Deployment Guide
Table Of Contents
- Microsoft HCI Solutions from Dell Technologies Deployment Guide
- Contents
- Introduction
- Solution Overview
- Solution Deployment
- Introduction to solution deployment
- Deployment prerequisites
- Predeployment configuration
- Operating system deployment
- Installing roles and features
- Verifying firmware and software compliance with the support matrix
- Updating out-of-box drivers
- Changing the hostname
- Configuring host networking
- Joining cluster nodes to an Active Directory domain
- Deploying and configuring a host cluster
- Best practices and recommendations
- Recommended next steps
- Deployment services
- References
- Appendix A: Persistent Memory for Windows Server HCI
Enable jumbo frames
Enabling jumbo frames specifically on the interfaces supporting the storage network might help improve the overall read/write
performance of the Azure Stack HCI cluster. An end-to-end configuration of jumbo frames is required to take advantage of this
technology. However, support for jumbo frame sizes varies among software, NIC, and switch vendors. The lowest value within
the data path determines the maximum frame size that is used for that path.
For the storage network adapters in the host operating system, enable jumbo frames by running the Set-
NetworkAdapterAdvancedProperty cmdlet.
NOTE: Network adapters from different vendors support different jumbo packet sizes. The configured value must be
consistent across the host operating system and network switch configuration.
For information about configuring jumbo frames at the switch port level, see Sample Network Switch Configuration Files.
Recommended next steps
Before you proceed with operational management of the cluster, Dell Technologies recommends that you validate the cluster
deployment, verify that the infrastructure is operational, and, if needed, activate the operating system license.
1. Run the test-Cluster cmdlet to generate a cluster validation report:
Test-Cluster -Node S2DNode01, S2DNode02, S2DNode03, S2DNode04 -Include 'System
Configuration', 'Inventory', 'Network', 'Storage Spaces Direct'
This command generates an HTML report with a list of all the tests that were performed and completed without errors.
2. If the operating system was not factory-installed, activate the operating system license.
By default, the operating system is installed in evaluation mode. For information about activating the operating system
license as well as the management and operational aspects for the Azure Stack HCI solution, see the Operations Guide—
Managing and Monitoring the Solution Infrastructure Life Cycle.
Deployment services
Dell Technologies recommends using the company's deployment services to install Microsoft HCI Solutions from Dell
Technologies. Issues that arise during do-it-yourself installations and configuration are not covered even if you have purchased
Dell Technologies ProSupport or ProSupport Plus. Support for installation and configuration issues is provided under a separate
paid services package.
When you call Dell Technologies with an installation and configuration issue, Dell Tech Support routes you to your Sales Account
Manager. The Account Manager will then help you to purchase the onsite deployment services package.
Solution Deployment
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