Dell FE400 User Manual

Dell™ PowerEdge™
Cluster FE400 Systems
Platform Guide
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
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
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2004 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, Dell OpenManage, PowerEdge, and PowerVault are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Microsoft and
Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; EMC, Navispher e, and PowerPath are registered trademarks of EMC Corporation; Access Logix, MirrorView, 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.
September 2004 P/N 6W455 Rev. A05
This document provides information for installing and connecting peripheral hardware, storage, and storage area network (SAN) components for your Dell™ PowerEdge™ Cluster FE400 solution. The configuration information in this document is specific to the Microsoft
®
Windows®2000
Advanced Server and Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition operating systems.
This document covers the following topics:
Configuration information for installing peripheral hardware components, such as HBAs, NICs, and PCI adapter cards into Cluster FE400 configurations
Configuration rules and guidelines for direct-attached or SAN-attached configurations
Best practices
NOTE: Configurations not listed in this document may not be certified or supported by Dell or Microsoft.
NOTE: In this guide and in other cluster documentation, the Microsoft Cluster Service (for Windows 2000
Advanced Server or Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition) is also referred to as MSCS.

Supported Cluster Configurations

This section provides information about supported cluster configurations for your PowerEdge cluster configuration.
The Cluster FE400 solution supports the following configurations:
®
Two-node clusters running the Microsoft system.
Clusters with up to eight nodes running the Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition operating system.
Table 1-1 provides a list of supported cluster configurations for the Cluster FE400 systems running Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition.
Windows® 2000 Advanced Server operating
NOTE: Each cluster node must be of the same system model and have two or more processors.
Table 1-1. Supported Cluster Configurations
PowerEdge Cluster
FE400 1550, 1650, 1750,
Supported PowerEdge Systems
1800, 1850, 2500, 2550, 2600, 2650, 2800, 2850, 4400, 4600, 6400, 6450, 6600, 6650, and 8450
Supported Storage Systems Supported Cluster Interconnect (for the
Private Network)
Dell | EMC CX600
Dell | EMC CX400
Dell | EMC CX200
Any NIC supported by the system.
NOTE: All nodes in the same cluster must
use homogeneous (identical) NICs for the cluster interconnect.
Platform Guide 3
Obtaining More Information
See the related documentation.
Dell PowerEdge Cluster FE400 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide

High-Availability Cluster Configurations

This section provides information about the supported operating systems, HBAs, and HBA drivers for your cluster configuration.
NOTICE: All cluster nodes in a Cluster FE400 solution must run the same operating system.
Mixing Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition in the same cluster is not supported except during a rolling upgrade.
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
NOTICE: HBAs installed in clusters using redundant paths must be identical. Cluster configurations are
tested and certified using identical HBAs installed in all of the cluster nodes. Using dissimilar HBAs in your cluster nodes is not supported.

Service Pack Support

Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 or later is required for Cluster FE400 systems that use Windows 2000 Advanced Server.
You can download the latest service pack from the Microsoft Support website at
support.microsoft.com
for a detailed list of
.
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
At the time this document was printed, a service pack was not available for Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition. However, hotfix KB818877 and the most recent hotfix for storport.sys are required.
See Knowledge Base article KB818877 on the Microsoft Support website at for more information. At the time this document was printed, KB838894 was the most recent hotfix for storport.sys. You can also go to the Dell Support website at recent information on this issue.

HBA Support for PowerEdge Cluster FE400 Configurations

Table 1-2 lists the systems and the HBAs that are supported for Cluster FE400 configurations running Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition.
See "Installing Peripheral Components in Your Cluster Node PCI Slots" for PCI slot recommendations.
4 Platform Guide
support.microsoft.com
support.dell.com
for the most
Table 1-2. Supported HBAs for Cluster FE400 Configurations
PowerEdge System
1550 X X
1650 X X
1750 X X
1800 X X X
1850 X* X* X**
2500 X X
2550 X
2600/2650 X X
2800 X X X
2850 X* X* X**
4400 X X
4600 X X
6400/6450 X X
6600/6650 X X
8450 X X
* The PowerEdge system must have a PCI-X riser installed in order to use this HBA. ** The PowerEdge system must have a PCIe riser installed in order to use this HBA.
Emulex LP982 or LP9802 (PCI-X) HBA
QLogic QLA2340 (PCI-X) HBA
Emulex LP1050-EX (PCIe Express [PCIe]) HBA

Fibre Channel Switches

Dual (redundant) fabric configurations are required.
A maximum of 16 switches may be used in a SAN.
A minimum of two and a maximum of eight Inter-Switch Links (ISLs) may exist between any two directly communicating switches. A single ISL is permitted only when connecting to a remote switch in an EMC
®
MirrorView™ configuration.
A maximum of three hops (the number of ISLs each data frame must traverse) may exist between a host and a storage system.

