Dell Ax4-5 Manual

Introduction11
Table 1-3 lists hardware requirements for the disk processor enclosures DPE 
DAE, and SPS.
 NOTE: Ensure that the core software version running on the storage system is 
supported by Dell. For specific version requirements, see the Dell Cluster 
Configuration Support Matrices located on the Dell High Availability Cluster website 
at dell.com/ha.
Supported Cluster Configurations
Direct-Attached Cluster
In a direct-attached cluster, all nodes of the cluster are directly attached to a 
single...

12Introduction
Figure 1-1. Direct-Attached, Single-Cluster Configuration
EMC® PowerPath® Limitations in a Direct-Attached Cluster
EMC PowerPath provides failover capabilities and multiple path detection as 
well as dynamic load balancing between multiple ports on the same storage 
processor. However, direct-attached clusters supported by Dell connect to a 
single port on each storage processor in the storage system. Because of the 
single port limitation, PowerPath can provide only failover protection,...

Introduction13
Figure 1-2. SAN-Attached Cluster
Other Documents You May Need
 CAUTION: The safety information that is shipped with your system provides 
important safety and regulatory information. Warranty information may be 
included within this document or as a separate document. 
 
NOTE: To configure Dell blade server modules in a Dell PowerEdge cluster, see the 
Using Dell Blade Servers in a Dell PowerEdge High Availability Cluster document 
located on the Dell Support website at...

14Introduction
Dell Cluster Configuration Support Matrices provides a list of 
recommended operating systems, hardware components, and driver or 
firmware versions for your Dell Windows Server Failover Cluster.
 The HBA documentation provides installation instructions for the HBAs.
 Systems management software documentation describes the features, 
requirements, installation, and basic operation of the software. 
 Operating system documentation describes how to install (if necessary), 
configure, and use...

Cabling Your Cluster Hardware15
Cabling Your Cluster Hardware
 NOTE: To configure Dell blade server modules in a Dell™ PowerEdge™ cluster, see 
the Using Dell Blade Servers in a Dell PowerEdge High Availability Cluster 
document located on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com/manuals.
Cabling the Mouse, Keyboard, and Monitor
When installing a cluster configuration in a rack, you must include a switch 
box to connect the mouse, keyboard, and monitor to the nodes. See the 
documentation included...

16Cabling Your Cluster Hardware
Figure 2-1. Power Cabling Example With One Power Supply in the PowerEdge Systems 
and One Standby Power Supply (SPS) in an AX4-5 Storage System
redundant power 
supplies on one AC 
power strip (or on one 
AC PDU [not shown]) primary power 
supplies on one AC 
power strip (or on one 
AC PDU [not shown])
 
NOTE: This illustration is intended only to demonstrate the power 
distribution of the components.
SPS 

Cabling Your Cluster Hardware17
Figure 2-2. Power Cabling Example With Two Power Supplies in the PowerEdge 
Systems and Two SPS(s) in an AX4-5 Storage System
Cabling Your Cluster for Public and Private 
Networks
The network adapters in the cluster nodes provide at least two network 
connections for each node, as described in Table 2-1.
 NOTE: To configure Dell blade server modules in a Dell PowerEdge cluster, see the 
Using Dell Blade Servers in a Dell PowerEdge High Availability Cluster document...

18Cabling Your Cluster Hardware
Figure 2-3 shows an example of cabling in which dedicated network adapters 
in each node are connected to each other (for the private network) and the 
remaining network adapters are connected to the public network.
Figure 2-3. Example of Network Cabling Connection Table 2-1. Network Connections
Network Connection Description
Public network All connections to the client LAN.
At least one public network must be configured for 
Mixed mode for private network failover....

Cabling Your Cluster Hardware19
Cabling the Public Network
Any network adapter supported by a system running TCP/IP may be used to 
connect to the public network segments. You can install additional network 
adapters to support additional public network segments or to provide 
redundancy in the event of a faulty primary network adapter or switch port.
Cabling the Private Network
The private network connection to the nodes is provided by a different 
network adapter in each node. This network is used for...

20Cabling Your Cluster Hardware
Using Dual-Port Network Adapters
You can configure your cluster to use the public network as a failover for 
private network communications. If dual-port network adapters are used, do 
not use both ports simultaneously to support both the public and private 
networks. 
NIC Teaming
NIC teaming combines two or more NICs to provide load balancing and fault 
tolerance. Your cluster supports NIC teaming, but only in a public network; 
NIC teaming is not supported in a private...