Proliant-Win2k3 Clustering

[Jay Gomez]

Hi to all,

I was assigned to implement a clustering on 2 DL380 G3 with MSA500 storage G2 using windows 2003 enterprise OS.I already experienced installing and configured most of Proliant Servers using win2k and win2k3 OS but not on cluster. I hope somebody could provide me a link or a detailed technical procedure on how to implement this thing.


Thanks,
Jay

[Stephen Kebbell]

Hi Jay,

here's a link for some documents about a DL380 cluster with MSA500 (Packaged Cluster)
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/solutions/enterprise/highavailability/whitepapers/ms-packagedcluster.html
In particular, have a look at the best practices guide and installation checklists.

Regards,
Stephen

[Jay Gomez]

Hi Stephen,

Thanks for your support...
Actually what we have here is not a package cluster... We will be the one to configure it from the scratch... What i have here with me now is 1 MSA500 (w/ 6x36.4 HDD Ultra 320 10K) and 2 DL380 G3(w/ 2x36.4 HDD Ultra 320 10K each)... What are the additional components and devices needed to come -up with a clustered solution... Can u provide me also if ever some write ups or documents on how to install it manually...(Hardware set-up)... coz i think software cluster is another side of the installation (we will be using win2k3 server ent. edition)...

[Stephen Kebbell]

Hi Jay,

Well, the packaged cluster is mostly just hardware: 2x DL380, 1x MSA500, 2x VHDCI SCSI cables, 1x Ethernet Crossover Cable, plus labels on all ports to tell you what plugs in where. So all you need (on the hardware side) are the cables and to know where to put them.
This confioguration poster will show you how to cable the components:
http://h200005.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/UCR/SupportManual/TPM_252657-003_rev1_us/TPM_252657-003_rev1_us.pdf

Just some software basics (apologies if you already know this, but you said you haven't setup proliants in a cluster before): An MSCS cluster needs to be in a Windows Domain, so add both nodes to the domain when you're installing Windows, and create a cluster admin account in the domain for the cluster service to use. This is covered in more detail on Microsoft's site.

Power on the MSA500, wait until you see "MSA500 Startup Complete" on the controller display. Then power up one server. Configure your internal disks and boot SmartStart to install the OS. When the OS setup is complete, run HP Array Configuration Utility. Now you should see the internal Smart Array 5i and the MSA500. Set up your disks in the MSA. Either set up a dedicated array for your quorum, or put all the disks in one array and create multiple logical drives. Make the quroum at least 500MB in size.
You should then see the new logical drives as physical disks in Windows Disk Management. The installation checklist in my first link has details of how to continue with the cluster installation (software). When your first node is setup, power on and install the 2nd node. When Windows is installed there, run ACU just to make sure you can see the MSA500, then add the 2nd node to the cluster, as described in the installation checklist.

If you have any further questions, please ask.

Regards,
Stephen

[Mike Povall]

Hi Jay,

As you have all of the additional components you can treat your setup as if it were a packaged cluster and use the documentation for the package to help you.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=SupportManual&locale=en_US&docIndexId=179911&taskId=101&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=316563

should take you to the documentation area for the packaged cluster.

Hope this helps, Mike.

[Jay Gomez]

Hi Stephen and Mike,

Thanks again for the support...
Our client adds another (1) MSA500 and they want (Clustered Active-active) setup.. 2 DL380 and 2 MSA500...
how will it be interconnected...
I am also confused coz there are 2 smart array 642 controller bundled with the MSA500 which i think needs to be inserted on the PCI-X 133Mhz slot on the DL380.And the DL380 has only 1 slot of PCI-X 133... is it possible to insert the other smart Array controller to the 100Mhz slot? what will be the configuration on this kind of set-up? ... Hope you can provide me a write-ups on this...

All the best,
Jay

[Stephen Kebbell]

Hi Jay,

I've just checked some more details, the MSA500 G2 only seems to be supported by the SA-642 (the G1 version also worked on the onboard 5i controller in the DL380, this support seems to have been removed for the G2). Not a problem, though. Each Server will have 2 SA-642 adapters, and they will work in any slot.
Configuration shouldn't be a problem. Cable the 2nd MSA500 like the 1st.
When you say Cluster (Active-Active) what exactly do you mean?

Regards,
Stephen

[Jay Gomez]

Hi Stephen,

Thanks again for your reply...
I'm sorry about that "active-active thing", our partner who will be the one to install the application is the one in charge of it...
It is on the application side...
Anyways, my concern more now is my set-up on my cluster, as what i've mention previously.Since i have 2 MSA500 interconnected to 2 DL230, how will i configure it to make something like mirrored storage?...I also checked in the disk management of the OS, and what i've seen is that the two storage was detected, I am just confused coz if the storage is mirrored, then only 1 should be detected..... Pls correct me if i am wrong.... how will i set-up this correctly for my storage fault tolerance...
Hoping for your response..

Thanks,
Jay

[Jay Gomez]

HI,

<<<<<< CORRECTION >>>>
2 X DL380 G3....

[Stephen Kebbell · Accepted solution]

Hi Jay,

I notice you've posted another thread about this. And as Doug has responded, you need extra software if you want to mirror storage in a cluster. Another software option is Veritas' Storage Foundation Suite 4.1 for Windows (VSFW). Though I don't think this is supported for the MSA500. If you had the MSA1000 and everything on Fibrechannel instead of SCSI, then it would be supported. In fact, I've set up a couple of these solutions myself.
To mirror the storage on MSAs you could create a dynmic mirrored volume under Windows. The problem is that MSCS cannot use dynamic disks. VSFW has an MSCS option that allows you to assign its Dynamic Disk groups as a cluster resource.

Regards,
Stephen