Reference Guide

6 Introduction
Implementing Fibre Channel technology in a cluster provides the following
advantages:
• Flexibility —Fibre Channel allows a distance of up to 10 km between
switches without degrading the signal.
• Availability —Fibre Channel components use redundant connections
providing multiple data paths and greater availability for clients.
• Connectivity —Fibre Channel allows more device connections than Small
Computer System Interface (SCSI). Because Fibre Channel devices are
hot-pluggable, you can add or remove devices from the nodes without
taking the entire cluster offline.
Cluster Hardware Requirements
Your cluster requires the following hardware components:
•Cluster nodes
• Cluster storage
Cluster Nodes
Tabl e 1-1 lists the hardware requirements for the cluster nodes.
Table 1-1. Cluster Node Requirements
Component Minimum Requirement
Cluster nodes A minimum of two identical Dell PowerEdge systems are
required.
RAM At least 1 GB of memory.
Host Bus Adapter
(HBA) ports
Two Fibre Channel HBA ports per node, unless the server
employs an integrated or supported dual-port Fibre Channel
HBA.
Where possible, place the HBAs on separate PCI buses to
improve availability and performance.
NICs At least two NICs: one NIC for the public network and
another NIC for the private network.
NOTE: It is recommended that the NICs on each public network
are identical and that the NICs on each private network are
identical.