failover Clusters. It provides specific configuration tasks that enable you to deploy the shared storage for your cluster.

For more information on deploying your cluster with Microsoft Windows Server Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide available at support.dell.com/manuals.

NOTE: Throughout this document, Windows Server 2008 refers to both Windows

Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

For more information on deploying your cluster with Windows Server 2008 operating systems, see the Dell Failover Clusters with Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide available at support.dell.com/manuals.

For a list of recommended operating systems, hardware components, and driver or firmware versions for your Dell Failover Cluster, see the Dell Cluster Configuration Support Matrix on the Dell High Availability Clustering website at dell.com/ha.

2003 operating systems, see the Dell Failover Clusters with

Introduction 7

Cluster Solution

For Windows Server 2003 operating system, your cluster implements a minimum of two to a maximum of eight node clustering. For Windows Server 2008 operating system, your cluster implements a minimum of two to a maximum of sixteen node clustering. The cluster solution provides the following features:

• Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet iSCSI technologies

• High availability of resources to network clients

• Redundant paths to the shared storage

• Failure recovery for applications and services

• Flexible maintenance capabilities, allowing you to repair, maintain, or upgrade a node or storage system without taking the entire cluster offline.

Cluster Hardware Requirements

Your cluster requires the following hardware components:

• Cluster nodes

• Cluster storage

Cluster Nodes

Table 1-1 lists the hardware requirements for the cluster nodes.

Table 1-1. Cluster Node Requirements

Component Minimum Requirement

Cluster nodes A minimum of two identical Dell PowerEdge™ systems are required.

The maximum number of nodes that are supported depend on the physical topology in which the storage system and nodes are interconnected.

RAM The variant of the Windows Server operating system that is installed

on your cluster nodes determines the minimum RAM required.

iSCSI Initiator Install the iSCSI port driver, Initiator Service, and Software Initiator

on each node.

8 Introduction

Table 1-1. Cluster Node Requirements (continued)

Component Minimum Requirement

Network Interface

NICs At least two NICs: one NIC for the public network and another

Two iSCSI NICs or two iSCSI NIC ports per node: Configure the NICs on separate PCI buses to improve availability and iSCSI access.

TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) NICs are also supported for iSCSI traffic.

NIC for the private network.

NOTE: It is recommended that the NICs on each public network are

identical, and that the NICs on each private network are identical.

Internal disk controller

One controller connected to at least two internal hard drives for each node. Use any supported RAID controller or disk controller.

Two hard drives are required for mirroring (RAID 1) and at least three are required for disk striping with parity (RAID 5).

NOTE: It is strongly recommended that you use hardware-based RAID

or software-based disk-fault tolerance for the internal drives.

NOTE: For more information about supported systems and operating system

variants, see the Dell Cluster Configuration Support Matrix on the Dell High Availability Clustering website at dell.com/ha.

Cluster Storage

Table 1-2 lists supported storage systems and the configuration requirements for the cluster nodes and stand-alone systems connected to the storage systems.

Table 1-2. Cluster Storage Requirements

Hardware Components Requirement

Supported storage systems

Cluster nodes All nodes must be directly attached to a single storage

Multiple clusters and stand-alone systems

One to four supported Dell/EMC storage systems. See Table 1-3 for specific storage system requirements.

system or attached to one or more storage systems through a SAN.

Can share one or more supported storage systems. See "Installing and Configuring the Shared Storage System" on page 41.

Introduction 9

Table 1-3 lists hardware requirements for the Storage Processor Enclosures (SPE), Disk Array Enclosures (DAE), and Standby Power Supplies (SPS).

Table 1-3. Dell/EMC Storage System Requirements

Processor Enclosure

CX4-120 One DAE-OS with at

CX4-240 One DAE-OS with at

CX4-480 One DAE-OS with at

CX4-960 One DAE-OS with at

NOTE: The DAE-OS is the first DAE enclosure that is connected to the CX4-series

(including all the storage systems listed above). Core software is preinstalled on the first five hard drives of the DAE-OS.

NOTE: The Flare version for 10 Gigabit iSCSI is 04.29 or later.

Minimum Storage Possible Storage

Expansion

Up to seven DAE’s Two for SPE and least five and up to 15 hard drives

Up to 15 DAE’s Two for SPE and least five and up to 15 hard drives

Up to 31 DAE’s Two for SPE and least five and up to 15 hard drives

Up to 63 DAE’s Two for SPE and least five and up to 15 hard drives

SPS

DAE-OS

Each storage system in a cluster is centrally managed by one host system (also known as management station) running EMC

Navisphere® Manager. Navisphere Manager is a centralized storage management application used to configure Dell/EMC storage systems. You can select a specific view of your storage arrays using a web user interface as shown in Table 1-4.

