Dell™ PowerEdge™ Cluster FE100/FL100 Datacenter Server configurations require cabling for the Fibre Channel storage systems, cluster interconnects, client network connections, and power connections. These systems and components are interconnected to provide four independent functions listed below, each of which is described in more detail throughout this section:
Shared storage system—Connects the servers' redundant HBAs to the cluster's shared storage system. The server-to-storage connection can be achieved through a direct connection or through a storage area network (SAN). See "SAN Components," for more detailed information on SAN configurations.
Cluster interconnect (private network)—Connects the cluster nodes to each other to exchange cluster information and health status, such as the cluster heartbeat and access to the quorum resource. This connection can be made by using an Ethernet NIC and cabling (for the FE100) or Emulex cLAN NIC and cabling (for the FL100) connected to each cluster node.
Network connection for public traffic (public network)—Provides a connection between each cluster node and the public network. This connection can be made using an Ethernet NIC and cabling (for the FE100) or an Emulex cLAN NIC and cabling (for the FL100) connected to the public network.
Power connection—Provides a connection between the power supplies in your system and the power source. By using power strips or power distribution units (PDUs) and separate AC circuits, the cluster can fully utilize the redundant power supplies.
To connect a PowerVault™ storage system to a PowerEdge system (cluster node), Dell uses the DB-9 connector and the high-speed serial data connector (HSSDC). The DB-9 connector, shown in Figure 4-1, attaches to the PowerVault disk-processor enclosure (DPE) and PowerVault disk-array enclosure (DAE).
Figure 4-1. DB-9 Connector
The HSSDC, shown in Figure 4-2, attaches to the HBA on the PowerEdge systems and the copper connections to the gigabit interface converters (GBICs) on the PowerVault Fibre Channel switch. The connector is used on the PowerVault DAE and all Emulex connections.
Figure 4-2. HSSDC Connector
NOTE: Fibre Channel HSSDC cables should not be used to connect Emulex HSSDC
devices because they are not properly shielded for Emulex use.
NOTE: Fibre Channel devices using HSSDC connections must not be connected
directly to Emulex devices using HSSDC connections.
The NICs in the PowerEdge systems (cluster nodes) provide at least two network connections for each cluster node—a dedicated private network (cluster interconnect) between the nodes and a public network connection to the LAN. NICs connected to the LAN can also provide redundancy at the communications level in case the cluster interconnect fails. See your Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) documentation for more information on cluster interconnect redundancy.
Connection to the public LAN is established using one or more Gigabit Ethernet NICs installed in each node. The PowerEdge Cluster FE100/FL100 Datacenter Server supported NICs running TCP/IP may be used to connect to the public network. Additional NICs may be installed to support additional separate public LAN segments.
Your cluster configuration can use any Gigabit Ethernet NICs or an Emulex cLAN 1000 NIC for the private network (cluster interconnect).
The private network is established by using a Gigabit Ethernet or an Emulex cLAN network switch. You can use standard Ethernet cables to connect these Gigabit Ethernet NICs to a network switch or the Emulex cable to connect from the Emulex adapter to the cLAN Emulex switch.
The private network can be used for intracluster communications, intercluster communications, or a separate, dedicated network, which can provide some or, all of the following features depending on the applications:
Database replication, snapshots, and synchronization
High-speed network backup
Application-to-database communications
Web server-to-application or web server-to-database communications
The private network is established by using a standard Ethernet network cable to connect the Gigabit Ethernet NICs to the private network through a network switch.
Figure 4-3 shows a cluster configuration that implements Gigabit Ethernet NICs for the private network.
Figure 4-3. Configuration Using Ethernet NICs for the Private
Network
PowerEdge Cluster FE100/FL100 Datacenter Server systems can be connected to each other using the following Emulex high-speed interconnect products:
Emulex cLAN host adapters
Emulex cabling
Emulex cLAN cluster switches
Emulex cLAN 1000 HBAs provide high band-width, low-latency server-to-server, server-to- cluster, and cluster-to-cluster interconnections. A faster network connection, however, will not increase the speed of application failover on a cluster or enable an application to failover to a PowerEdge server (cluster node) outside of the cluster.
Figure 4-4 shows a cluster configuration that implements a Emulex cLAN NIC for the private network.
Figure 4-4. Configuration Using an Emulex cLAN NIC for the Private
Network
PowerEdge Cluster FE100/FL100 Datacenter Server configurations require dual standby power supplies (SPS) in the PowerVault storage system. This configuration provides maximum integrity of the storage processor write-cache. The SPS allows the write-caching to complete in the event that the primary power supply fails.
Figure 4-5 shows the location and cabling for the SPS units in the PowerVault system.
Figure 4-5. Cable Configuration of PowerVault 65xF Power Supplies
See your PowerVault documentation for additional information about the standby power supplies.
If you are installing a PowerEdge Cluster FE100/FL100 Datacenter Server configuration in a Dell rack, see the Dell PowerEdge rack installation documentation for instructions on cabling each cluster node's mouse, keyboard, and monitor to the mouse/keyboard/monitor switch box in the rack. The switch box enables you to use a single mouse, keyboard, and monitor for multiple systems.
