Win2003 Server Enterprise Cluster Shared Storage Needed!

[G. Levine]

Hello.

I have 2 HP DL320 G5's running Win2003 Enterprise.

My goal is to cluster these two servers for file and print. To do this one of the technical requirements is SHARED STORAGE that is either: SCSI, or Fibre connected to the servers via a Host Bus Adapter installed in each server.

My question is this: What HP storage device(s) will allow me to complete my configuration and satisfy the technical requirements?

This is the final step for me and an answer from HP, or someone with practical experience with Microsoft Cluster Services.

Please give me the scoop...we do not need a Cadillac, the Chevy will do. Thanks.

[Rune J. Winje]

Generally you would choose storage which is on the Microsoft Cluster Hardware Compatibility List (Cluster HCL) and then the corresponding controller - most soulutions are fiber HBA's nowadays with the low end being MSA1000 type solutions.

DL320 is not on the HCL so has not been tested with cluster - technically not supported. Cluster configs seem to start with minimum DL360's

Again for practical purposes DL320 might work, assuming it can fit the extra HBA etc.

Clusters are generally geared towards high availability and not cost savings :)

For printing also be aware of the current move towards server-less setup:
http://www.hp.com/go/upd


Cheers,
Rune

[Rune J. Winje]

Forgot an essential link that has listing of certified cluster solutions:

http://h18013.www1.hp.com/solutions/enterprise/highavailability/answercenter/configuration-all.html

For other 3.rd party solutions you could search the http://www.windowsservercatalog.com/
Hardware > Cluster Solutions > search...



Cheers,
Rune

[james Gicheru]

Hi

On clusters the basic theory is just Shared Storage and your minimum two servers
i would prefer two choices

fibre
here we have the entry level MSA1000/1500cs ensure they have their own intergrated switches to avoid the costs of expensive san switches, the MSA1000/1500 are ok, have good features, easily manageable and configurable (from ACU) and are entry level hence cheap. the only problem will be if you can slot two HBA's to your server (4 or 2 dual ports if you want to consider multipathing your disks)

the other option is to go Iscsi(IP over SCSI) and for HP the iscsi device of choice is MSA1510i and the requirements for this is just a normal network card, the ISCSI initiator software (free download from MS + you will get the instations from the MSA1510i package). the device is very user friendly and straight foward.

anyway those are mythoughts on the issue, hope they help.

James

[G. Levine]

Thanks for the information.

The MSA500 is working fine with the DL320 G5's.