Dell HCI Solutions for Microsoft User Manual
Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft
Windows Server
Deployment Guide
Par t N umb er: H1 797 7.2
Feb rua ry 202 1
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Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................................. 5
Document overview............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Audience and scope............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Known issues........................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Chapter 2: Solution Overview........................................................................................................ 7
Solution introduction...........................................................................................................................................................7
Deployment models............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Switchless storage networking...................................................................................................................................7
Scalable infrastructure................................................................................................................................................. 8
Stretched cluster infrastructure...............................................................................................................................10
Solution integration and network connectivity........................................................................................................... 10
Chapter 3: Solution Deployment.................................................................................................. 12
Introduction to solution deployment..............................................................................................................................12
Deployment prerequisites.................................................................................................................................................12
Predeployment configuration.......................................................................................................................................... 13
Configuring network switches.................................................................................................................................. 13
Configuring iDRAC and BIOS.....................................................................................................................................13
Configuring QLogic NICs............................................................................................................................................ 14
Operating system deployment........................................................................................................................................ 14
Manual operating system deployment.................................................................................................................... 15
Factory-installed operating system deployment...................................................................................................15
Installing roles and features.............................................................................................................................................15
Verifying firmware and software compliance with the support matrix.................................................................16
Updating out-of-box drivers............................................................................................................................................16
Changing the hostname....................................................................................................................................................17
Configuring host networking........................................................................................................................................... 17
Joining cluster nodes to an Active Directory domain................................................................................................ 17
Deploying and configuring a host cluster..................................................................................................................... 18
Creating the host cluster........................................................................................................................................... 18
Enabling Storage Spaces Direct............................................................................................................................... 18
Configuring the host management network as a lower-priority network for live migration......................19
Updating the page file settings.................................................................................................................................19
Configuring a cluster witness................................................................................................................................... 20
Azure onboarding for Azure Stack HCI operating system................................................................................ 20
Best practices and recommendations.......................................................................................................................... 20
Disable SMB Signing...................................................................................................................................................20
Update the hardware timeout for the Spaces port............................................................................................ 20
Enable jumbo frames.................................................................................................................................................. 20
Recommended next steps............................................................................................................................................... 21
Deployment services......................................................................................................................................................... 21
Chapter 4: References.................................................................................................................22
Contents 3
Dell Technologies documentation..................................................................................................................................22
Microsoft documentation................................................................................................................................................ 22
Appendix A: Appendix A: Persistent Memory for Azure Stack HCI................................................23
Configuring persistent memory for Azure Stack HCI...............................................................................................23
Persistent memory requirements............................................................................................................................ 23
Configuring persistent memory BIOS settings..................................................................................................... 24
Configuring Azure Stack HCI persistent memory hosts.......................................................................................... 25
Managing persistent memory using Windows PowerShell................................................................................ 26
4 Contents
Introduction
Topics:
• Document overview
Audience and scope
•
• Known issues
Document overview
This deployment guide provides an overview of Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server, guidance on how to
integrate solution components, and instructions for preparing and deploying the solution infrastructure.
For end-to-end deployment steps, use the information in this guide with the information in Network Configuration and Host
Configuration Options.
This guide applies only to infrastructure that is built by using the validated and certified AX nodes from Dell Technologies and
Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, and the Azure Stack HCI operating system.
1
Audience and scope
The audience for this document includes systems engineers, field consultants, partner engineering team members, and
customers with knowledge about deploying hyperconverged infrastructures (HCIs) with Windows Server 2016, Windows Server
2019, the Azure Stack HCI operating system, Hyper-V, and Storage Spaces Direct. Customers who do not have Volume License
agreements with Microsoft can order AX nodes from Dell Technologies with a factory-installed operating system and OEM
license or as a bare metal installation.
The Azure Stack HCI cluster can be deployed in either of the following ways:
● Dell EMC Services led—Certified deployment engineers ensure accuracy, speed, and reduced risk and downtime.
