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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
Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
Introduction
You 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.
Objectives
Deploy 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.
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Requirements
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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
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.
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Setting up Networks
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 Networks
Each 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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
To configure the IP address of Node 1 for the Public network:
1. Open Control Panel and double-click Network Connections.
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Setting up Networks
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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
10.Click Advanced and select the DNS tab. Make sure that "Register this connection's addresses
in DNS" option is enabled.
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Setting up Networks
To configure the IP address of Node 1 for the Private network:
1. Open Control Panel and double-click Network Connections.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
9. Make sure you do not provide any IP addresses for DNS servers.
10.Click Advanced.
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Setting up Networks
11.Select the DNS tab and clear the check box for Register this connection's addresses in DNS.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
12.Select the WINS tab and choose Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
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Adding the Nodes to the Same Domain and Creating a Cluster Service Account
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.
3. Expand the Local Users and Groups item and select Groups.
5. Click Add.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
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.
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Installing iSCSI Initiator and Configuring the Storage
4. In Add Target Portal dialog, provide the IP address of the iSCSI storage.
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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
8. Open the Targets tab to see the list of available LUNs to which you can connect your
computer.
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.
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Installing iSCSI Initiator and Configuring the Storage
11.To see the available persistent targets, choose the Persistent Targets tab.
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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
Connecting and Disconnecting iSCSI Storage
4. Place a check mark next to listed session and click Log off.
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Configuring the Windows Server 2003 Clustering Services
Formatting the Drives
Before 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".
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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
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.
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Configuring the Windows Server 2003 Clustering Services
4. Follow the onscreen instructions. Provide a name for the cluster, the first node in the cluster
(the computer on which you are working).
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
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.
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Configuring the Windows Server 2003 Clustering Services
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.
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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
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.
5. Choose Internal cluster communications only (private network) and click OK.
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
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.
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Installing metaSAN iSCSI on Cluster Node 1
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
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.
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Preparing metaSAN iSCSI to Run on Cluster Node 1
You will get output similar to this:
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 prompt
msanutil /dt disk_signature 2
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
3. From the Default Synchronization Interface drop down box, select the public interface.
3. Type a name for the new SAN definition and click OK.
4. Click Members.
The Members Management dialog appears.
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Configuring the SAN Definition
5. Click Add Member, type the public IP address of the second cluster node and click OK.
7. Click Volumes.
The Volumes Management dialog appears.
8. Click Add Volume, select a volume and click OK.
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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
b. No drive letters are assigned to partitions/volumes that will be shared through metaSAN.
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.
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Creating a Virtual File Server
To create a virtual file server and share:
1. Start Cluster Administrator.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
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.
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Creating a Virtual File Server
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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
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.
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Creating a Virtual File Server
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.
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Deploying Windows Server 2003 Cluster Services and metaSAN iSCSI SAN
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.
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