Next, you need to create an IP address resource. This IP address is a virtual IP address for the SCSI disk drive; Microsoft Cluster services will use it to locate the SCSI disk being serviced by one of the high-availability servers. The virtual IP address lets either of the high-availability nodes make disk requests.
- Right-click the group, and select New, Resource.
- Enter a name and description for the IP address. Select IP Address for the resource type, select the group, and click Next.
- Specify the two nodes as the owners. Click Next.
- Don't specify any dependencies. Click Next.
- Enter a valid (virtual) IP address on the public network, enter a subnet mask, and select the network. Click Finish.
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To create a network name resource, complete the following steps:
- Right-click the group, and select New, Resource.
- Enter a name and description. Select Network Name for the resource type, select the group, and click Next.
- Specify the two nodes as the owners. Click Next.
- The network name resource is dependent on the IP address resource, so add the IP address resource to the box on the right-hand side of the screen. Click Next.
- Enter a name for the virtual server. Click Finish.
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You're now ready to create the file share resource.
- Right-click the group and select New, Resource.
- Enter a name and description. Select the IP address for the resource type, select the group, and click Next.
- Specify the two nodes as the owners. Click Next.
- The file share resource is dependent on the physical disk, IP address, and network name resources to function properly, so add these three resources to the box on the right-hand side of the screen. Click Next.
- Enter the share name, the path, and a description.
- Click Permissions. By default, the permissions are set to Read Only. You'll need to change the permissions so that you can update files when you test the cluster. Click OK.
- Click Advanced, and select the Share Subdirectories and Hide Subdirectories options. Click OK, then Finish.
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The last step is to make the file share available.
- Right-click the group, and select Bring Online.
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The share is now ready to use.
Testing
Now, it's time for you to have some fun. From the workstation, log on to the domain and copy your MP3 file to the SCSI drive attached to the high-availability servers. Begin playing the file and pull the network cable from one of the nodes. Was there a momentary pause, or did the song play without missing a beat? Plug the cable back in and see whether anything happens. Then, pull the network cable from the other server. Did you notice any difference between what happened when you unplugged one server and what happened when you unplugged the other server? Do more experiments (pull more cables, pull the power plug)—have fun on your way to becoming an expert. To keep track of which node is active and which one is passive during your tests, you can use Cluster Administrator or cluster.exe in a command window.
After you conduct your first set of tests, run Microsoft's NetMon to analyze the traffic on both the private segment and public segment when you perform subsequent experiments. See whether you can identify the heartbeat packets sent from the active high-availability server and the fail-over packet. You could also run System Monitor (formerly known as Performance Monitor) on both high-availability nodes for a side-by-side comparison of performance.
If you really like to experiment, try adding a third and even a fourth node to your cluster. The SCSI cable is the tricky thing here, and Microsoft officially supports only the nodes running the OS, not the SCSI cable or drive, so you're on your own. (If you try adding more nodes, I'd like to hear about your results.) The easiest way to add more nodes is to use Internet SCSI (iSCSI). I've created an 8-node cluster by using iSCSI, and I've had more than 60 servers attached to one iSCSI target over a 100Mbps Ethernet network. I encourage you to take some time to become familiar with iSCSI. For starters, see the sidebar "iSCSI Essentials."
We've covered a lot. I wish I could send you to a resource that has more detailed information, but I haven't found one. Books about Windows 2003 by the well-known authors are about Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition—the only clustering they talk about is disk clusters. Your other resource is forums and mailing lists on the Web and on Google in particular. See what other people have done.
Gamers have gaming parties, and system administrators can have clustering parties to learn and pool their knowledge about clustering. As you learn more about clustering, think about how you can use it where you work to make your job less stressful and easier.
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dzoquier July 23, 2004 (Article Rating: