deploying microsoft cluster and metasan iscsi3.x

Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Defining the Setup Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Setting up Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Adding the Nodes to the Same Domain and Creating a Cluster Service Account . 13

Installing iSCSI Initiator and Configuring the Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Configuring the Windows Server 2003 Clustering Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Preparing for metaSAN iSCSI Installation on Cluster Node 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Installing metaSAN iSCSI on Cluster Node 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Preparing metaSAN iSCSI to Run on Cluster Node 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Configuring the SAN Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Installing metaSAN iSCSI on Cluster Node 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Creating a Virtual File Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30


2

IntroductionYou can use Windows server cluster technology to create several cluster nodes that appear to users as one server. This way you can ensure uninterrupted access to important server-based resources. Should one of the cluster nodes fail, the other node will take over providing service. Combining this with metaSAN's file-level sharing capabilities in a SAN environment, you can deploy a network with fault-resistant and fast access to common data.

ObjectivesDeploy a SAN managed by metaSAN iSCSI in which two cluster nodes participate as SAN Members and access the shared metaSAN storage directly as other SAN Members do (Windows, Mac OS and Linux machines). The two cluster nodes appear to LAN machines outside the SAN as one server and provide them with uninterrupted access to a folder on the shared storage.

Requirements

3

Requirements

Cluster Nodes:

• Two identical computers that meet the requirements for cluster nodes. Check Microsoft's web site for certified configurations. All nodes in the cluster should be of the same architecture.

• The two nodes should run the same version and service packs of the operating system. In this deployment scenario Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, Service Pack 1.

• Each machine should have at least two Ethernet adapters. One of them serves for private communication between cluster nodes. These interfaces should be connected with cross-over cable or through a hub or switch on an isolated network. The second interface serves for communication with the rest of the machines on the network.

Note: (optional) It is recommended to use an additional network interface to connect cluster nodes to the iSCSI storage. This is not absolutely necessary but will ensure better performance. To achieve the improved performance and avoid network congestion, the additional interface should be connected to an isolated network that serves for iSCSI communication only.

• Cluster nodes should use static IP addresses. Consult your system administrator for available static IP addresses.

• All nodes in the cluster must be in the same domain and have the same domain role. In this scenario, both nodes are domain members.

• Microsoft iSCSI Software iSCSI Initiator v.2.0 should be installed on both cluster nodes.

• iSCSI storage configuration should include:

Important: Microsoft Cluster Service DOES NOT support dynamic disks as cluster resources.

• At least one BASIC disk accessible from the two cluster nodes. This disk will serve as quorum disk for cluster synchronization. A cluster cannot be formed without a quorum disk. This disk should be NTFS formatted.

• If you need to use other shared physical disks as cluster resources, they should also be BASIC. Partitions on them should be NTFS formatted. No additional disks are used in this scenario as cluster resources.

• Provision the necessary number of NTFS formatted partitions/volumes for files sharing in SAN by metaSAN. In this deployment scenario 2 partitions are created for metaSAN sharing on a single physical disk.

• metaSAN iSCSI 3.x or later for Windows is installed on both cluster nodes.


4

metaSAN iSCSI/metaLAN clients:

• Computers should meet the minimum hardware requirements outlined in the metaSAN User's Guide.

• metaSAN/metaSAN iSCSI/metaLAN client computers may run one of the following operating systems (OS): Windows, Mac OS X or Linux. Consult the metaSAN User's Guide or go to www.tiger-technology.com/metaSANiSCSI#SystemReqs for supported OS versions.

Defining the Setup StepsThe setup of a two node cluster with SAN managed by metaSAN can be divided in the following phases:

a. Setting up Networks

b. Installing iSCSI initiator on both nodes

c. Setting up the storage

d. Configuring the cluster service on Node 1

e. Installing metaSAN iSCSI on Node 1

f. Configuring metaSAN iSCSI for work in a cluster on Node 1

g. Creating the SAN definition

h. Configuring the cluster service on Node 2

i. Installing metaSAN iSCSI on Node 2

j. Configuring metaSAN iSCSI for work in cluster on Node 2

The following table shows which nodes and storage devices should be turned on during each installation phase.