Rules and Guidelines

When configuring your cluster, all cluster nodes must contain identical versions of the following:
Platform Guide 5
Operating systems and service packs
Hardware, drivers, firmware, or BIOS for the NICs, HBAs, and any other peripheral hardware components
Systems management software, such as Dell OpenManage™ systems management software and EMC Navisphere
Maximum Distance Between Cluster Nodes
The maximum cable length allowed from an HBA to a switch, an HBA directly connected to a storage system, or a switch to a storage system is 300 meters using multimode fiber at 2 Gb/sec. The total distance between an HBA and a storage system may be increased through the use of switch ISLs.
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The maximum cable length for Fast Ethernet and copper Gigabit Ethernet is 100 meters, and for optical Gigabit Ethernet, it is 550 meters. This distance may be extended using switches and VLAN technology. The maximum latency for a round-trip network packet between nodes is 500 milliseconds.
Obtaining More Information
See the instructions for hardware configurations running Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition.
Dell PowerEdge Cluster FE400 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
Installing Peripheral Components in Your
®
storage management software
for installation
Cluster Node PCI Slots
This section provides configuration information. Table 1-3 provides information about PCI slot configurations. Table 1-4 provides information about PCI slot assignments.
CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove and access any of the components
inside the system. See your PowerEdge System Information Guide or Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
6 Platform Guide
Table 1-3. PCI Slot Configurations for PowerEdge Cluster Nodes
PowerEdge System Riser Board Option Slot Slot Type Slot Speed
1550 N/A 1-2 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
1650 Any 1 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
or
32 bit, 33 MHz
2 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
1750 Any 1 PCI-X or PCI 64 bit, 133 MHz
PCI-X
or
64 bit, 33 MHz PCI
2 PCI-X 64 bit, 133 MHz
1800 N/A 1 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
2 PCIe 2.5 GHz PCIe
x4-lane width
3 PCIe 2.5 GHz PCIe
x8-lane width
4 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
5-6 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
1850 Standard 1 PCI-X 64 bit, 133 MHz
2 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
PCI-X with ROMB 1 PCI-X 64 bit, 133 MHz
2 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
PCIe with ROMB 1 PCIe 2.5 GHz PCIe
x4-lane width
2 PCIe 2.5 GHz PCIe
x8-lane width
Platform Guide 7
Table 1-3. PCI Slot Configurations for PowerEdge Cluster Nodes (continued)
PowerEdge System Riser Board Option Slot Slot Type Slot Speed
2500 1-2 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
2550 1-3 PCI 64 bit, 33 MHz
2600 1 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
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2650 1 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
2800 1 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
2850 PCI-X 1-3 PCI-X 64 bit, 133 MHz
4400 N/A 1-2 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
4600 N/A 1 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
3-5 PCI 64 bit, 33 MHz
6-7 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
2-5 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
6-7 PXI-X 64 bit, 133 MHz
2-3 PXI-X 64 bit, 133 MHz
NOTE: Slot 1 must
be empty for Slot 2 to attain an operating speed of 133 MHz.
2-5 PCI-X 64 bit, 133 MHz
6 PCIe 2.5 GHz PCIe
x4-lane width
7 PCIe 2.5 GHz PCIe
x8-lane width
NOTE: If Slot 1 is
populated, Slots 2 and 3 operate at 100 MHz.
PCIe 1 PCIe 2.5 GHz PCIe
x4-lane width
2 PCIe 2.5 GHz PCIe
x8-lane width
3 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
3-6 PCI 64 bit, 33 MHz
7 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
2-3 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
8 Platform Guide
Table 1-3. PCI Slot Configurations for PowerEdge Cluster Nodes (continued)
