BENEFITS VIDEO BENEFITS STUDY PERFORMANCE REPORT MANAGEABILITY STUDY TCO STUDY A Principled Technologies configuration guide commissioned by Dell Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents ............................................................................ 2 Introduction.................................................................................... 4 Features of the new Dell PowerEdge R410 .............................. 5 Features of the Dell PowerVault MD3200i Storage Array ........ 6 About Dell OpenManage .......................................................... 7 About Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1........................
Configuring the networks for cluster access .......................... 34 Configuring the management server ...................................... 35 Installing Hyper-V Tools and failover clustering tools ............ 36 Installing Systems Center Essentials 2010 .............................. 36 Configuring Systems Center Essentials 2010 .......................... 37 Adding the failover cluster as a virtual machine host in SCE 2010 ............................................................................
INTRODUCTION Dell™ 2-2-1 solutions help companies by simplifying the design, ordering, and deployment of a virtualized infrastructure. Choosing a proven architecture designed by Dell to meet your needs allows you to confidently deploy an optimal solution without the time requirement and hassle of compiling your hardware solution piecemeal. You also get to reap the benefits of Dell’s best practice recommendations and guidelines.
with Dell 2-2-1 solutions,, click the report tabs at the top of page one. For a general overview of server virtualization, we suggest starting with either the Benefits study or video. Features of the new Dell PowerEdge R410 Figure 1: The new Dell PowerEdge R410 server. The Dell PowerEdge R410, powered by Intel Xeon processor E5630s, offers many new features for maximizing performance and for minimizing operational expenses, including the following: Power.
servers, allowing for powerful flexibility with virtualized database solutions. To learn more about the Dell PowerEdge R410, visit www.dell.com/downloads/emea/products/R410_spec_sheet.pdf. Features of the Dell PowerVault MD3200i Storage Array Figure 2: The Dell PowerVault MD3200i storage array. The Dell PowerVault MD3200i storage array is an entry-level storage solution designed for virtualized environments where high availability is a must, and offers the following features: Ease of use.
To learn more about the Dell PowerVault 3200i, visit http://i.dell.com/sites/content/shared-content/datasheets/en/Documents/PowerVault_MD3200i_and_MD3220i_Spec_S heet.pdf. About Dell OpenManage Dell server configurations come equipped with Dell OpenManage software, which brings together network and systems management applications built using industry-standard specifications.
functions, including the ability to quickly add roles and features to your server. To learn more about Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, visit http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5842. About Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SQL Server 2008 R2 is the latest release of Microsoft’s database management platform. As with each release, Microsoft has added new features to expand on the capabilities of their Database Management System (DBMS) platform.
Communities, which lets users share ideas and information from a single platform; the SharePoint Search feature, which lets users find other people and information quickly; and SharePoint 2010 Insights, which gives users an improved ability to access databases, reports, and business applications. To learn more about Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, visit http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/Pages/default.aspx.
servers, through such actions as alerting SCVMM of the need for live migration of VMs to another server in the cluster. With SCE 2010 and Dell PRO-Pack, it is easier than ever to monitor your configuration and quickly address any issues that should arise. To learn more about Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010, visit http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/systemcenter/essentials.aspx.
Cabling For our high-availability setup, we configured the network cabling of the hardware as shown in Figure 4. Figure 4: Network cabling for our Dell 2-2-1 solution. To take advantage of the features of the Dell PowerConnect 5524 switches, we implemented the HDMI stacking feature to allow connectivity between the switches.
NIC Port number 1 2 1 2 3 4 Integrated on-board NIC Intel Gigabit Quad port Traffic type Private/CSV iSCSI #1 iSCSI #2 Live Migration Public/VM #1 Public/VM #2 Figure 5: NIC port configurations for each Dell PowerEdge R410. Figure 6 shows how we cabled each of the Dell PowerConnect 5524 switches. In the next section, Setting up the switches, we assign these ports by traffic type into their respective VLANs.
Subnet 192.168.130.0 192.168.131.0 192.168.132.0 192.168.133.0 Traffic type Adapters assigned to this subnet iSCSI iSCSI adapters 192.168.1.0 Public/VM 192.20.1.0 192.30.1.0 Private/CSV Live Migration Virtual machines, storage management, Hyper-V host servers, infrastructure server, and iDRAC management Private/CSV adapters Live Migration adapters Figure 7: The IP scheme we used.
