Re: Clustering with Blade servers

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From: John Toner [MVP] (jtoner_at_DIE.SPAM.DIE.mvps.org)
Date: 03/01/05 

Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 12:39:14 -0500

Well, if it aint broke, don't fix it :)

But when it does break, you're going to run into issues with MSFT support.
Whether or not you realize it, you are teaming the heartbeat network since
your heartbeat network is your public network running in mixed mode. Teaming
the heartbeat is a no no and you will be requested to correct this early in
your support session.

Best supported configuation for your blade servers would be to get rid of
the team and setup one of your nics as a heart beat nic and leave the other
for the public network if you cannot add another NIC port for the heartbeat.

Regards,
John

"Doug Deitterick" <ddeitter@pct.edu> wrote in message
news:eiYGlqdHFHA.2356@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> We have the same kind of issue. We are using IBM blades, with the NICs
> teamed together, and are clustering them without using a NIC for
heartbeat.
> Everything fails over fine and seems to be working just fine, but I was
> wondering if there is a better way. Rod, we can't add another NIC for
> heartbeat, since we can't put a NIC in the blade.
>
> Doug Deitterick
> Network Applications Analyst
> Pennsylvania College of Technology
>
> "Rodney R. Fournier [MVP]" <rod@die.spam.die.nw-america.com> wrote in
> message news:u$NomJcHFHA.2740@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > Leave the team alone, add a NIC for the heartbeat :)
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Rod
> >
> > MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
> > http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering
> > http://msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
> >
> > "chris" <chris@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:9341B743-384A-416F-B8D4-0D693910D18F@microsoft.com...
> >> You are correct in one sense. We were load balancing, but without a
> >> privat
> >> network configured. We were letting the servers talk within the Blade
> >> center.
> >> Sounds like we need to configure a priveate vlan within the bladecenter
> >> or
> >> break the team and dedicate one nic to private traffic?
> >>
> >> "Rodney R. Fournier [MVP]" wrote:
> >>
> >>> You can team (what you called load balancing) the Public, but never
the
> >>> private (cross-over cable/hub network).
> >>>
> >>> Sounds like you only have one NIC available, this is a mistake and
> >>> should be
> >>> corrected ASAP. To be really HA (Highly Available), like a cluster
needs
> >>> to
> >>> be, you need a second NIC dedicated to the heartbeat.
> >>>
> >>> Do an Ipconfig - you should see all the IPs that way. What you are
> >>> seeing
> >>> sounds normal.
> >>>
> >>> Cheers,
> >>>
> >>> Rod
> >>>
> >>> MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
> >>> http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering
> >>> http://msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
> >>>
> >>> "chris" <chris@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >>> news:C7CBB1F9-CA95-4DAD-A0F3-E7B4CF5DA416@microsoft.com...
> >>> > This is my first time building a MS cluster on any version of
Windows
> >>> > sever.
> >>> > Our company has started to use IBM blades which we are rapidly
> >>> > becoming
> >>> > familiar with. What is Microsoft's recommendation for load
balancing?
> >>> > I am
> >>> > currently using the Management software installed whith the Broadcom
> >>> > nic's.
> >>> > We do not have a dedicated nic for the heartbeat, since traffic does
> >>> > not
> >>> > need
> >>> > to travel outside of the blade center for node communication. All
> >>> > resoursces
> >>> > fail correctly. The one thing I have noticed is tha since installing
> >>> > SQL,
> >>> > the
> >>> > Broadcom software will display the IP of a SQL inatance for the
> >>> > virtual IP
> >>> > of
> >>> > the team, while network properties will display the one assigned to
> >>> > the
> >>> > server. Is this normal?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
>
>

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