Implementing PowerEdge Clusters and PowerVault SANs

Transcription

1 H I G H - V I L I L I T Y C L U S T E R S Implementing PowerEdge Clusters and PowerVault SNs This article is the second in a series on integrating PowerEdge Clusters and PowerVault SNs. y Mike Kosacek and Ed Yardumian The first installment of integrating PowerEdge Clusters with PowerVault rea Networks (SNs) 1 introduced Dell s supported Microsoft Cluster Server configurations using direct-attached storage, SN-attached storage, and consolidation configurations. This installment introduces the PowerEdge Cluster FE200/FL200 and new features and components supported with Dell s SN release, version 4.0. PowerVault storage area network (SN) release represents the deployment of some or all of the following components: new devices such as storage enclosures and Fibre Channel switches, management software, firmware, and drivers. y deploying components together in a single release, new devices, features, and supported configurations can be extensively tested and well documented, making PowerVault SNs very robust and easier to implement and support. The Dell PowerVault SN 4.0 release introduces new Fibre Channel storage enclosures: the PowerVault 660F RID array and 224F expansion enclosure as well as new features including support for the PowerVault 530F SN appliance in Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) configurations and updates for the PowerVault 65xF. This article describes how to implement SN 4.0 for MSCS s in a variety of configurations, including consolidation and those with the PowerVault 530F SN appliance. PowerVault 660F Dell introduced the PowerVault 660F disk system with PowerVault SN 4.0 and support for MSCS ing in PowerEdge Cluster FE200 and FL200 configurations. The 660F s 3U (rack units) enclosure includes dual, active Dell RID controllers on separate loops, up to 14 one-inch 10,000 or 15,000 rpm disks, battery-backed and mirrorcapable cache, and redundant management modules, power, and cooling. ll components, including the RID controllers, are hotplug capable. Each RID controller supports up to 512 M of SDRM, write-through or mirrored write-back caching, automatic rebuild operations, and loop expansion for up to seven additional PowerVault 224F disk enclosures. PowerVault 224F disk enclosures, each containing up to 14 disk drives, expand the total storage capacity via I/O expansion modules that connect either directly to the RID controllers or via cascaded link modules on other 224Fs. PowerVault 224F enclosures can be upgraded to PowerVault 660Fs simply by replacing the I/O expansion modules in the option slot with PowerVault RID controllers. The 660F and 224F use dual ported disk drives. Combined with the dual-active RID controllers and dual-loop configuration of the 660F/224F enclosure, the storage system has fully redundant data paths. 1 Kosacek, Mike and Yardumian, Ed. Integrating PowerEdge Clusters with rea Networks. Dell Power Solutions, Issue 3, 2000, p PowerSolutions 47