Table 1-4. Navisphere Manager Storage Views

View Description

Storage Shows the logical storage components and their relationships to each

other and identifies hardware faults.

Hosts Shows the host system's storage group and attached logical unit

numbers (LUNs).

10 Introduction

Table 1-4. Navisphere Manager Storage Views (continued)

View Description

Monitors Shows all Event Monitor configurations, including centralized and

distributed monitoring configurations.

You can use Navisphere Manager to perform tasks such as creating RAID arrays, binding LUNs and Navisphere Taskbar to download firmware. Optional software for the shared storage systems include:

• EMC MirrorView™—Provides synchronous or asynchronous mirroring between two storage systems.

• EMC SnapView

™

—Captures point-in-time images of a LUN for backups

or testing without affecting the contents of the source LUN.

• EMC SAN Copy

™

—Moves data between Dell/EMC storage systems

without using host CPU cycles or local area network (LAN) bandwidth.

For more information about Navisphere Manager, MirrorView, SnapView, and SAN Copy, see "Installing and Configuring the Shared Storage System" on page 41.

NICs Dedicated to iSCSI

The NIC controlled by iSCSI Software Initiator acts as an I/O adapter to connect the system's expansion bus and the storage components. Failover Cluster solutions that are configured with the CX4-series storage array require two iSCSI NICs or NIC ports in each PowerEdge system to provide redundant paths and load balance the I/O data transfer to the storage system.

Network Switches Dedicated to iSCSI

The Gigabit or 10 Gigabit switch for iSCSI access functions as a regular network switch that provides extension and dedicated interconnection between the node and the storage system(s).

NOTE: It is recommended that you use dedicated switches for iSCSI traffic.

To share the switches, use a separate network segment or virtual LAN (VLAN) for iSCSI traffic.

Introduction 11

Supported Cluster Configurations

private network

public network

cluster node

iSCSI connections

cluster node

storage system

The following sections describe the supported cluster configurations.

Direct-Attached Cluster

In a direct-attached cluster, all the nodes of the cluster are directly attached to a single storage system. In this configuration, the RAID controllers (or storage processors) on the storage system are directly connected by cables to the Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet network interface cards (NICs) in the nodes.

Figure 1-1 shows a basic direct-attached, single-cluster configuration.

Figure 1-1. Direct-Attached, Single-Cluster Configuration

EMC PowerPath Limitations in a Direct-Attached Cluster

EMC PowerPath® provides failover capabilities, multiple path detection, and dynamic load balancing between multiple ports on the same storage processor. However, the direct-attached clusters supported by Dell connect to a single port on each storage processor in the storage system. Because of the single port limitation, PowerPath can provide only failover protection, not load balancing, in a direct-attached configuration.

12 Introduction

iSCSI Switch-Attached Cluster

cluster node

private network

iSCSI connections

storage system

iSCSI switch

public network

iSCSI connections

cluster node

In an iSCSI switch-attached cluster, all nodes are attached to a single storage system or to multiple storage systems through redundant LANs. iSCSI switch-attached clusters are superior to direct-attached clusters in configuration flexibility, expandability, and performance.

Figure 1-2 shows an iSCSI Switch-Attached Cluster.

Figure 1-2. iSCSI Switch-Attached Cluster

Cabling Your Cluster Hardware

NOTE: To configure Dell blade server modules in a Dell PowerEdge cluster, see the

Using Dell Blade Servers in a Dell PowerEdge High Availability Cluster document available at support.dell.com/manuals.

Cabling the Mouse, Keyboard, and Monitor

When installing a cluster configuration in a rack, you must include a switch box to connect the mouse, keyboard, and monitor to the nodes. See the documentation included with your rack for instructions on cabling connections of each node to the switch box.

Cabling the Power Supplies

See the documentation for each component in your cluster solution and ensure that the specific power requirements are satisfied.

The following guidelines are recommended to protect your cluster solution from power-related failures:

• For nodes with multiple power supplies, plug each power supply into a separate AC circuit.

• Use uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

• For some environments, consider having backup generators and power from separate electrical substations.

Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 illustrate recommended methods for power cabling for a cluster solution consisting of two PowerEdge systems and two storage systems. To ensure redundancy, the primary power supplies of all the components are grouped into one or two circuits and the redundant power supplies are grouped into a different circuit.

