Please Validate the Steps to Add 3rd Node to 2 Node Active/Active Cluster
- I want to understand when to have my SAN experts do the LUN maksing and SAN zoning to allow a new 3rd node "see" the LUNs currently in production use by node1 and node2. Obviously, I don't want the new 3rd server node to clobber existing production data.
Here is a rough outline, please add some meat to this skeleton where I have extra "???". Thanks.
0. Initial state: Node1 Node2 active/active file&print, future Node3 powered off.
1. Install Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition on new 3rd computer.
2. Set up VLAN for private heartbeat network, IP addressing so all 3 nodes can PING each other.
3. Move all groups to Node1.
4. Power off Node2.
5. SAN expert does zone masking to make shared LUNs visibile to Node1, Node2, and Node3. Is this the right time to do this ???
6. Power on computer3 ("Node3" not really a node yet). Is this the right time to do this ???
7. Look at computer3 disk management, can it see all shared LUNs? Careful not to write data to LUNs it sees, but how to prevent clobbering production data on LUNs owned by Node1 ???
8. Launch cluster admin MMC on Node1, add Node3.
9. Power on Node2.
10. Move groups to Node2 and Node3.
11. Experience bliss.
Answers
John Tower's response is almost correct. I had an extra system restart and have added some additional details:
Here is what I did:
1. Install Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition on new 3rd computer.
2. Set up VLAN for private heartbeat network, IP addressing so all 3 nodes can PING each other.
3a) Start Cluster Administrator (Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Cluster Administrator). Select the new Cluster.
3b) Right-click the cluster and select New > Node from the displayed context menu.
3c) At the Add Nodes Wizard welcome screen, click Next.
3d) At the wizard page, select node3 from “the computers that you want to add to the cluster”, then click Next.
3e) Cluster Administrator will perform the necessary checks on node3. After all checks are completed ok, click Next.
3f) Enter the password for the domain cluster admin account that's used to run the cluster service, which will have local administrator right on all the new nodes. Click Next.
3g) When the node configuration is finished, click Next, then click Finish.
4. SAN expert does zone masking to make shared LUNs visibile to Node1, Node2, and Node3.
4a) Restart Node3
5. Move groups to Node3 to ensure that all is good in your world
6. Experience bliss.
I haven't gotten to the 'bliss' part yet. Some odd error messages on some of the printers in this cluster that I must research. :(- Marked As Answer byGeorge Perkins Friday, November 06, 2009 2:27 PM
All Replies
- If your disks are online in the cluster on Nodes 1 or 2, you should be able to:
1. Install Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition on new 3rd computer.
2. Set up VLAN for private heartbeat network, IP addressing so all 3 nodes can PING each other.
3. Launch cluster admin MMC on Node1, add Node3 (use advanced/minimal configuration).
4. SAN expert does zone masking to make shared LUNs visibile to Node1, Node2, and Node3.
5. Move groups to Node3 to ensure that all is good in your world
6. Experience bliss.
If you want to be a bit more cautious (or if you're getting paid by the hour), you could do the following:
1. Install Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition on new 3rd computer.
2. Set up VLAN for private heartbeat network, IP addressing so all 3 nodes can PING each other.
3. Power off Node1 and Node2.
4. Power on Computer3.
5. SAN expert does zone masking to make shared LUNs visibile to Node3.
6. Look at computer3 disk management to ensure that it can see all shared LUNs. Assign the appropriate drive letters to the LUNs.
7. Power down computer3
8. Power on Node1 and ensure cluster service starts.
9. Power on computer3
10. Launch cluster admin MMC on Node1, add Node3.
11. Power on Node2.
12. Move groups to Node2 and Node3.
Visit my blog about multi-site clustering - http://msmvps.com/blogs/jtoner- Marked As Answer byTim Quan - MSFTMSFT, ModeratorThursday, October 22, 2009 1:38 AM
- Unmarked As Answer byGeorge Perkins Friday, November 06, 2009 2:18 PM
John Tower's response is almost correct. I had an extra system restart and have added some additional details:
Here is what I did:
1. Install Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition on new 3rd computer.
2. Set up VLAN for private heartbeat network, IP addressing so all 3 nodes can PING each other.
3a) Start Cluster Administrator (Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Cluster Administrator). Select the new Cluster.
3b) Right-click the cluster and select New > Node from the displayed context menu.
3c) At the Add Nodes Wizard welcome screen, click Next.
3d) At the wizard page, select node3 from “the computers that you want to add to the cluster”, then click Next.
3e) Cluster Administrator will perform the necessary checks on node3. After all checks are completed ok, click Next.
3f) Enter the password for the domain cluster admin account that's used to run the cluster service, which will have local administrator right on all the new nodes. Click Next.
3g) When the node configuration is finished, click Next, then click Finish.
4. SAN expert does zone masking to make shared LUNs visibile to Node1, Node2, and Node3.
4a) Restart Node3
5. Move groups to Node3 to ensure that all is good in your world
6. Experience bliss.
I haven't gotten to the 'bliss' part yet. Some odd error messages on some of the printers in this cluster that I must research. :(- Marked As Answer byGeorge Perkins Friday, November 06, 2009 2:27 PM
