Internal Network A; Internal Network B; Lan/Client Network - Dell PowerVault NX3500 Administrator's Manual

Internal Network A

NOTE:
Ensure that the IP addresses you assign on this network and internal
network B are from a private IP space and do not conflict with other subnets on
your network.
PowerVault NX3500's internal network A is comprised of two independent
Gigabit Ethernet ports. The internal network is the infrastructure for the
PowerVault NX3500 clustering, and includes heartbeat monitoring, data
transfer, and mirroring of information between the controllers' caches. The
internal network also distributes data evenly across all LUNs in the system.
To achieve complete data distribution and to maintain high-availability, each
controller must have access to its peer controller. The internal network
achieves this goal.
NOTE:
Internal network A is also referred to as peer-to-peer connections. The
network uses point-to-point cable connections.

Internal Network B

NOTE:
Ensure that the IP addresses you assign on this network are from a private
IP space and do not conflict with subnets on your network.
Internal Network B is the PowerVault NX3500 internal management network,
which is plugged into the SAN switch and connects both controllers. All
administrative related functions are performed on this network.
In the event where the controllers lose communication with each other but
continue to function independently (commonly referred to as the split-brain
situation), the PowerVault management network automatically resets the
suspected controller. This prevents the split brain situation and ensures data
integrity.

LAN/Client Network

The connection between PowerVault NX3500 and the LAN/client network is
based on a virtual IP (VIP) address that serves every controller in the cluster.
The VIP address allows clients to access the PowerVault NX3500 as a single
entity, thereby providing access to the file system. It enables the PowerVault
NX3500 to perform load balancing between controllers, and ensures that the
service continues even if a controller fails.
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Introduction