Step Node 1 Node 2 Storage

Set up networks On On Off

Set up cluster disks On Off On

Verify disk configuration Off On On

Configuring the first node On Off On

Installing and configuring metaSAN iSCSI on the first node On Off On

Configuring the second node On On On

Installing and configuring metaSAN iSCSI on the second node

On On On

Post-installation On On On

Setting up Networks

5

Table 1: Order of turning on computers and storage devices in a cluster

The above table is published in "Quick Start Guide for Server Clusters" article on the Microsoft Internet site (http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/dba487bf-61b9-45af-b927-e2333ec810b61033.mspx) but here it is slightly modified to include the metaSAN installation and configuration steps.

Setting up NetworksEach cluster node requires at least two network interface cards. These interfaces must be connected to different isolated networks.

For improved performance, it is recommended to add an additional Ethernet adapter to connect to the iSCSI storage.

In this deployment scenario we use two Ethernet adapters on each cluster node. The first one is connected to the public network and cluster nodes can be accessed from other client machines through this adapter. This adapter is also used for iSCSI and metaSAN communication. In this document, we will refer to this adapter as Public.

The second Ethernet adapter is used for private communication between cluster nodes. We will refer to this adapter as Private. Private adapters should be connected to an isolated network and other client should not be able to access the cluster nodes through the Private nodes. In this scenario the Private adapters are connected with a cross-over cable. You can use a hub or switch to connect the two nodes but you should keep the private network physically separate from the other networks.

Setting up the Network for Node 1First, we configure the Public network for Node 1. Use static IP addresses. Consult the system administrator for available IP addresses.


6

To configure the IP address of Node 1 for the Public network:

1. Open Control Panel and double-click Network Connections.

2. Rename the adapter you will use for public communication.

In this scenario TSERVER machine is Node 1. The assigned name of the public adapter is PublicTserver.

3. Display the Properties dialog for PublicTserver adapter.

4. Double-click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

5. Choose "Use the following IP address".

6. For IP address, set 10.200.4.100.

7. Set subnet mask to 255.255.0.0

8. Set Default Gateway to 10.200.0.1

Setting up Networks

7

9. Select "Use the following DNS server addresses" option and provide the following IP addresses for Preferred and Alternate DNS servers: 10.200.0.10 and 10.200.0.2.


8

10.Click Advanced and select the DNS tab. Make sure that "Register this connection's addresses in DNS" option is enabled.

11.Click OK to close the Advanced settings.

12.Click OK in each subsequent dialog to apply the Ethernet Adapter settings.

Setting up Networks

9

To configure the IP address of Node 1 for the Private network:

1. Open Control Panel and double-click Network Connections.

2. Rename the adapter you will use for private communication.

In this scenario TSERVER machine is Node 1. The assigned name of the private adapter is PrivateTserver.

3. Display the Properties dialog for PrivateTserver adapter.

4. Double-click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

5. Choose Use the following IP address.

6. For IP address, set 192.168.0.2.

7. Set subnet mask to 255.255.255.0

8. Do not provide IP address for Default Gateway.


10

9. Make sure you do not provide any IP addresses for DNS servers.

10.Click Advanced.

Setting up Networks

11

11.Select the DNS tab and clear the check box for Register this connection's addresses in DNS.


12

12.Select the WINS tab and choose Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

13.Click OK to apply the Advanced settings.

14.Click OK several times to apply the Ethernet Adapter settings.

Setting up the Network for Node 2To set up the network for Node 2 follow the same steps as for Node 1 but use different IP addresses.

Set the name to PublicAthlon for the public connection (computer Athlon2003 is used as Node 2) and set the IP address to 10.200.4.101.

Set the name to PrivateAthlon for the private connection and set the IP address to 192.168.0.1.

