Configuring the storage hardware and network

Use the following procedures to configure the hardware and verify DNS settings. Repeat this procedure for every node in the cluster.

To configure the hardware

  1. Install the required network adapters, and SCSI controllers or Fibre Channel HBA.
  2. Connect the network adapters on each system.
    • To prevent lost heartbeats on the private networks, and to prevent VCS from mistakenly declaring a system down, Veritas recommends disabling the Ethernet autonegotiation options on the private network adapters. Contact the NIC manufacturer for details on this process.

    • Veritas recommends removing TCP/IP from private NICs to lower system overhead.

  3. Use independent hubs or switches for each VCS communication network (GAB and LLT). You can use cross-over Ethernet cables for two-node clusters. LLT supports hub-based or switch network paths, or two-system clusters with direct network links.
  4. Verify that each system can access the storage devices. Verify that each system recognizes the attached shared disk and that the attached shared disks are visible.

To verify the DNS settings and binding order for all systems

  1. Open the Control Panel by clicking Start > Control Panel.
  2. Click Network and Internet, and then click Network and Sharing Center.
  3. In the Network and Sharing Center window, on the left side of the screen under Tasks, click Adapter settings.
  4. Ensure the public network adapter is the first bound adapter by following these steps sequentially:
    • In the Network Connections window, click Advanced > Advanced Settings.

    • In the Adapters and Bindings tab, verify the public adapter is the first adapter in the Connections list. If necessary, use the arrow button to move the adapter to the top of the list.

    • Click OK.

  5. Open the Public status dialog box by doing one of the following in the Network Connections window:
    • Double-click the adapter for the public network.

    • Right-click the adapter for the public network and click Status.

    • Select the adapter for the public network and click View status of this connection in the toolbar.

    When enabling DNS name resolution, make sure that you use the public network adapters, and not those configured for the VCS private network.

  6. In the Public Status dialog box, on the General tab, click Properties.
  7. In the Public Properties dialog box, on the General tab:
    • Select the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) check box, depending on which protocol your network is using.

    • Click Properties.

  8. Select the Use the following DNS server addresses option.
  9. Verify the correct value for the IP address of the DNS server.
  10. Click Advanced.
  11. In the DNS tab, make sure that the Register this connection's address in DNS check box is selected.
  12. Make sure that the correct domain suffix is entered in the DNS suffix for this connection field.
  13. Click OK.