Filter
Top Products
Getting Started 1-3
— At least three SCSI hard-disk drives in each
SDS 100 storage system to support RAID 5
functionality. Microsoft Cluster Server currently
supports only the Microsoft Windows NT file
system (NTFS) format for the shared storage
subsystem.
— Two 4-meter (m) SCSI cables for each SDS 100
storage system in the cluster.
•
A 3Com
®
SuperStack II Switch 3000 TX 8-port
switch and accessories, which includes the
following:
— Four Category 5 unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
Ethernet cables
— Hardware for mounting the network switch in a
Dell Rack-Mountable Solutions enclosure
(optional)
In addition to the preceding hardware components, the
following software components are also required:
•
Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition 4.0 operat-
ing system installed on the PowerEdge systems. Two
Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition licenses are
required, plus workstation licenses for all the client
systems running on the network.
•
Clustering software recovery kits for the customer
environment. These recovery kits are in addition to
the standard file, print, and Internet Information
Server (IIS) resources that are bundled with the
Cluster Server software.
•
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP) running on the LAN. NetBIOS Extended
User Interface (NetBEUI) and Internet Packet
Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange (IPX/SPX)
are not supported.
•
Server Management Agent rediscovery application.
•
Cluster-specific Windows NT Server driver for the
PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controllers.
B
asic Installation Procedure
NOTE: Before installing the PowerEdge Cluster, ensure
that your site power is adequate to handle the power
requirements of the cluster equipment. PowerEdge
Cluster requires two alternating current (AC) circuits
with a minimum load capacity of 20 amperes each.
Your installation of the PowerEdge Cluster may be either
a completely new installation or an upgrade of an
existing system. If your PowerEdge Cluster is completely
new, the operating system and some applications may be
installed on your system already. Installation in this case
is a matter of setting up and cabling the hardware, setting
some configuration options, setting network addresses,
and performing checks on the system.
If you are upgrading existing equipment, several addi-
tional steps must be performed such as installing
additional NIC and RAID expansion cards, updating
firmware, and installing both the operating system and
cluster software on each cluster node. Hardware installa-
tion and updates to firmware should be performed only
by trained service technicians.
The following is a comprehensive list of the steps that
may be required to install a PowerEdge Cluster, whether
it is a new system installation or an upgrade to an existing
system:
1. For system upgrades, add NICs, RAID control-
lers, hard-disk drives, and so on to the existing
system hardware to meet the requirements for a
clustered system.
2. Set up the cluster equipment in either a stand-
alone or rack configuration.
3. Cable the system hardware for clustering.
4. For system upgrades, update the existing system
components with cluster-specific firmware.
5. If not already done, configure the RAID level on
the shared storage subsystem using the Power-
Edge Expandable RAID Controller BIOS
configuration utility.
6. If not already done, partition and format the
hard-disk drives in the shared storage sub-
system(s). Also, partition and format any new
hard-disk drives added to the cluster nodes for a
system upgrade.
7. If not already done, install and/or configure
Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition and the
included Service Pack on each cluster node.