Verifying the Network SetupTo verify that public and private networks work properly, ping all IP addresses from each nodes. You should be able to ping all IP address, both locally and on remote nodes. To verify name resolution, ping each node from a client using the node's name. You should get only the public IP address of the node.

Adding the Nodes to the Same Domain and Creating a Cluster Service Account

13

Important: In case you use cross-over cable to connect the private network and you have connectivity problems, you may try to set the link speed to 10 Mbps.

Adding the Nodes to the Same Domain and Creating a Cluster Service AccountIf not already added to the same domain, now is the time to make both nodes members of the same domain. In this scenario, both nodes are added to domain TEST. If necessary, consult the administrator of TEST domain for assistance to add the nodes to the domain.

On the Domain Controller, create a domain user Cluster. This user will be used to run the cluster service on the cluster nodes. It is NOT necessary to make this user member of the Domain Administrators group. However, you need to add this user to the local Administrators group on each cluster node.

To add user Cluster to local Administrators:

1. Log in to Node 1 with account with administrative privileges.

2. Right-click My Computer icon and choose Manage.

3. Expand the Local Users and Groups item and select Groups.

4. Double-click the Administrators group.

5. Click Add.

6. Type "cluster" and click Check Names.

If you are logged in as local administrator, you will be prompted to provide domain user name and password to be able to access domain resources.

7. Click OK in each subsequent dialog till you close the Administrators Properties dialog.

8. Close the Windows Management Console.

9. Repeat the above steps on Node 2.

Installing iSCSI Initiator and Configuring the Storage

Downloading and Installing iSCSI InitiatorIn this deployment scenario, Microsoft iSCSI Software initiator version 2.0 was used to connect computers to the shared iSCSI storage.


14

You can get Microsoft Initiator from the following address:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=12CB3C1A-15D6-4585-B385-BEFD1319F825&displaylang=en

The setup of Microsoft iSCSI Initiator is straightforward. Start the installation executable file and follow the onscreen instructions. This setup of this software DOES NOT require reboot of the computer so you can connect to the iSCSI storage immediately after the setup of the initiator.

Configuring the iSCSI InitiatorTo connect to an iSCSI storage, you need to add it as an iSCSI target portal.

To add an iSCSI target portal and configure persistent connections:

1. Open Control Panel, double-click iSCSI Initiator.

2. Choose the Discovery tab.

3. In Target portals group box, click Add.


15

4. In Add Target Portal dialog, provide the IP address of the iSCSI storage.

In this scenario, we use IP address 10.200.4.6. Leave the default port.

5. Click Advanced to open the Advanced Settings dialog.

6. In the Local Adapter drop-down box, select Microsoft iSCSI Initiator and in the Source IP select the IP address identifying the Ethernet adapter through which you will access the iSCSI storage, then click OK.

7. In the Add Target Portal dialog, click OK.


16

8. Open the Targets tab to see the list of available LUNs to which you can connect your computer.

9. Select a target (LUN) and click Log On.

Important: Before configuring the cluster service and installing MetaSAN, only one machine should be connected to the iSCSI targets at a time. Otherwise corruption and loss of data is possible.

10.Enable "Automatically restore this connection when the system boots" option, and click OK.

In this scenario, we use both targets. One of them will be the quorum disk and the other target will be portioned for metaSAN.


17

11.To see the available persistent targets, choose the Persistent Targets tab.

12.Click OK to close the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog.

Warning: You need to configure the iSCSI initiator on both cluster nodes before configuring the cluster service or installing MetaSAN. When you configure the initiator on Node 1, Node 2 should NOT be connected to the storage and vice versa. Otherwise, corruption and loss of data is possible.

Important: When you configure the iSCSI initiators of non-cluster computers to connect to the iSCSI storage, please have in mind that non-cluster computers that will participate in the same SAN definition as the cluster nodes SHOULD not have direct access to the physical disks that are used as cluster resources.

