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| Setting up the private network | ||
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| Prev | Preparing to install Storage Foundation High Availability | Next |
VCS requires you to set up a private network between the systems that form a cluster. You can use either NICs or aggregated interfaces to set up private network.
You can use network switches instead of hubs.
Refer to the Symantec Cluster Server Administrator's Guide to review VCS performance considerations.
Figure: Private network setups: two-node and four-node clusters shows two private networks for use with VCS.
You need to configure at least two independent networks between the cluster nodes with a network switch for each network. You can also interconnect multiple layer 2 switches for advanced failure protection. Such connections for LLT are called cross-links.
Figure: Private network setup with crossed links shows a private network configuration with crossed links between the network switches.
Symantec recommends one of the following two configurations:
Use at least two private interconnect links and one public link. The public link can be a low priority link for LLT. The private interconnect link is used to share cluster status across all the systems, which is important for membership arbitration and high availability. The public low priority link is used only for heartbeat communication between the systems.
If your hardware environment allows use of only two links, use one private interconnect link and one public low priority link. If you decide to set up only two links (one private and one low priority link), then the cluster must be configured to use I/O fencing, either disk-based or server-based fencing configuration. With only two links, if one system goes down, I/O fencing ensures that other system can take over the service groups and shared file systems from the failed node.
To set up the private network
Create aggregated interfaces if you want to use these to set up private network.
Ensure that you meet the following requirements:
The power to the switches or hubs must come from separate sources.
On each system, you must use two independent network cards to provide redundancy.
If a network interface is part of an aggregated interface, you must not configure the network interface under LLT. However, you can configure the aggregated interface under LLT.
When you configure Ethernet switches for LLT private interconnect, disable the spanning tree algorithm on the ports used for the interconnect.
During the process of setting up heartbeat connections, consider a case where a failure removes all communications between the systems.
LLT uses its own protocol, and does not use TCP/IP. So, you must ensure that the private network connections are used only for LLT communication and not for TCP/IP traffic. To verify this requirement, unplumb and unconfigure any temporary IP addresses that are configured on the network interfaces.
The installer configures the private network in the cluster during configuration.
You can also manually configure LLT.
