Deployment Guide

Introduction 5
Introduction
This document provides information for installing and managing your
Cluster solution using Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3000i storage system. It is
intended for experienced IT professionals who need to configure the cluster
solution, and for trained service technicians who perform upgrade and
maintenance procedures. This document also addresses readers who are new
to clustering.
Overview
A Microsoft
®
Windows Server
®
failover cluster combines specific hardware
and software components to provide enhanced availability for applications
and services that are run on the cluster. A failover cluster is designed to reduce
the possibility of any single point of failure within the system that can cause
the clustered applications or services to become unavailable. It is
recommended that you use redundant components like system and storage
power supplies, connections between the nodes and the storage array(s),
connections to client systems, or other systems in the multi-tier enterprise
application architecture in your cluster.
This guide addresses the configuration of your Dell MD3000i iSCSI storage
array for use with one or more Windows Server failover clusters. It provides
information and specific configuration tasks that enable you to deploy the
shared storage for your cluster.
For more information on deploying your cluster with a specific variant of the
Windows Server operating system (for example: Windows Server 2003 or
Windows Server 2008), see Dell Failover Clusters with Microsoft Windows
Server Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.
For a list of recommended operating systems, hardware components, and
driver or firmware versions for your Dell Windows Server Failover Cluster, see
the Dell Cluster Configuration Support Matrices located on the Dell High
Availability Clustering website at www.dell.com/ha.
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