For more information on configuring the many features of the Dell PowerConnect 5524, visit http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/network/pc5524/index.htm. Setting up the shared storage and networking In this section, we discuss setting up the Dell PowerEdge R410s with the Dell PowerVault MD3200i storage array. For more details, see Appendix A. Perform these steps on the first Dell PowerEdge R410, which will become the first Hyper-V host: 1.
NOTE If you are unable to establish contact with the domain controller, you may need to modify the Windows Firewall settings on the Hyper-V host servers. 4. Install the Dell MD32xxi software provided with the MD3200i and reboot the server when prompted. 5. Configure the MD3200i using the Modular Disk Configuration Utility. a.
Volume name VirtualMachine1 VirtualMachine2 VirtualMachine3 VirtualMachine4 VirtualMachine5 VirtualMachine6 SharePoint Exchange ExchangeLog SQLData SQLLog DiskWitness Volume size (GB) 100 100 100 100 100 100 300 300 75 300 75 10 Figure 9: The volumes we created on the Dell PowerVault MD3200i. 7. Using the advanced configuration options on the Intel NICs, create a NIC team with adaptive load balancing and failover on the two Public/VM network NICs. 8. Assign an IP address to the teamed NIC.
3. Change the name of your server to an appropriate name and join the domain. In our case, we selected Hypervhost2 for the server name and test.local for our domain. It is critical to perform this step prior to configuring the storage connections, as joining the domain modifies the IQN name of your Hyper-V host server and can disrupt connectivity between the server and MD3200i storage volumes. After completing this step, reboot the server and log into the domain.
servers for the failover cluster to successfully establish quorum and assign the necessary cluster shared volumes. Preparing the failover cluster and creating the management virtual machine Next, we will prepare the Hyper-V hosts for failover clustering and create the management virtual machine. For more details, see Appendix B. First, perform the following steps on both of the Hyper-V host servers: 1.
3. Enable Cluster Shared Volumes, verify that the cluster is using the correct disk witness you created for quorum, and add the remaining volumes as cluster shared volumes. 4. Configure the networks for cluster access and ensure that iSCSI NICs are not configured for cluster network communication. Be sure to note which cluster network has the subnet corresponding with your Private/CSV network, as you will need this to complete the next step.
and install the operating system. After installation is complete, assign a local administrator password, and log in. 2. In the Network and Sharing Center, apply an IP address. For our tests, we selected 192.168.1.201. 3. Change the name of your server to an appropriate name and join the domain. For the name, we selected Mgmt-sever. Reboot the server, and log into the domain. 4. Install Dell OpenManage Server Administrator.
10. Finally, download and import the Dell PRO Enabled Management Pack 2.0 into SCE 2010 from http://support.us.dell.com/support/downloads/download.asp x?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz&releaseid=R252410&formatcnt= 1&libid=0&typeid=-1&dateid=-1&formatid=-1&fileid=369241. Converting your existing physical servers into virtual machines Performing physical to virtual (P2V) server conversions is easy using Systems Center Essentials 2010.
network traffic virtual switch, and any VMs that will be configured to have additional volumes on the MD3200i will need two additional virtual network adapters, each attached to a different iSCSI virtual switch. In our configuration, this included the Exchange, SharePoint, and SQL Server VMs. 6. Boot the virtual machine, and assign IP addresses to the newly added NIC(s) to match the public/VM and iSCSI schemes as needed.
1. In the Computers section of the SCE console, use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create the VM as follows: a. Select an appropriate virtual hardware template, and make any necessary customizations. b. Select Install from the DVD, and insert your Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 installation media into the drive of the host you will select in the next step. c. Select one of the two Hyper-V host servers, assign a name to the VM, select the appropriate volume, and create the VM. 2.
SUMMING IT ALL UP High availability infrastructures are an essential part of any business. To keep your data going and your company moving along, you need a system that not only handles your business in an effective, structured manner, but one that won’t fail.