2 H I G H - V I L I L I T Y C L U S T E R S In configurations with dual host bus adapters (s), the QLogic QLDirect utility running on the servers monitors the connections between the s located in the servers and the PowerVault 660F. In these scenarios, if an, cable, or RID controller in the storage subsystem fails, QLDirect automatically reroutes traffic to the other path. If, for example, a RID controller fails, the mirrored cache in the other RID controller can actually finish the requests that the failed controller was unable to complete. These are major advantages over SCSI ing implementations that typically offer only a single path between each server and the external storage enclosure. The ability to use multiple paths along with these other high-availability features protects the storage system from many potential failures without requiring the -initiated server-to-server application failover. Like the PowerVault 650F and PowerEdge Cluster FE100 and FL100 configurations, the PowerVault 660F supports direct-attached storage, SN-attached storage, and consolidation in PowerEdge Cluster FE200 and FL200 configurations. Direct-attach configurations basic direct-attach PowerEdge Cluster FE200 or FL200 configuration includes the two nodes and a single PowerVault 660F storage system. In direct-attached FE200/FL200 configurations, the two RID controllers in the The PowerVault 660F supports directattached storage, SN-attached storage, and consolidation in PowerEdge Cluster FE200 and FL200 configurations. PowerVault 660F are connected to a single QLogic 2200/33 MHz or 2200/66 MHz located in each node (see Figure 1). switches are not required for direct-attach configurations. These copper storage cables have a highspeed serial data connector (HSSDC) on the server and a D-9 connector for the storage. Connecting one or more PowerVault 224F storage expansion enclosures to the PowerVault 660F increases the storage capacity in direct-attach configurations. For fully redundant and dual-active server-to-storage paths, a PowerVault SN can be implemented to leverage the components used in direct-attach configurations. SN-attached configurations Dell PowerVault 51F (8-port) or PowerVault 56F (16-port) switches are the beginning point for PowerVault SNs. For all PowerEdge Cluster configurations using PowerVault storage, Dell supports dual, active switch fabrics. These switches can also be connected together, or cascaded, to provide a higher number of available ports. Dual fabrics are separate storage networks between the servers and the storage enclosures. The use of two separate fabrics ensures that no component within the storage subsystem (, cable, or RID controller) is a single point of failure for the. Dual fabrics enable throughput from the server to the storage to effectively double while also protecting the system against component failures. dding a switched SN to the PowerVault 660F adds a significant number of capabilities to the : Server 1 FC RID controller FC RID controller Server 2 Copper HSSDC-to-D-9 cables Multipathing redundant, active -to-controller connections ackup over SN servers share tape backup devices and perform backup operations over the SN rather than over the network One-to-many configurations one with multiple PowerVault 660F storage systems Many-to-one configurations consolidation with up to 10 s sharing a single PowerVault 660F storage system and optional tape backup device(s) Mixed storage and consolidation configurations multiple s and stand-alone servers with heterogeneous supported operating systems sharing the same PowerVault 660F storage system and optional tape backup device(s) Figure 1. PowerVault storage arrays PowerVault 660F and optional 224F storage arrays Several different storage technologies, including logical unit number (LUN) masking and switch zoning, enable these configurations for MSCS s. ecause and 48 PowerSolutions

3 Windows 2000 claim all accessible disks, zoning and LUN masking techniques ensure that each server or attached to the SN does not see or have access to disks belonging to other servers or s. Dell s OpenManage rray Manager application can configure and manage the RID volumes as well as configure the PowerVault 660F RID controller s LUN masking capabilities. Graphical user interface- (GUI-) based tools, such as Switch Manager, are used to configure zoning on PowerVault switches. Dell provides extensive documentation on these procedures for both standalone servers and MSCS nodes. See the section Dell s installation documentation in this article for more information. and consolidation In the storage environment, consolidation relates to multiple servers using resources within a single enclosure. Consolidation examples include: consolidation two or more servers each have dedicated RID volumes inside a single storage enclosure Cluster consolidation shared storage for multiple MSCS s coexists within the same enclosure attached to a SN SN-consolidated backup tape backup changers and autoloaders accessed by multiple servers over a storage area network With PowerVault SNs and PowerEdge Clusters, all of these configurations are tested, documented, and supported simultaneously on the same SNs. Each storage enclosure supports stand-alone nodes and pairs. The stand-alone servers can be running NetWare, Server 4.0, Server, or dvanced Server. The pairs should be running the same operating system on both nodes, but 4.0, Enterprise Edition and dvanced Server s can coexist in the same SN, and even share the same storage enclosure. Figure 2 shows a SN with two enclosures, one PowerVault 650F, and one PowerVault 660F. Each supports a variety of servers and s, and all servers share access to tape libraries attached to the SN. Remote mirroring will be discussed later in this article. Integrating the PowerVault 530F SN appliance The Dell PowerVault 530F SN appliance enhances the availability and capabilities of the SN. The PowerVault 530F is a central point of intelligence for the SN that enables storage replication, snapshots, and virtualization in an integrated appliance rather than distributing the implementation of these features across a variety of different hardware component and software tools. Furthermore, by off-loading the processing required to execute these solutions from the servers and storage devices, the PowerVault 530F is appropriate Consolidated group 1 Consolidated group 2 node 1 node 2 node 1 node 2 server 3 node 1 node 2 switch fabric switch fabric to-scsi bridge server 3 PowerVault 650F and 630F PowerVault 660F and 224F Figure 2. SN supports a variety of servers and s PowerSolutions 49

