Dell SE400, SL400 User Manual

Dell™ PowerEdge™ Cluster SE400 and SL400

Platform Guide

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Notes, Notices, and Cautions

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

NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you

how to avoid the problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury,

or death.

____________________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2002 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.

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, Dell OpenManage, Pow er Ed ge , and Pow er Vau lt are trademarks of Dell
Computer Corporation; Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and
names or their products. Dell Computer Corporation disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names
other than its own.

August 2002 P/N 1K780 Rev. A04

This document provides information for installing and connecting peripheral hardware
components to your Dell™ PowerEdge™ Cluster SE400 and SL400 systems. The
configuration information in this document is specific to Microsoft
Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition and Windows

®

2000 Advanced Server operating systems.

®

Windows NT®

This document provides the following information:

• PowerVault™ and PowerEdge systems that support Cluster SE400 and SL400 cluster
configurations

• PowerEdge systems that work together in a Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise
Edition or Windows 2000 Advanced Server cluster configuration

• PCI slot information for installing Dell OpenManage™ Remote Assistant Card II
(DRAC II cards), Dell Remote Access Card III (DRAC III cards), NICs, and RAID
controllers in your cluster nodes

NOTE: Configurations not listed in this document are not certified or supported by

Dell or Microsoft.

Supported Cluster Configurations

Table 1-1 provides a list of supported cluster configurations for the Cluster SE400 and
SL400 running Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition or Windows 2000 Advanced
Server.

Table 1-1. Supported Cluster Configurations

PowerEdge
Cluster

SE400 1550, 1650, 2400,

SL400 1550, 2400, 2450,

Supported
PowerEdge
Systems

2450, 2500, 2550,
2600, 2650, 4400,
4600, 6400, 6450,
6600, 6650, and 8450

2500, 2550, 4400,
6400, 6450, and 8450

Supported
PowerVault Storage
Systems

220S and 221S Any supported NIC

220S and 221S Emulex cluster local area

Supported Cluster
Interconnect (for the
Private Network)

network (cLAN) high
performance, low-latency host
adapter

Platform Guide 1-1

Rules and Guidelines

When configuring your cluster, both cluster nodes must contain identical versions of the
following:

• Operating systems and service packs

• Hardware drivers for the NICs, RAID controllers, and any other peripheral hardware
components

• Management utilities, such as Dell OpenManage systems management software

Obtaining More Information

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See the section related to your cluster product for more information on supported
configurations.

See the Dell PowerEdge Cluster SE400 and SL400 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for
a detailed list of related documentation.

Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition and Windows 2000 Advanced Server Cluster Configurations

This section provides information on PowerEdge cluster configurations for your
Cluster SE400 and SL400 running the Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition or
Windows 2000 Advanced Server operating system.

Your Cluster SE400 and SL400 supports PowerEdge systems as cluster nodes in identical
systems running Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition or Windows 2000 Advanced
Server.

Table 1-2 provides a list of PowerEdge systems that work together in SE400 or SL400 cluster
configurations.

Table 1-2. PowerEdge Cluster Node Configurations

1550 1650 24

1550­1550

1650­1650

xx

2400­2400

2450­2450

25

xx

2500­2500

2550­2550

26

xx

2600­2600

2650­2650

4400 4600 64

4400­4400

4600­4600

6400­6400

6450­6450

xx

66

xx

6600­6600

6650­6650

8450

8450­8450

NOTE: The PowerEdge 1650, 2600, 2650, 4600, 6600, and 6650 systems are not

supported in the SL400 configurations.

1-2 Platform Guide

Service Pack Support

Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 6a (SP6a) or later is recommended for Cluster SE400
and SL400 systems.

Windows 2000 Advanced Server Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later are recommended for
Cluster SE400 and SL400 systems.

You can download the latest service pack from the Microsoft website located at
www.microsoft.com.

See the Dell PowerEdge Cluster SE400 and SL400 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for
instructions on installing the service pack.

Installing Peripheral Components in Your PowerEdge Cluster Node PCI/PCI-X Slots

This section provides configuration information for adding NICs, a DRAC II or III, and
RAID controllers into your cluster node PCI/PCI-X slots.

Installing the PERC 3/DC

You must install the PERC 3/DC RAID controller in a 64-bit PCI/PCI-X slot up to 133 MHz
or a 32-bit, 33-MHz PCI slot. See the PCI/PCI-X slot assignments in the following section
for information about your specific system.

If you are using multiple PERC 3/DC cards, Dell recommends that you install them on
separate PCI buses for load balancing.

Adding Peripherals to Your PowerEdge Cluster Nodes

CAUTION: Hardware installation should be performed only by trained service

technicians. Before working inside the system, see the safety instructions in
your PowerEdge
could cause serious injury or death.

NOTE: To ensure that the SCSI or RAID controller attached to the boot drives

initializes first, you might have to change the device controller priority order using
the system BIOS utility or physically change the order of the RAID adapters. This
process ensures that the Windows operating system numbers the boot drives in the
proper sequence.

Table 1-3 provides PCI slot assignment information for installing RAID controllers and
NICs in your PowerEdge cluster nodes.

System Information Guide

document to avoid a situation that

Platform Guide 1-3