Configuring the StorageWhen you create and format the volumes, just one machine should be connected to the iSCSI storage. It is easy to connect or disconnect the iSCSI storage from the computer using the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog.


18

Connecting and Disconnecting iSCSI Storage

To connect a LUN to the computer:

1. Open Control Panel and double-click iSCSI Initiator.

2. Open the Targets tab.

3. Select a target (LUN) in the list, and click Log On.

4. Click OK to close the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog.

To disconnect a LUN from the computer:

1. Open Control Panel and double-click iSCSI Initiator.

2. Open the Targets tab.

3. Select a target (LUN) and click Details.

The Target Properties dialog appears.

4. Place a check mark next to listed session and click Log off.

5. Click OK to close the Target Properties dialog.

6. Click OK to close the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog.

Configuring the Windows Server 2003 Clustering Services

19

Formatting the DrivesBefore you format the drives, make sure that just one machine is connected to the storage. For order of turning on computers and storage devices during the setup of a cluster and a metaSAN managed SAN, refer to “Table 1: Order of turning on computers and storage devices in a cluster” on page 5.

Format the drives on Node 1. At this phase of the setup it is assumed that Node 1 is already connected to the iSCSI storage. For steps how to connect to the iSCSI storage, see "Configuring the iSCSI Initiator".

To create the quorum disk:

1. Start Windows Disk Manager.

To open Windows Disk Management console, right click My Computer icon and choose Manage. Expand the Storage item and select Disk Management.

2. Select an iSCSI disk. Convert it to BASIC if necessary.

Important: Dynamic disks are not supported.

3. Right-click the selected disk and choose New partition.

The New Partition Wizard starts.

4. Click Next.

5. Select Primary partition and click Next.

6. Set the size of the new partition and click Next.

Note: It is recommended that the size of the quorum partition is at least 500 MB.

7. Assign a drive letter and click Next. (In this example, we used drive letter Q).

8. Choose to format this partition with NTFS file system and provide a volume label. It is recommended to use a meaningful volume label like "Quorum", for example. Click Next.

9. Review the settings and click Finish to create the new partition.

Proceed with the configuration of partitions/volumes that will be shared in a metaSAN managed SAN. Note that metaSAN supports both basic and dynamic disks. You can use dynamic disks to create striped, mirrored, or RAID5 volumes.

Configuring the Windows Server 2003 Clustering ServicesOnce your network and storage devices are set up, you are ready to create the cluster. You configure the cluster on the first node. At this time the second node should be shutdown.


20

To create the cluster:

1. Start Cluster Administrator.

To start the Cluster Administrator, go to Control Panel, double click Administrative Tools and then double-click Cluster Administrator.

2. From the File menu, choose Open Connection.

3. From the Action drop down, select Create new cluster and click OK.

The New Server Cluster Wizard starts.


21

4. Follow the onscreen instructions. Provide a name for the cluster, the first node in the cluster (the computer on which you are working).


22

5. The Wizard analyzes the configuration for feasibility. Check for errors and warnings and try to resolve them. If there are no errors, you will be able to proceed with the configuration.

6. Provide the IP address for the Server Cluster.

In this scenario, the IP address of the Server Cluster is 10.200.4.110

7. Provide the cluster service account when prompted.

This is the domain account Cluster we have created at “Adding the Nodes to the Same Domain and Creating a Cluster Service Account" phase.

8. Review the configuration and go back to change some of the settings if necessary.

9. The Wizard re-analyzes the configuration.

10.Click Finish to create the cluster.

Before configuring the second node in the cluster, you must verify the cluster configuration on the first node. To do this, start Cluster Administrator on the first node and verify that all resources are up and running. Under State, all resources should be displayed as Online.


23

To configure the cluster service on the second node:

1. Open Cluster Administrator.

2. In the Open Connection to cluster dialog, in Action, select Add nodes to cluster. Then in Cluster or server name, provide the name of the existing cluster, and click OK.