4 H I G H - V I L I L I T Y C L U S T E R S Cluster 1 node 1 Cluster 1 node 2 Cluster 2 node 1 Cluster 2 node 2 switch -1 switch -1 Multiple appliance-to-switch connections provide high throughput SN appliance SN appliance IP replication network Location 2 SN appliances switch -2 switch -2 Source Local mirror Remote mirror Figure 3. Redundant SN appliances provide storage replication for high-performance configurations and mission-critical data connected to stand-alone servers and MSCS s. The PowerVault 530F sits logically between the host servers and the storage, but adds only minimal latency to the overall storage system. 2 The PowerVault 530F can assign virtual storage units to each host server. The host server is unaware of the specific physical disk, array, or enclosure that it is actually using since the PowerVault 530F can map the storage to any available target ID and LUN. Each redundant pair of PowerVault 530F SN appliances can virtualize up to four PowerVault storage systems. s with the SN-attached configurations, each redundant pair of PowerVault 530Fs can support up to 10 pairs or a combination of up to 20 ed and non-ed hosts. Partitioning can be useful for separating logical data units or for enforcing quotas. When configuring an active/active in which separate disk resources must be available for both servers, the creation of multiple RID volumes is a requirement. Using the PowerVault 530F, a large RID volume created on the PowerVault 650F, for example, could be virtualized and presented to Windows as multiple, separate RID volumes. MSCS would be able to fail over these virtualized volumes separately. The PowerVault 530F SN appliance can be configured to provide data replication either locally (over a network), remotely (over an IP network), or both. This process is transparent to the nodes and the applications. For combined local and remote mirroring, also referred to as three-way mirroring, the source RID volume is replicated to two different targets: one locally using Protocol (FCP) packetized SCSI over and one remotely using an IP network. The availability of a local copy of the storage protects the from a complete failure of the primary storage system. The SN appliance can detect the failover of the primary storage system and make the failover to the local replica instantly, without interfering with the s operations. If both copies of the local storage fail, all I/Os are routed to the remote storage. Local mirroring via FCP is always synchronous and supported for distances up to 500 meters over multimode fiber, or one or 2 Dawkins, Ph.D., ill; Kocis, Tom; and Marks, Kevin. Dell PowerVault 530F Enterprise SN ppliance Performance Characteristics. Dell Power Solutions, Issue 4, PowerSolutions