PowerEdge System Riser Board Option Slot Slot Type Slot Speed
4-5 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
6-7 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
6400 N/A 1 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
2-5 PCI 64 bit, 33 MHz
6-7 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
6450 N/A 1 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
2-5 PCI 64 bit, 33 MHz
6-7 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
6600 N/A 1 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
2-3 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
4-5 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
6-7 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
8-9 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
10-11 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
6650 N/A 1 PCI 32 bit, 33 MHz
2-3 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
4-5 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
6 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
7 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
8 PCI-X 64 bit, 100 MHz
8450 N/A 1-2 PCI 64 bit, 33 MHz
3-6 PCI 64 bit, 33 MHz
7-8 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
9-10 PCI 64 bit, 66 MHz
Table 1-4. PCI Slot Assignments for PowerEdge Cluster Nodes
PowerEdge System Riser Board Option HBA PCI Slot Assignment
1550 N/A Emulex LP982
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
Install the HBAs in any available PCI slots.
Platform Guide 9
Table 1-4. PCI Slot Assignments for PowerEdge Cluster Nodes (continued)
PowerEdge System Riser Board Option HBA PCI Slot Assignment
1650 Any Emulex LP982
1750 Any Emulex LP982
1800 N/A Emulex LP982
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1850 Standard Emulex LP982
2500 N/A Emulex LP982
2550 N/A QLogic QLA2340 Install the HBAs in any
2600 N/A Emulex LP982
2650 N/A Emulex LP982
2800 N/A Emulex LP982
2850 PCI-X Emulex LP982
Install the HBAs in any Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
Emulex LP1050-EX Install the HBAs in PCIe
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
PCI-X with ROMB Emulex LP982
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
PCIe with ROMB Emulex LP1050-EX Install the HBAs in PCIe
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
Emulex LP1050-EX Install the HBAs in PCIe
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
available PCI slots.
Install the HBAs in any
available PCI or
PCI-X slots.
Install the HBAs in
PCI/PCI-X slots 1, 5, or 6.
slots 2 and 3.
Install the HBAs in
PCI-X slots 1 and 2.
Install the HBAs in
PCI-X slots 1 and 2.
slots 1 and 2.
Install the HBAs in
PCI slots 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.
available PCI slots.
Install the HBAs in
PCI-X slots 2, 3, 4, or 5.
Install the HBAs in any
available PCI or
PCI-X slots.
Install the HBAs in
PCI-X slots 2, 3, 4, or 5.
slots 6 and 7.
Install the HBAs in any
available PCI-X slots.
10 Platform Guide
Table 1-4. PCI Slot Assignments for PowerEdge Cluster Nodes (continued)
PowerEdge System Riser Board Option HBA PCI Slot Assignment
PCIe Emulex LP1050-EX Install the HBAs in PCIe
slots 1 and 2.
4400 N/A Emulex LP982
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
4600 N/A Emulex LP982
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
6400 N/A Emulex LP982
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
6450 N/A Emulex LP982
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
6600 N/A Emulex LP982
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
6650 N/A Emulex LP982
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
8450 N/A Emulex LP982
Emulex LP9802 QLogic QLA2340
Install the HBAs in any available PCI slots.
Install the HBAs in any available PCI or PCI-X slots.
Install the HBAs in any available PCI slots.
Install the HBAs in any available PCI slots.
Install the HBAs in any available PCI or PCI-X slots.
Install the HBAs in any available PCI or PCI-X slots.
Install the HBAs in any available PCI slots.
NOTE: Whenever possible, it is recommended that the HBAs be placed on separate buses to balance the
load on the system. These buses are identified as separate rows in Table 1-3.

