Adding new physical disk resource to 2003 active/passive cluster

Hello All,

I have a question that hopefully someone can advise me on. I have 2 Dell
2650's connected to a Dell PowerVault 220S in a active/passive configuration.
I am adding an additional Virtual Drive so that we can move our Exchange
2003 transaction logs to. I have outlined the procedure I believe I should
use below:

• Power down Exchange1
• Add 2 drives to slots 13/14 in the Powervault
• From within Array Manager on Exchange2 configure new drives in a RAID 1
configuration.
• Initialize drive from within Array Manager on Exchange2.
• Write signature if necessary to new Virtual Drive from within Disk
Management on Exchange2.
• Power Down Exchange2
• Power Up Exchange1 and press <cntrl> + M to enter PERC 4/DC BIOS.
• Select Configuration, then view/add, Read from Disk.
• Confirm you can see new Logical Drive.
• Escape and save configuration.
• Power Off Exchange1
• Power up Exchange2




• Open Cluster Manager on Exchange2 and create new physical disk resource.
Use the letter “T” for the new disk resource.
• Bring this new physical disk resource online
• Restart Exchange 1 and let it boot all the way up into the OS.
• Create a new Cluster group named “test” so that we can place the new
physical disk resource in this group for failover testing between nodes.
This group will be deleted after failover testing has been completed.
• Move this group between Exchange1 and Exchange2 to confirm each node can
access this resource.

Does anyone see anything wrong with this method?

Thanks in advance...

First off you have to leave 1 drive bay open with the PV220s (Dell uses it
to reserve the enclosure ID within clustering), and since I can't remember
if they hold 15 or 14, I thought I would mention it now. Dell supports 1
minus the total number of drives in the PV220s.

Next, make sure you are on the latest firmware of the PV220s BEFORE you add
to it. E18 is the current, I believe.

Next, make sure the nodes have the latest PERC drivers.

You need to assign T: to each node after they see the drive. This will fully
populate the registry of the nodes. Other then that your steps take the long
way, but they will work nicely (given you do what I also outlined above).

Cheers,

Rodney R. Fournier

MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering Website
http://msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
http://www.clusterhelp.com - Cluster Training
ClusterHelp.com is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner


"kesm0724" <kesm0724@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3D3E90E7-6308-4521-9965-52ECC3138DED@microsoft.com...
> Hello All,
>
> I have a question that hopefully someone can advise me on. I have 2 Dell
> 2650's connected to a Dell PowerVault 220S in a active/passive
> configuration.
> I am adding an additional Virtual Drive so that we can move our Exchange
> 2003 transaction logs to. I have outlined the procedure I believe I
> should
> use below:
>
> . Power down Exchange1
> . Add 2 drives to slots 13/14 in the Powervault
> . From within Array Manager on Exchange2 configure new drives in a RAID 1
> configuration.
> . Initialize drive from within Array Manager on Exchange2.
> . Write signature if necessary to new Virtual Drive from within Disk
> Management on Exchange2.
> . Power Down Exchange2
> . Power Up Exchange1 and press <cntrl> + M to enter PERC 4/DC BIOS.
> . Select Configuration, then view/add, Read from Disk.
> . Confirm you can see new Logical Drive.
> . Escape and save configuration.
> . Power Off Exchange1
> . Power up Exchange2
>
>
>
>
> . Open Cluster Manager on Exchange2 and create new physical disk resource.
> Use the letter "T" for the new disk resource.
> . Bring this new physical disk resource online
> . Restart Exchange 1 and let it boot all the way up into the OS.
> . Create a new Cluster group named "test" so that we can place the new
> physical disk resource in this group for failover testing between nodes.
> This group will be deleted after failover testing has been completed.
> . Move this group between Exchange1 and Exchange2 to confirm each node can
> access this resource.
>
> Does anyone see anything wrong with this method?
>
> Thanks in advance...
>
>

Thanks Rodney. Yes, updating the PV22x firmware is the key to this evolution
as well as going to the passive server and making sure the PERC Bios
recognizes the newly created Drive.

Regards,

Kevin Smith


"Rodney R. Fournier [MVP]" wrote:

> First off you have to leave 1 drive bay open with the PV220s (Dell uses it
> to reserve the enclosure ID within clustering), and since I can't remember
> if they hold 15 or 14, I thought I would mention it now. Dell supports 1
> minus the total number of drives in the PV220s.
>
> Next, make sure you are on the latest firmware of the PV220s BEFORE you add
> to it. E18 is the current, I believe.
>
> Next, make sure the nodes have the latest PERC drivers.
>
> You need to assign T: to each node after they see the drive. This will fully
> populate the registry of the nodes. Other then that your steps take the long
> way, but they will work nicely (given you do what I also outlined above).
>
> Cheers,
>
> Rodney R. Fournier
>
> MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
> http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering Website
> http://msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
> http://www.clusterhelp.com - Cluster Training
> ClusterHelp.com is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
>
>
> "kesm0724" <kesm0724@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:3D3E90E7-6308-4521-9965-52ECC3138DED@microsoft.com...
> > Hello All,
> >
> > I have a question that hopefully someone can advise me on. I have 2 Dell
> > 2650's connected to a Dell PowerVault 220S in a active/passive
> > configuration.
> > I am adding an additional Virtual Drive so that we can move our Exchange
> > 2003 transaction logs to. I have outlined the procedure I believe I
> > should
> > use below:
> >
> > . Power down Exchange1
> > . Add 2 drives to slots 13/14 in the Powervault
> > . From within Array Manager on Exchange2 configure new drives in a RAID 1
> > configuration.
> > . Initialize drive from within Array Manager on Exchange2.
> > . Write signature if necessary to new Virtual Drive from within Disk
> > Management on Exchange2.
> > . Power Down Exchange2
> > . Power Up Exchange1 and press <cntrl> + M to enter PERC 4/DC BIOS.
> > . Select Configuration, then view/add, Read from Disk.
> > . Confirm you can see new Logical Drive.
> > . Escape and save configuration.
> > . Power Off Exchange1
> > . Power up Exchange2
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > . Open Cluster Manager on Exchange2 and create new physical disk resource.
> > Use the letter "T" for the new disk resource.
> > . Bring this new physical disk resource online
> > . Restart Exchange 1 and let it boot all the way up into the OS.
> > . Create a new Cluster group named "test" so that we can place the new
> > physical disk resource in this group for failover testing between nodes.
> > This group will be deleted after failover testing has been completed.
> > . Move this group between Exchange1 and Exchange2 to confirm each node can
> > access this resource.
> >
> > Does anyone see anything wrong with this method?
> >
> > Thanks in advance...
> >
> >
>
>
>

Then you are good to go!

Cheers,

Rodney R. Fournier

MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering Website
http://msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
http://www.clusterhelp.com - Cluster Training
ClusterHelp.com is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner


"kesm0724" <kesm0724@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BF62A06C-D48D-4F9D-A052-072ECE11B9AB@microsoft.com...
> Thanks Rodney. Yes, updating the PV22x firmware is the key to this
> evolution
> as well as going to the passive server and making sure the PERC Bios
> recognizes the newly created Drive.
>
> Regards,
>
> Kevin Smith
>
>
> "Rodney R. Fournier [MVP]" wrote:
>
>> First off you have to leave 1 drive bay open with the PV220s (Dell uses
>> it
>> to reserve the enclosure ID within clustering), and since I can't
>> remember
>> if they hold 15 or 14, I thought I would mention it now. Dell supports 1
>> minus the total number of drives in the PV220s.
>>
>> Next, make sure you are on the latest firmware of the PV220s BEFORE you
>> add
>> to it. E18 is the current, I believe.
>>
>> Next, make sure the nodes have the latest PERC drivers.
>>
>> You need to assign T: to each node after they see the drive. This will
>> fully
>> populate the registry of the nodes. Other then that your steps take the
>> long
>> way, but they will work nicely (given you do what I also outlined above).
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Rodney R. Fournier
>>
>> MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
>> http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering Website
>> http://msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
>> http://www.clusterhelp.com - Cluster Training
>> ClusterHelp.com is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
>>
>>
>> "kesm0724" <kesm0724@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:3D3E90E7-6308-4521-9965-52ECC3138DED@microsoft.com...
>> > Hello All,
>> >
>> > I have a question that hopefully someone can advise me on. I have 2
>> > Dell
>> > 2650's connected to a Dell PowerVault 220S in a active/passive
>> > configuration.
>> > I am adding an additional Virtual Drive so that we can move our
>> > Exchange
>> > 2003 transaction logs to. I have outlined the procedure I believe I
>> > should
>> > use below:
>> >
>> > . Power down Exchange1
>> > . Add 2 drives to slots 13/14 in the Powervault
>> > . From within Array Manager on Exchange2 configure new drives in a RAID
>> > 1
>> > configuration.
>> > . Initialize drive from within Array Manager on Exchange2.
>> > . Write signature if necessary to new Virtual Drive from within Disk
>> > Management on Exchange2.
>> > . Power Down Exchange2
>> > . Power Up Exchange1 and press <cntrl> + M to enter PERC 4/DC BIOS.
>> > . Select Configuration, then view/add, Read from Disk.
>> > . Confirm you can see new Logical Drive.
>> > . Escape and save configuration.
>> > . Power Off Exchange1
>> > . Power up Exchange2
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > . Open Cluster Manager on Exchange2 and create new physical disk
>> > resource.
>> > Use the letter "T" for the new disk resource.
>> > . Bring this new physical disk resource online
>> > . Restart Exchange 1 and let it boot all the way up into the OS.
>> > . Create a new Cluster group named "test" so that we can place the new
>> > physical disk resource in this group for failover testing between
>> > nodes.
>> > This group will be deleted after failover testing has been completed.
>> > . Move this group between Exchange1 and Exchange2 to confirm each node
>> > can
>> > access this resource.
>> >
>> > Does anyone see anything wrong with this method?
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance...
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>