Guest Clustering on Simplivity?

[BadHabit]

Hey guys,

I´d have a question about Simplivity and MSCS Guest Clustering.

In our current ISCSI-SAN based setup we use this a lot to ensure availability of certain network resources also on planned maintenance works like updates etc...

I´ve found a documentation for simplivity explaining guest clustering on a single host (http://www.vhersey.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/windows-server-failover-clustering-white-paper-en.pdf).

Now, according to the official MSCS guide from VMWare, a cluster across physical hosts needs shared storage and Raw-Device-Mappings to be supported and especially for vMotion to be supported.

How can this be achieved in a 2-node simplivity setup? Is there a way to present certain datastores via ISCSI to the hosts?

I really would like to keep using guest clustering as it increases availablitity and decreases the need for weekend patchdays :-)

Thanks in advance for any hint you could give me.

Thanks in advance,

BadHabit 

[BadHabit]

Nearly 300 views and not a single response?

Nobody from HPE active here? I hope the SimpliVity platform is more vital than this forum...

[scott_svt]

Hi @BadHabit,

Sorry about the lack of response here. The SVT forum page has only just been set up (and this post was moved here); it must have slipped through the cracks. Unfortuanately there is no iSCSI support (required for full functionality) on HPE SimpliVity, but even with that said, there are a few problems with that document in that it needs a shared disk - something which can only be achieved on NFS with thick-provisioned disks, which is not supported in our VAAI implimentation.

A more robust method on SVT, is an application based approach vs. the 'infrastructure'-based approach of MSFC. Have you considered something like 'Always-On' as a viable option?

Thanks,

Scott

[BadHabit]

Hi Scott,

thanks for your response.

Always-On would be an option, but for full functionality I need a SQL Enterprise license which Microsoft doesn´t give away for free unfortunately.

Anyway this doesn´t help for other services like Fileserver Clustering, DHCP Cluster, Generic Application Clusters and so on, which is in our case quite bad as we use this a lot to be able to install updates and do maintenance on a lot of systems without affecting our 24/7 internal customers.

Therefore some kind of virtual ISCSI solution would be really great (you have the technology inhouse with the StoreVirtual VSA which does exactly that, would also be a huge advantage over vSAN)

Regards,

BadHabit

[scott_svt]

Hi BadHabit,

I hear you on the support for iSCSI. At this stage there are no imminent plans for this, but by all means talk to your Account Team who can push this with Product Management for you.

Thanks,

Scott