Attaching Your Cluster to a Shared Storage System Through Direct-Attach Configuration

This section provides the rules and guidelines for attaching your cluster nodes to the shared storage system using a direct connection (without Fibre Channel switches).
In a direct-attach configuration, both cluster nodes are connected directly to the storage system.

Rules and Guidelines

The rules and guidelines described in Table 1-5 apply to direct-attached clusters.
Platform Guide 11
Table 1-5. Direct-Attached Clusters Rules and Guidelines
Rule/Guideline Description
Primary storage Each Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Windows Server 2003,
Fibre Channel HBAs supported
Emulex driver version SCSI port driver 5-2.22a8 or later (Windows 2000), Storport miniport driver
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Emulex firmware version 1.90a4 or later
QLogic driver version SCSI miniport driver 9.00.12 or later (Windows 2000), Storport miniport
QLogic BIOS version 1.42 or later
Operating system Each direct-attached cluster must run Windows 2000 Advanced Server or
Windows 2000 Advanced Server service pack
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition service pack
Dell | EMC CX600 core software
Dell | EMC CX400 core software
Dell | EMC CX200 core software
Additional software application programs
Enterprise Edition cluster can support up to 22 unique drive letters for shared logical drives. Windows Server 2003 can support additional physical drives through mount points.
Only one storage system can be directly attached to the cluster.
See Table 1-2 to determine which HBAs are supported on your PowerEdge server.
5-1.02a3 or later (Windows 2003).
driver 9.00.17 or later (Windows Server 2003).
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition.
Windows 2000 Advanced Server configurations require Service Pack 4 or later.
Windows Server 2003 configurations require KB818877 and the latest StorPort hotfix (KB838894 at the time of print); or Service Pack 1 if available.
2.07.600 or later; however, Access Logix™ Option 01.02.5 or later must be installed and enabled if two clusters or a mix of clustered and non-clustered hosts are direct-attached to the CX700.
2.07.400 or later.
2.07.200 or later.
EMC Navisphere Agent 6.7 or later.
EMC Navisphere Manager 6.7 or later.
EMC PowerPath
®
3.0.6 or later.
EMC AdmSnap version 2.4.0 or later.
EMC SnapView™ Option version 01.01.5 or later
Emulex Configuration Utility for Windows 2000 version 1.41a13 or later.
Emulex LPUtilNT for Windows Server 2003 version 1.7a12 or later.
QLogic SANsurfer SANblade Manager version 2.0.29 or later.
12 Platform Guide

Attaching Your Cluster Shared Storage System to a SAN

This section provides the rules and guidelines for attaching your PowerEdge cluster nodes to the shared storage systems through a Dell | EMC SAN using redundant Fibre Channel switch fabrics.

Rules and Guidelines

The rules and guidelines described in Table 1-6 apply to SAN-attached clusters.
Table 1-6. SAN-Attached Clusters Rules and Guidelines
Rule/Guideline Description
Primary storage Each Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Windows Server 2003,
Enterprise Edition cluster can support up to 22 unique drive letters for shared logical drives. Windows Server 2003 can support additional physical drives through mount points.
Up to four Dell | EMC Fibre Channel disk arrays are supported per cluster in a SAN environment.
Secondary storage Up to two PowerVault™ 132T, 136T, or 160T libraries.
Any system attached to the SAN can share these devices.
Fibre Channel switch configuration
Fibre Channel switch zoning
Fibre Channel switches supported
Fibre Channel switch firmware
Fibre Channel HBAs supported
Emulex driver version SCSI port driver 5-2.22a8 or later (Windows 2000), Storport miniport
Emulex firmware version 1.90a4 or later
QLogic driver version SCSI miniport driver 9.00.12 or later (Windows 2000), Storport
QLogic BIOS version 1.42 or later
Operating system Each cluster attached to the SAN must run Windows 2000 Advanced
Redundant switch fabrics required.
Single-initiator zoning.
Dell | EMC DS-16B2 (Brocade SilkWorm 3800), Brocade SilkWorm 3200, Brocade SilkWorm 3250, Brocade SilkWorm 3850, or Dell | EMC DS-24M2 (McData Sphereon 4500).
Version 3.1.2a or later for Brocade Silkworm 3200 /3800.
Version 4.2.0b or later for Brocade Silkworm 3250 /3850.
Version 6.01.00 or later for McData Sphereon 4500.
See Table 1-2 to determine which HBAs are supported on your PowerEdge server.
driver 5-1.02a3 or later (Windows 2003).
miniport driver 9.00.17 or later (Windows Server 2003).
Server or Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition.
Platform Guide 13
Table 1-6. SAN-Attached Clusters Rules and Guidelines (continued)
Rule/Guideline Description
Windows 2000 Advanced Server service pack
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition service pack
Dell | EMC CX600 core software
Dell | EMC CX400
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
core software
Dell | EMC CX200 core software
Additional software application programs
Windows 2000 Advanced Server configurations require Service Pack 4 or later.
Windows Server 2003 configurations require KB818877 and the latest StorPort hotfix (KB838894 at the time of print); or Service Pack 1 if available.
2.07.600 (with Access Logix Option 01.02.5 or later installed and Access Control enabled) or later.
2.07.400 (with Access Logix Option 01.02.5 or later installed and Access Control enabled) or later.
2.07.200 (with Access Logix Option 01.02.5 or later installed and Access Control enabled) or later.
EMC Navisphere Agent 6.7 or later.
EMC Navisphere Manager 6.7 or later.
EMC PowerPath 3.0.6 or later.
EMC MirrorView Option version 01.01.5 or later (not supported on the Dell | EMC CX200).
EMC MirrorView/Asynchronous Option version 01.01.5 or later (not supported on the Dell | EMC CX200).
EMC AdmSnap version 2.4.0 or later.
EMC SnapView Option version 01.01.5 or later.
Emulex Configuration Utility for Windows 2000 version 1.41a13 or later.
LPUtilNT for Windows Server 2003 version 1.7a12 or later.
QLogic SANsurfer SANblade Manager for Windows 2000 version 2.0.29 or later.
Obtaining More Information
See the about SAN-attached clusters. You can also see the Dell Support website at
Dell PowerEdge Cluster FE400 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide

