Cluster Solution; Cluster Requirements - Dell PowerVault MD3200i Hardware Installation And Troubleshooting Manual

Cluster Solution

Your iSCSI cluster implements a minimum of two-node clustering and a
maximum of sixteen-node clustering and provides the following features:
• Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) technology
• High availability of system services and resources to network clients
• Redundant paths to the shared storage
• Failure recovery for applications and services
• Flexible maintenance capabilities, allowing you to repair, maintain, or
upgrade a cluster node without taking the entire cluster offline
Implementing iSCSI technology in a cluster provides the following
advantages:
• Flexibility—as iSCSI is based on TCP/IP, it allows cluster nodes and
storage systems to be located at different sites.
• Availability—iSCSI components use redundant connections, providing
multiple data paths and greater availability for clients.
Connectivity—iSCSI allows more device connections than SCSI. Because
•
iSCSI devices are hot-swappable, you can add or remove devices from the
nodes without bringing down the cluster.

Cluster Requirements

Your cluster requires the following components:
• Servers (cluster nodes)
• Storage and storage management software
6
Introduction