Clustering Tips for Microsoft Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition on Compaq ProLiant DL590/64 Server

Clustering Tips for Microsoft Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition on Compaq ProLiant DL590/64 Server 5
Hardware and Software Configuration Tips
For tips on setting up the ProLiant DL590/64 servers, see the white paper, Deployment of
Windows Advanced Server on Compaq ProLiant DL590/64 Servers. This white paper may be
found at the following link:
http://www.compaq.com/support/techpubs/whitepapers/158m-0801a-wwen.html
For more information on the Compaq StorageWorks MA8000 system see the following link:
http://www.compaq.com/products/storageworks/MA8kEMA12k/index.html.
To configure the cluster with the Compaq StorageWorks MA8000 storage subsystem follow the
guidelines in the Compaq ProLiant Cluster HA/F500 Administrator Guide. Use the basic
configuration with switches. The guide may be found at the following link:
ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/supportinformation/techpubs/installation_guides/355220-002.pdf
The fiber channel host bus adapter will require the Compaq 64-bit SCSI miniport driver,
CPQKGPSA.SYS, Version 6-4.52a8 or later. Unlike the HA/F500 cluster, the Windows
Advanced Server, Limited Edition cluster will not use any fibre channel filter driver.
Storage Configuration Tips
Shared Storage Drives must be NTFS
The shared storage volumes in a cluster must be configured as Basic, Master Boot Record
(MBR), NTFS volumes. Dynamic drives and Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) Partition Table
(GPT) drives are not supported in a cluster. The local drives and other drives that are not cluster
resources do not have this restriction.
Drive Letter Assignment
Before adding or removing hardware from a cluster, make sure the drive letter assigned to the
Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition system partition (typically C or D) is fixed. The
drive letter assignment must remain constant because references to this drive letter are recorded in
the registry, and your cluster is affected by these references.
Consistent Drive Letters for Each Cluster Node
It is also necessary for drive letters on the cluster shared storage device to remain constant and for
the drive letter assignments to be the same on each cluster node. In addition, drive letters for the
cluster shared storage device must not conflict with any local drive letters.
Use Mount Points to Access More Than 23 Devices
If you assign drive letters to the cluster shared storage devices, Windows Advanced Server,
Limited Edition limits the total number of such devices to 23. Mount points are not subject to this
limit. You can use mount points to access more than 23 cluster shared storage devices in your
cluster. Mount points must fail over together with their “host” drive, therefore they both must
reside in the same resource group. The “host” drives must also have a dependency on their mount
points.