Best Practices

This section provides best practices for troubleshooting issues that may occur in your cluster.
Incorrect TimeOutValue setting in the Registry.
When you run the Cluster Configuration wizard on a cluster solution running Windows Server 2003, the wizard modifies the following registry value:
14 Platform Guide
for more information
support.dell.com
.
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Disk\TimeOutValue
The disk
TimeOutValue
setting is the timeout value set by Windows for storage system I/O operations. The Dell | EMC Fibre Channel storage environment requires 60 seconds for I/O operations. When you run the Cluster Configuration wizard, the wizard sets the
TimeOutValue
setting to 20 seconds, which may not be sufficient for complex I/O operations.
Consequently, storage system I/O operations may continually time out.
Microsoft has confirmed a problem with the wizard and has implemented hotfix KB818877 to resolve this issue. See Microsoft Knowledge Base article KB818877 on the Microsoft Support website at
support.microsoft.com
for more information.
To resolve this issue, read the Knowledge Base article for instructions about how to obtain the required Quick Fix Executable (QFE) file from Microsoft. Download and apply the QFE as soon as possible.
If you
have not
configured your cluster, apply the QFE (or Service Pack 1 when available) to all
of the cluster nodes.
If you have configured your cluster, perform one of the following procedures and then reboot each cluster node, one at a time:
Manually change the registry
TimeOutValue
setting to 60 on each cluster node.
Download the Cluster Disk Timeout Fix utility from the Dell Support website at
support.dell.com
When prompted, type the name of your cluster in the
Dell | EMC
associated with the cluster name and sets the
and run the utility on your cluster.
in the
Storage system type
field. The utility locates the cluster nodes
Cluster name
TimeOutValue
field and select
setting on each node to the
correct setting.
Using a Tape Backup Library in a SAN
Cluster FE400 solutions-based on Windows 2000 Advanced Server- that are configured with Emulex HBAs can be connected to one or more tape backup libraries that can be shared with other clusters and systems in a SAN. To avoid disrupting I/O activities from other network systems to the tape drive and to ensure cluster failover operations, disable the target reset to the tape device.
To disable the target reset:
a
Click the
Start
button, select
Run
, and type the following:
c:\Program Files\HBAnyware\elxcfg.exe --emc
The
b
c
d
Emulex Configuration Tool
In the
Available Adapters
In the
Adapter Controls
In the
File
menu, select
box, select the first HBA in the list.
box, select
Apply
window appears.
Disable Target Reset for Tape Devices
.
.
Platform Guide 15
e
In the
f
Repeat step c and step d.
g
Reboot the cluster node.
h
Repeat step a through step g on each additional node.
The cluster disks are not initialized in Disk Management.
On clusters running Windows Server 2003, Disk Management may display the cluster disks as
not initialized
the same cluster.
This behavior is normal and does not affect cluster operations. See Microsoft Knowledge Base
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
article KB818878 on the Microsoft Support website at information.
Available Adapters
. This issue may occur if the cluster disks are owned by other nodes in
box, select the second HBA in the list.
support.microsoft.com
for more
16 Platform Guide
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