APPENDIX A – SETTING UP THE SHARED STORAGE AND NETWORKING Adding the Hyper-V role 1. Open Server Manager, and click Roles. 2. Click Add Roles. 3. On the Before You Begin page, check the Skip this page by default box, and click Next. 4. Select Hyper-V, and click Next. 5. On the Hyper-V Introduction page, click Next. 6. On the Create Virtual Networks page, click Next. 7. Confirm installation selections, and click Install. 8. Once the installation is complete, click Close. 9.
7. At the Feature Selection window, from the Install Set dropdown menu, select Full (Recommended), and click Next. 8. When asked if you would like to automatically start the event monitor service when the installation completes, select No, I will manually start the event monitor, and click Next. 9. When asked if you would like to automatically run the Modular Disk Configuration Utility the first time the system is rebooted, select Yes (Recommended), and click Next. 10.
9. Select IPv4 and IPv6 as the IP protocols used by the iSCSI ports. 10. Mark Specify configuration manually for IPv4, and Obtain configuration automatically for IPv6, and click Next. 11. Accept the pre-populated values in the next 8 iSCSI Port Configuration Windows: Controller 0 IN 0 Controller 0 IN 1 Controller 0 IN 2 Controller 0 IN 3 Controller 1 IN 0 Controller 1 IN 1 Controller 1 IN 2 Controller 1 IN 3 12.
Configuring the second host using the Modular Disk Configuration Utility You will need to install the PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Software as outlined above on the second Hyper-V host before completing these steps. 1. Start the Modular Disk Configuration Utility (StartProgramsDell Modular Disk Configuration UtilityModular Disk Configuration Utility). 2. At the Welcome Window, click Next. 3. Select the option to Configure Host in the Configuration Task window, and click Next. 4.
3. Right-click the Total Unconfigured Capacity in the left panel of the Storage Manager, and select Create Disk Group. 4. The Create Disk Group wizard will open. Click Next to start the wizard. 5. Enter a name in the Disk group name field, and Select Manual (Advanced) from the Physical Disk selection choices. 6. Choose a RAID level from the RAID level drop-down menu, add physical disks by selecting two at a time and clicking the Add button, and click the Calculate Capacity button.
Teaming the Public network adapters 1. Open the Network Connections Control Panel (StartType View Network Connections). 2. Right-click one of the Public network adapters, and choose Properties. 3. Click Configure, and select the Teaming tab from the adapter properties window. 4. Mark Team this adapter with other adapters, and click New Team. 5. Enter Public as the name for the team, and click Next. 6. Select the Public-1 and Public-2 adapters from the list of adapters listed in the New Team Wizard window.
7. Select VirtualMachine1 from the list of Virtual Disks, and 1 from the Logical unit number (LUN) field, and click Add. 8. Select VirtualMachine2 from the list of Virtual Disks, and 2 from the Logical unit number (LUN) field, and click Add. 9. Select VirtualMachine3 from the list of Virtual Disks, and 3 from the Logical unit number (LUN) field, and click Add. 10. Select VirtualMachine4 from the list of Virtual Disks, and 4 from the Logical unit number (LUN) field, and click Add. 11.
APPENDIX B – PREPARING THE FAILOVER CLUSTER AND CREATING THE MANAGEMENT SERVER Creating a self-signed certificate 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Click StartRun. Type mmc and click OK. When the console opens, click FileAdd/Remove Snap-in… Under Available snap-ins, select Certificates, and click Add. Select Computer account, and click Next. Select Local computer, and click Finish. At the Add or Remove Snap-ins window, click OK. On the left side, expand Certificates (Local Computer).
10. Accept the license agreement, and click Next. 11. At the Setup Type screen, select Custom, and click Next. 12. At the Custom Setup screen, click Server InstrumentationRemote EnablementThis feature will be installed on the local hard drive, and click Next. 13. At the Ready to Install the Program screen, Click Install. 14. Once the installation completes, click Finish. Running the Validate a Configuration Wizard 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Open Server Manager.
10. The new cluster now appears under Server ManagerFeaturesFailover Cluster Manager. 11. Select the newly created cluster. 12. Click Enable Cluster Shared Volumes… 13. Read the notice window that appears, check the I have read the above notice box, and click OK. 14. On the left-hand side of the Server Manager window, expand the new cluster, and click Cluster Shared Volumes. 15. Click Add storage. 16. Select the desired disks, and click OK to add the disks to the cluster. 17.