5 POWEREDGE CLUSTERS ND MICROSOFT CLUSTER SERVER PowerEdge Cluster is an integrated system of components, including at least two PowerEdge servers, a PowerVault storage system, a interconnect, and Microsoft s failover software. Microsoft Cluster Service and Microsoft Cluster Server for Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition, implement a two-node failover that delivers high availability for applications and services. Optional features of a PowerEdge Cluster include advanced management software, Dell OpenManage Cluster ssistant with ClusterX, installation services, consulting services, proof-of-concept testing, and a system availability guarantee (SG) program. Dell extensively tests and certifies all supported PowerEdge Cluster configurations. ll PowerEdge Clusters offer out-of-the-factory readiness and require no additional third-party products or costly -specific components. PowerEdge Cluster solutions are defined by the storage components incorporated. PowerEdge Clusters support Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition or dvanced Server in specific configurations in active/active and active/passive and software configurations. See for documentation for these supported configurations including prerequisites, preparation information for ing, installation instructions, and troubleshooting information. Type Model Host adapter enclosure requirements Cluster interconnect SCSI PowerEdge Cluster PowerEdge Expandable PowerVault Dual enclosure services Fast Ethernet (using SE100 RID Controller 2/SC 200S/201S expander modules crossover cable or (3.11 Firmware) or 210S/211S (ESEM) optional switch) PowerEdge Cluster PowerEdge Expandable PowerVault Dual ESEM or SCSI Fast Ethernet (using SE200 RID Controller 2/DC 200S/201S enclosure management crossover cable or or 210S/211S module (SEMM) optional switch) PowerEdge Cluster PowerEdge Expandable PowerVault Dual ESEM or SEMM Giganet cln SL200 RID Controller 2/DC 200S/201S (using Giganet cable or 210S/211S or optional switch) PowerEdge Cluster QLogic 2100 or 2200 PowerVault Dual storage s Fast Ethernet (using FE100 s 650F/651F with 630F (SPs)/dual SPs, 10 disks crossover cable or expansion enclosures in 650F optional switch) PowerEdge Cluster QLogic 2100 or PowerVault Dual storage s Giganet cln (using FL s 650F/651F with (SPs)/dual SPs, 10 disks Giganet cable or optional 630F in 650F optional switch) expansion enclosures PowerEdge Cluster QLogic 2200 s PowerVault 660F Dual PowerVault 660F Fast Ethernet (using FE200 with 224F expansion Disk crossover cable or enclosures RID Controllers optional switch) PowerEdge Cluster QLogic 2200 s PowerVault 660F Dual PowerVault 660F Giganet cln (using FL200 with optional 224F Disk Giganet cable or expansion enclosures RID Controllers optional switch) more storage systems may be located up to 10 kilometers from the PowerVault 530F if switches with long-wave gigabit interface converters (GICs) and single-mode fiber are used. Remote mirroring over an IP network supports either synchronous or asynchronous mirroring and can support distances greater than 10 kilometers. Figure 3 shows a configuration using redundant SN appliances to provide storage replication, including local and remote mirroring, as well as snapshot functionality and virtualization to a pair of MSCS s. Dell s installation documentation Dell has documentation for all configurations detailed in this article. The documentation set (see for PowerEdge FE100, FL100, FE200, and FL200 includes the following set of guides developed specifically for these solutions: PowerEdge Cluster Fx100 and Fx200 Platform Guide. Includes hardware and software requirements as well as supported pairs for 4.0 and Windows 2000 configurations and guidelines for adding peripherals. PowerSolutions 51

6 H I G H - V I L I L I T Y C L U S T E R S The pairs section explains which servers can be ed for each operating system ( Server 4.0 or Windows 2000) and for each storage system (PowerVault 650F or PowerVault 660F). PowerEdge Cluster Fx100 and Fx200 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide. Provides the installation process for direct-attach configurations, upgrading and maintenance procedures, troubleshooting information, and data sheets for recording critical configuration information. The basic Fibre Channel installation process documentation includes: preparation of the server and storage systems for ing, cabling, low-level configuration, and software installation. PowerEdge Cluster F-Series SN Guide. Complements the PowerVault SN documentation and includes specific procedures for building supported MSCS configurations. The guide includes extended installation procedures and requirements for basic SN-attached configurations as well as consolidated and SN appliance configurations. PowerEdge Cluster pplication Guides. Includes two separate application guides: one for 4.0 and the other for dvanced Server. Each details the procedures necessary for configuring file, print, and IIS Web services for failover in MSCS configurations. Dell also provides detailed guides for the PowerVault 650F and 660F storage arrays, switches, and management software applications. Similar documentation sets are available for the Dell s OpenManage rray Manager application can configure and manage the RID volumes as well as configure the PowerVault 660F RID controller s LUN masking capabilities. Dell SCSI implementations using the PowerEdge Expandable RID controllers. Well-engineered solutions The introduction of the Dell PowerVault 660F storage system and SN Version 4.0 makes building highly available s using Microsoft s Cluster Services easier and more affordable. Dell s solutions are scalable in terms of storage capacity, performance, and feature sets. Dell s experience, test processes, documentation, services, and product portfolio help integrate high-availability ing into virtually any environment. Mike Kosacek (michael_kosacek@dell.com) is in the High-vailability Cluster Development group at Dell Computer Corporation. s the lead engineer on several Dell products, Mike s responsibilities include developing, testing, integrating, and certifying solutions for the Dell server and storage product lines. Mike has an Electronics Technology degree and is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). Edward Yardumian (edward_yardumian@dell.com) is a technologist and systems engineer specializing in distributed systems, computing, and Internet infrastructure in the High End Systems group at Dell. Previously, Ed was a lead product engineer for Dell PowerEdge Clusters. FOR MORE INFORMTION For more information, visit 52 PowerSolutions