3. The Add Nodes Wizard appears. Click Next.

4. In the Computer name, type the name of the second node.

5. Click Add and then Next.

6. When the Add Nodes Wizard has analyzed the configuration successful, click Next.

7. Provide the user name and password for the cluster service.

This is the domain account Cluster we have created at "Adding the Nodes to the Same Domain and Creating a Cluster Service Account" phase.

8. Click Next on the Proposed Cluster Configuration page.

9. When the cluster is configured successfully, click Next and then Finish.


24

Once the cluster is configured, you should determine the role of each network connection within the cluster. The private network should be used for internal cluster communication. You can configure the public network for mixed communication (internal cluster communication and client access communication) to provide a backup connection for the private communication.

To configure the network functions in the cluster:

1. Open Cluster Administrator.

2. Expand the Cluster Configuration item and select Networks.

3. Right-click the Private network and choose Properties.

4. Select Enable this network for cluster use check box.

5. Choose Internal cluster communications only (private network) and click OK.

6. Right-click the Public network and choose Properties.

7. Select Enable this network for cluster use check box.

8. Choose All communications (mixed network) and click OK.

9. Right-click the cluster name and choose Properties.

10.Select the Network Priority tab.

11.Make sure that the Private network is with higher priority then the Public network and click OK.

For more details about setting up the role of each network connection within the cluster, refer to:http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/dba487bf-61b9-45af-b927-e2333ec810b61033.mspx

Preparing for metaSAN iSCSI Installation on Cluster Node 1When your Server Cluster is configured successfully and works properly, you can start with the installation of metaSAN iSCSI on the first node. Before you do this, however, verify the following:

a. The second node is shut down.

b. The storage devices you are going to share through metaSAN are connected to Node 1, partitions/volumes are created and they are NTFS formatted.

c. No drive letters are assigned to partitions/volumes that will be managed by metaSAN iSCSI.

Installing metaSAN iSCSI on Cluster Node 1

25

Installing metaSAN iSCSI on Cluster Node 1

To install metaSAN iSCSI on the first node, follow these steps:

1. Double-click the metaSAN iSCSI installation file.

2. Follow the on-screen instructions of the installation wizard.

3. Accept the license agreement when prompted.

4. If available, backup any dynamic disks configuration.

5. Cancel the metaSAN configuration Wizard.

6. DO NOT REBOOT the computer when prompted to do so.

Preparing metaSAN iSCSI to Run on Cluster Node 1Before you reboot the computer after the installation of metaSAN iSCSI you need to configure metaSAN so it does not manage the physical disks that are added as cluster resources to the Server Cluster. Otherwise conflicts are possible between metaSAN and Cluster Service.


26

To disable metaSAN management of certain disks:

1. Open Disk Management and check the numbers of the physical disks that are added as resources to the cluster.

2. In Command Prompt, type msanutil /dt.

Preparing metaSAN iSCSI to Run on Cluster Node 1

27

You will get output similar to this:

3. Copy the signature cluster disks without "0x".

For example, if Harddisk1 is used as cluster resource, copy E9E0AEAD.

4. In command line, type msanutil /ds disk_signature 1

5. Reboot the computer.

6. Once the machine is up and running, open metaSAN and activate it.

Note: If later you decide to stop using a specific disk as a cluster resource and you want to share it through metaSAN, execute the following in command promptmsanutil /dt disk_signature 2


28

Configuring the SAN DefinitionBefore you create a new SAN definition, you must configure metaSAN iSCSI to work with the Public interface. Thus, all new SAN definitions will use the network settings of this interface.

To choose a network interface in metaSAN:

1. Open Control Panel and double-click metaSAN iSCSI.

2. Select the Settings tab.

3. From the Default Synchronization Interface drop down box, select the public interface.

4. Click Apply and restart your computer.

Every new SAN definition you create on this machine will use the IP range of the public interface. To add the cluster nodes to the same SAN definition you need to create one with the new settings for IP range.

