2 cluster heartbeats within one c class blade enclosure

[Nobis]

Hello,

I have to configure two Windows 2k3 2-node clusters within one C class enclosure. The blades servers are BL460C and there are 2 GbE2c interconnect modules.
Each blade server has 2 NICS, one will be dedicated to public networking and the second one to heartbeat communication.
What would be the best configuration for heartbeat NICS's?
- two dedicated ports on the Gb2Ec module # 2 with 2 tagged VLANS and a physical cable connecting the 2 ports?
- Or can I use only one port with 2 tagged VLAN's and no cable connected?
-Or can I use one port per cluster with no cable connected ?


Any suggestion or documentation would be appreciated.

Regards,
Thomas Nobis

[Lmm_1 · Accepted solution]

Port 17 and 18 are internal crosslink, those are on trunk 1 by default, that would be a good option for the heartbeat.

Then 1 external trunk (Port 20-24) for external network

rgds,
lmm

[Nobis]

Thanks Lmm,

That's probably the solution I am going to try.
I will use NIC 2 of the first node and NIC 1 of the second node for the heartbeat. Then I'll use ports 17 and 18 (tagged) to link the 2 Gb2Ec interconnect modules and create a Vlan dedicated to heartbeat.
I'll do te same for the 2nd cluster.

Any idea of what happens if one of the Gb2Ec modules goes down ? I'm sure the heartbeat will go down too but I am not sure of the consequences of losing the heartbeat...

Regards
Thomas

[Lmm_1]

Well if the module goes down, yeah the heartbeat will go down.... Maybe you can create another link between 2 external ports, 1 on each switch, have it on blocking state, just in case crosslinks fail. But if there is a power outage the heartbeat will be lost.

All that applies if this is a C7000 enclosure. If the enclosure is a C300 it will be a totally different scenario.

rgds,
lmm

[ammaikaka]

Hi Thomas,

I am currently having similar challenge, setting up heartbeat on a blade c7000 enclosure, can you still remember how you setup the heart beat.

thank you

Abdullahi