2. Type Get-ClusterNetwork | ft Name, Metric, AutoMetric, Role and press Enter to view the current preferred network assignments. 3. Type (Get-ClusterNetwork “Cluster Network 2”).Metric = 900, where “Cluster Network 2” is the Private/CSV Network, and press Enter to set it as the preferred network. Setting the Metric to a lower value than the other networks, in this case a value of 900, will make it the preferred network for CSV communication.
12. Review the summary of the virtual machine to verify you successfully created the Management Server virtual machine, and click Finish. 13. Start the Hyper-V Manger, right-click the Management Server virtual machine you just created, and click Connect. 14. Install and patch Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise SP1. Installing Hyper-V Tools and failover clustering tools 1. Open Server Manager, and click Features. 2. Click Add Features. 3.
9. On the Setup will install these missing software prerequisites page, select Install Internet Information Services (IIS) and Install SQL Server 2008 SP1 on this computer now, and click Next. 10. When all prerequisite installations complete successfully, click Next. 11. On the Where should System Center Essentials files be located? page, click Next. 12. On the Where should Virtualization Management data be located? page, accept the default location, and click Next. 13.
10. On the Monitoring Configuration page, leave default selections, and click Next. 11. On the Error Monitoring page, select Yes, collect application errors (recommended), enter a valid directory for the Error reporting upload location, and click Next. 12. On the Configure Error Forwarding page, click Next. 13. On the Microsoft Updates page, select Automatically (recommended), and click Next. 14. On the Update Languages page, select Yes (recommended), and click Next. 15.
Importing the Dell PRO Enabled Management Pack into SCE 2010 1. Download the Dell PRO Pack 2.0 from http://support.us.dell.com/support/downloads/download.asp x?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz&releaseid=R252410&formatcnt= 1&libid=0&typeid=-1&dateid=-1&formatid=-1&fileid=369241. 2. Double-click the downloaded file. 3. When the Open File – Security Warning window appears, click Run. 4. At the Dell PRO Enabled Management Pack window, click OK. 5. Enter a location for the unzipped file, and click Unzip. 6.
APPENDIX C – CREATING AND CONFIGURING THE VIRTUAL MACHINES Migrating a physical server to a virtual server 1. Start System Center Essentials on the management server. 2. Highlight the physical server you want to virtualize in the list of servers in the domain, and click Convert to Virtual Machine from the list of choices in the right panel. 3. In the Before you begin window, click Next. 4. Enter the domain administrator credentials, select the Domain from the Domain drop-down menu, and click Next. 5.
7. At the Virtual Machine Name screen, enter a name, description, and host folder for the new virtual machine. 8. Click Next. 9. At the Summary screen, review the virtual machine settings, and click Create. 10. When the virtual machine is successfully created, check the When the wizard closes, open the Configure Virtual Machine window to set up the virtual machine for management box. 11. Click Close. 12. When the Configure Virtual Machine window appears, click Install an operating system.
3. On the Auto or Advanced? Screen, select the Automatic computer discovery radio button, and click Next. 4. On the Administrator Account screen, select the Use selected Management Server Action Account, and click Discover. 5. On the Select Objects to Manage screen, select the appropriate virtual machine, and click Next. 6. On the Summary screen, click Finish. The Agent Management Task Status window will pop up and show the status of the agent installation into the virtual machine. 7.
Creating a virtual network switch 1. Click StartAdministrative ToolsHyper-V Manager. 2. Ensure that New virtual network is highlighted in the left pane, and External is highlighted in the right pane, and click Add. 3. For the name, enter an appropriate name. For our testing we created three virtual switches, “virtualswitch” for the network traffic one, “iSCSI1” for the first iSCSI virtual switch, and “iSCSI2” for the second iSCSI virtual switch.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 to add additional network/iSCSI adapters. 7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for the remaining VMs. Mapping volumes to the VMs Before completing the following steps, boot the VMs, assign IP addresses to the NICs, install the Dell PowerVault MD32xxi software, and run the Dell PowerVault Modular Disk Configuration Utility to configure the VM as a host (as outlined in Appendix A). 1.
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