To create a SAN definition:

1. Open Control Panel and double-click metaSAN.

2. Select the SAN Management tab and click New.

3. Type a name for the new SAN definition and click OK.

4. Click Members.

The Members Management dialog appears.

Configuring the SAN Definition

29

5. Click Add Member, type the public IP address of the second cluster node and click OK.

6. Click Apply and then Close.

7. Click Volumes.

The Volumes Management dialog appears.

8. Click Add Volume, select a volume and click OK.

9. Select the volume and click Advanced.

The Volume Settings dialog appears.

10.Select Mount Locations tab and click the Change button.

The Default Mount Location dialog appears.

11.Choose Drive Letter, select a drive letter that is not used on both cluster computers and click OK.

12.Click OK to close the Volume Settings dialog.

13.Repeat steps 8-12 for every volume you want to add to the SAN definition.

14.Click Apply and then Close.


30

Installing metaSAN iSCSI on Cluster Node 2With Server Cluster running and configured SAN definition, it is time to install metaSAN iSCSI on the second cluster node. Boot cluster node 2.

Before you start the installation of metaSAN iSCSI make sure that:

a. iSCSI storage is connected to cluster node 2.

b. No drive letters are assigned to partitions/volumes that will be shared through metaSAN.

To install metaSAN iSCSI on the second node, follow these steps:

1. Double-click the metaSAN iSCSI installation file.

2. Follow the on-screen instructions of the installation wizard.

3. Accept the license agreement when prompted.

4. If available, backup any dynamic disks configuration.

5. Cancel the metaSAN configuration Wizard.

6. DO NOT REBOOT the computer when prompted to do so.

7. Configure metaSAN so it does not manage the physical disks that are added as cluster resources to the Server Cluster to avoid conflicts between metaSAN iSCSI and Cluster Service. For more details, see “Preparing metaSAN iSCSI to Run on Cluster Node 1” on page 25.

8. Reboot the computer.

9. Activate metaSAN iSCSI on cluster node 2.

Creating a Virtual File ServerThe goal of this deployment scenario is to create a clustered file server that shares SAN resources to network clients. The folder that will be shared is on a metaSAN managed partition that is accessed not only by the cluster nodes but also by the other members of the same SAN definition.

To ensure the ability of the cluster service to transfer the file share between cluster nodes in case of a failure of one of the nodes, the path on both cluster nodes to the file share should be the same. This is achieved through the assignment of same drive letters for metaSAN managed volumes in the SAN definition (see “Configuring the SAN Definition").

Network clients will access the SAN share through the same IP address or server name no matter which cluster node currently manages the cluster resource. For this we need to create a virtual file server and assign an IP address and name to.

Creating a Virtual File Server

31

To create a virtual file server and share:

1. Start Cluster Administrator.

2. From the File menu, choose Configure Application.

3. The Cluster Application Wizard starts. Click Next.

4. Choose Create a new virtual server and click Next.

5. Choose Create a new resource group and click Next.


32

6. Provide a name for the new resource and click Next.

7. Specify the network name and IP address for the virtual cluster and click Next.


33

8. Adjust the Advanced properties for the virtual cluster if necessary and click Next.

9. Choose "Yes, create a cluster resource for my application now" and click Next.


34

10.For resource type, select File Share and click Next.

11.Specify the name of the new resource, adjust the advanced properties and click Next.


35

12.Specify the name of the share and provide the path to the folder you want to share. The path should be on a metaSAN volume. Configure the permissions for the share and click Next.

13.Click Finish.

The new cluster resource is created but it is not accessible for network clients. To make it available for the clients, you need to bring the cluster group online.


36

14.Expand the Groups item of the cluster, right-click the new group and choose Bring Online.

You can now verify the setup. Try to access the virtual server by name from a network client. You should be able to access the share. Check which cluster node is currently managing the share. Reboot this machine. After a short timeout you should still be able to access the share which now is controlled by the other cluster node.

deploying microsoft cluster and metasan iscsi3.x

Documents