Cabling Your Cluster Hardware 15

Figure 2-1. Power Cabling Example With One Power Supply in the PowerEdge Systems

redundant power supplies on one AC power strip (or on one AC PDU [not shown])

NOTE: This illustration is intended only to demonstrate the power

distribution of the components.

primary power supplies on one AC power strip (or on one AC Power Distribution Unit [not shown])

0123

16 Cabling Your Cluster Hardware

Figure 2-2. Power Cabling Example With Two Power Supplies in the PowerEdge Systems

redundant power supplies on one AC power strip (or on one AC PDU [not shown])

NOTE: This illustration is intended only to demonstrate the power

distribution of the components.

primary power supplies on one AC power strip (or on one AC PDU [not shown])

0123

Cabling Your Cluster for Public and Private Networks

The network adapters in the cluster nodes provide at least two network connections for each node, as described in Table 2-1.

NOTE: To configure Dell blade server modules in a Dell PowerEdge cluster, see the

Using Dell Blade Servers in a Dell PowerEdge High Availability Cluster document available at support.dell.com/manuals.

Cabling Your Cluster Hardware 17

Table 2-1. Network Connections

cluster node 1

public network

public network adapter

private network

private network adapter

cluster node 2

Network Connection Description

Public network All connections to the client LAN.

At least one public network must be configured for Mixed mode for private network failover.

Private network A dedicated connection for sharing cluster health and

status information only.

iSCSI network Two direct or switched iSCSI connections from the cluster

node to the storage system.

Figure 2-3 shows an example of cabling in which dedicated network adapters in each node are connected to each other (for the private network) and the remaining network adapters are connected to the public network.

Figure 2-3. Example of Network Cabling Connection

18 Cabling Your Cluster Hardware

Cabling the Public Network

Any network adapter supported by a system running TCP/IP may be used to connect to the public network segments. You can install additional network adapters to support additional public network segments or to provide redundancy in the event of a faulty primary network adapter or switch port.

Cabling the Private Network

The private network connection to the nodes is provided by a different network adapter in each node. This network is used for intra-cluster communications. Table 2-2 describes two possible private network configurations.

Table 2-2. Private Network Hardware Components and Connections

Method Hardware Components Connection

Network switch Gigabit or 10 Gigabit

Ethernet network adapters and switches

Point-to-Point (two-node clusters only)

Copper Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet network adapters with RJ-45 connectors

Copper 10 Gigabit Ethernet network adapters with SFP+ connectors

Optical Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet network adapters with LC connectors

Depending on the hardware, connect the CAT5e or CAT6 cables, the multi-mode optical cables with Local Connector (LC) connectors, or the twin-ax cables from the network adapters in the nodes to a switch.

Connect a standard CAT5e or CAT6 Ethernet cable between the network adapters in both nodes.

Connect a twin-ax cable between the network adapters in both nodes.

Connect a multi-mode optical cable between the network adapters in both nodes.

NOTE: For more information on the supported cable types, see your system or NIC

documentation.

Cabling Your Cluster Hardware 19

Using Dual-Port Network Adapters

You can configure your cluster to use the public network as a failover for private network communications. If you are using dual-port network adapters, do not configure both ports simultaneously to support both public and private networks.

NIC Teaming

NIC teaming combines two or more NICs to provide load balancing and fault tolerance. Your cluster supports NIC teaming, only in a public network. NIC teaming is not supported in a private network.

Use the same brand of NICs in a team. Do not mix brands in NIC teaming.

Cabling the Storage Systems

This section provides information on cabling your cluster to a storage system in a direct-attached configuration or to one or more storage systems in an iSCSI switch-attached configuration.

NOTE: The illustrations in this section show examples for connecting the cluster

nodes to the Gigabit iSCSI ports of the storage system. Use optical cables and the same cabling method to connect to the 10 Gigabit iSCSI ports of the storage system.

NOTE: The connections listed in this section are representative of one proven

method of ensuring redundancy in the connections between the cluster nodes and the storage system. Other methods that achieve the same type of redundant connectivity may be acceptable.

Cabling Storage for Your Direct-Attached Cluster

A direct-attached cluster configuration consists of redundant iSCSI NIC ports cabled directly to a Dell/EMC storage system.

Figure 2-4 shows an example of a direct-attached, single cluster configuration with redundant iSCSI ports installed in each cluster node.

20 Cabling Your Cluster Hardware

+ 46 hidden pages

Dell EMC CX4i Owner's Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Introduction

Cluster Solution

Cluster Hardware Requirements

Cluster Nodes

Cluster Storage

NICs Dedicated to iSCSI

Network Switches Dedicated to iSCSI

Supported Cluster Configurations

Direct-Attached Cluster

iSCSI Switch-Attached Cluster

Other Documents You May Need

Cabling Your Cluster Hardware

Cabling the Mouse, Keyboard, and Monitor

Cabling the Power Supplies

Cabling Your Cluster for Public and Private Networks

Cabling the Public Network

Cabling the Private Network

NIC Teaming

Cabling the Storage Systems

Cabling Storage for Your Direct-Attached Cluster