● Customer led—Customers who have the qualified level of technical expertise follow the instructions in this guide.
● Windows Admin Center—Deployment services engineers or customers perform the Azure Stack HCI solution deployment
using Windows Admin Center. For more information, see the Creating a Microsoft Azure Stack HCI cluster using Windows
Admin Center Deployment Guide.
NOTE:
Instructions in this deployment guide are applicable only to:
● The generally available (GA) operating system build of Windows Server 2016 with the latest applicable updates
● The Windows Server 2019 GA build with the latest operating system updates
● The GA operating system build of the Azure Stack HCI operating system with the latest cumulative update
These instructions are not validated with Windows Server version 1709. AX nodes from Dell Technologies do not support
the Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release. Dell Technologies recommends that you update the host operating
system with the latest cumulative updates from Microsoft before starting the Azure Stack HCI cluster creation and
configuration tasks.
Assumptions
This guide assumes that deployment personnel understand the following concepts and tasks:
● AX nodes from Dell Technologies
● Deploying and configuring BIOS and integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) settings
● Deploying and configuring Windows Server core operating system Hyper-V infrastructure
Introduction 5
Known issues
Before starting the cluster deployment, review the known issues and workarounds.
For information about known issues and workarounds, see https://www.dell.com/support/article/sln313305.
6 Introduction
2
Solution Overview
Topics:
• Solution introduction
Deployment models
•
• Solution integration and network connectivity
Solution introduction
Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server include various configurations of AX nodes. These AX nodes power the
primary compute cluster that is deployed as a hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI). The HCI uses a flexible solution architecture
rather than a fixed component design.
For information about supported AX nodes and operating system support for each of the AX nodes, see the Support Matrix for
Microsoft HCI Solutions.
The solutions are available in both hybrid and all-flash configurations. For more information about available configurations, see
the AX nodes specification sheet.
Deployment models
Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server offer the following types of cluster infrastructure deployments:
● Switchless storage networking
● Scalable infrastructure
● Stretched cluster infrastructure
NOTE:
Deployment instructions for stretched cluster infrastructure are not covered in this deployment guidance. For
information about this infrastructure, see the Dell EMC Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI: Stretched Cluster
Deployment Reference Architecture Guide.
Switchless storage networking
This variant of Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server offers two to four nodes in a switchless configuration
for storage traffic. This infrastructure can be implemented using any of the validated and supported AX nodes. However,
the number of nodes in a cluster varies between the AX node models and the number of network adapters that each model
supports.
Switchless storage networking offers two full-mesh configurations:
● Single-link
● Dual-link
For more information about these switchless storage networking configurations, see Network Integration and Host
Configuration Options.
NOTE: For the two-node cluster deployment, configure a cluster witness. For details, see Configuring a cluster witness.
NOTE: The switchless storage configuration has been validated with back-to-back connections for storage connectivity.
The following figure illustrates the switchless storage networking infrastructure:
Solution Overview 7
Figure 1. Switchless storage networking
Scalable infrastructure
The scalable offering within Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server encompasses various AX node
configurations. In this Windows Server HCI solution, as many as 16 AX nodes power the primary compute cluster.
The following figure illustrates one of the flexible solution architectures. It includes the Azure Stack HCI cluster, redundant
top-of-rack (ToR) switches, a separate out-of-band (OOB) network, and an existing management infrastructure in the data
center.
8
Solution Overview
Figure 2. Scalable solution architecture
Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server do not include management infrastructure components such as a cluster
for hosting management VMs and services such as Microsoft Active Directory, Domain Name System (DNS), Windows Server
Update Services (WSUS), and Microsoft System Center components such as Operations Manager (SCOM). The instructions
in this guide do not include deployment of any of these services and components, and assumes that at least an Active
Directory domain controller is available in the existing management infrastructure. In a remote office scenario, Dell Technologies
recommends that you deploy either an Active Directory replica or read-only domain controller (RODC) at the remote office.
Solution Overview
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