Secure Path Software Installation

[Jay Errappa_1]

Hi
I have setup a MScluster with one MSA 1000 and two Dl380G4(one FC card per server).
On Node1 i have the Exchange EVS & Cluster Group.
On Node2 i have the SQL VS, File Srv VS & MSDTC Group.
Securepath software have not been installed.
I just brought the cluster high availability kits, the MSA 1000 will now contain two Switches 2/8 & two controllers.The DL 380 Srv will have two FC card (HBA).
Question: Since i have already configured the MS Clusters, can i install Secure Path now and if yes can anybody give me a procedures for installation without removing all my cluster config.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Jay Errappa

[Bostjan Kosi]

Jay, there is always a high risk of loosing disk signatures, so before installing secure path, better even, before installing redundant kit (hba and controllers) backup disk signatures (dumpcfg). I have seen signatures beeing overwritten just by showing one disk over two paths as a result of a mistake. Data will stay there, but you will no longer be able to run cluster service if it does not find correct signatures. Also check MS documentation on running cluster without quorum disk and ways to replace it because this will probably happen after you install secure path. All disks will be rediscovered (somethimes as new devices)

BR
B.

[Urban Petry]

What's important on MS clusters with regard to shared storage is that the disk signature of all your cluster shared disks (the Physical Disk resources) _must not_ change once they're configured within the cluster like in your case - otherwise your cluster will fail.
Therefore I would first record the current disk signatures of all cluster disks (using the resource kit tools dumpcfg.exe or diskmap.exe, or even the goold old dskprobe.exe).
Next I would stop and disable the cluster service on both nodes, disable the Clusdisk driver (seen in device manager as a non-PnP device when enabling hidden devices in the view menu) and shutdown and power off the machines. Since there now is no synchronization of disk access between the nodes it's mandatory from now on that only one machine accesses the disk at a time (that is: never power up both of them)!

What I don't know (because I haven't done it) is whether to install SecurePath before installing the second HBA or afterwards. I would try to install it first, then installing the second HBA into the server. If you're going the other path, you definitely have to set the disk signatures of all shared disk to the saved values again, because on first bootup W2K/W2K3 sees the same disk (and therefore same disk signature) twice which makes it silently write a new disk signature because they must be unique ...
Do of course the same steps on the second node while the first node is down and check with spmgr.exe that SecurePath really has 4 paths to the storage system (which means zoning, cabling etc. is somewhat correct)

When both nodes have SecurePath & the second HBA successfully installed, triple check that the "old" disk signatures are in place. Then enable the ClusDisk driver and the cluster service on one node and reboot it. Now the cluster should come up fine. Then do the same steps on the second node which should give you your old cluster back.

As I said I haven't done this myself but if you keep the disk signatures the same (or make them afterwards) you should be fine.

[Jay Errappa_1]

Thank you guys.

Here is what i did and it's ok.since i am in a production environment 24/24hrs, can't afford any downtime.Install HBA, but do not connect it to the SAN switch now, move all resources to node 2,stop cluster Service on Node 1, Install Secure Path 4.0c, SP1 and Patch post SP1, Shutdown Node1, connect both HBA to SAN switch and Switch on Node1.
do the same thing on Node 2.

Thanks
Jay