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Using the Cluster Configuration (SCSI Only)

For the SANnet II 200 SCSI array and the SANnet II 220 SCSI array, if you are using Microsoft Windows, SANscape can monitor shared SCSI storage. A cluster configuration must be set up with the appropriate hardware first, and it also requires Windows 2000 or 2003 Server and Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) software.

Planning the Cluster Configuration

Before you set up a cluster configuration, you must determine what type of configuration you want because it can make a difference in how you configure the storage initially.

There are two main types of cluster configuration:

  • A hot standby server cluster where all of the LUNs belong to one of the two servers in the cluster. If the server owning the LUNs fails, the LUNs are moved to the second server, which has been idle to this point. A minimum of two LUNs are required in this configuration.

  • A load balanced cluster, where some LUNs are maintained on one server and some LUNs are maintained on the other server. Both servers process data at the same time, but they are processing I/O on different LUNs.

A minimum of three LUNs must be defined. This enables one small LUN to be established for quorum disk use and a large LUN to be used on each server in the cluster. The quorum disk maintains the cluster configuration data necessary to recover the cluster in the event of a server failure.

Cluster Configuration Requirements

When you are installing the MSCS software, identify the disk to be used for the quorum disk, which maintains cluster information.

In a cluster configuration, the program runs on only one server at a time, the server that has the quorum disk. If the server running with SANscape malfunctions, the Cluster Administrator automatically changes the first server’s disk load to the second server and start the services on that server.

In a two-server cluster configuration, the cluster itself, with its own IP address, becomes the managed server on the Managed Servers list. Add the cluster to the Managed Servers list as the last step in setting up the cluster.

For an overview of the steps needed to set up an array in a cluster configuration with two host servers, see "To Set Up Cluster Configuration" in the SANscape User's Guide.

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