| Author |
Message |
R Stovall
Guest
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 Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:49 am Post subject:
cluster configuration |
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I have a new client that called me in to help him get his 2-node Exchange
cluster (Active/Passive) up and running. It is working now, though we're
still testing and haven't actually implemented it in the organzation yet.
The basic scenario is this:
Client has cluster compatible HP hardware (servers and SAN). SAN is used
for several different applications. When I arrived on the scene the cluster
had already been created with ALL resources created in the same cluster group.
I have asked the client to reconfigure the cluster with separate groups for
Exchange, DTC, Cluster, and a non-IIS webserver which he insists on running
on this cluster. So far he has declined citing the complexity/headache of
reconfiguring the SAN. (There are 2 physical disk resources. One for the
quorum disk and one for everything else.)
He has not created either Network Name or IP resources for the DTC.
This is a small organization with fewer than 40 total Exchange users.
I suppose I have two questions for those brave enough to weigh in:
1) Are we headed for disaster with every resource sitting in the same
cluster group? (It's not too late for me to fight for reconfiguring
everything.)
2) What are the implications of not having NN and IP resources dedicated to
the DTC?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
RS
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seth
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:36 pm Post subject:
Re: cluster configuration |
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first i would say that to me it looks like a lack of planning
i would not recommend putting everything in one group.
exchange should have it's own group, and i really can't recommend more than
that (as far as other groups go) since i'm not familiar with what other
applications/services you are running
if it is kept in one group, and let's say exchange fails for some reason, it
could take down the entire group and whatever else is in there. so i would
strongly recommend having a separate group for exchange
as far as exchange goes, you would need a disk, ip, name resources. you
could put the dtc in that group also, and all your exchange services in
there. i don't believe you can configure dtc resource without it being
dependant on a name and ip
hope it helps
"R Stovall" <richard-at-@shuffle-daht-.com> wrote in message
news:6AE9B9D1-693D-4D17-A22E-B4DC3EE29E37@microsoft.com...
| Quote: | I have a new client that called me in to help him get his 2-node Exchange
cluster (Active/Passive) up and running. It is working now, though we're
still testing and haven't actually implemented it in the organzation yet.
The basic scenario is this:
Client has cluster compatible HP hardware (servers and SAN). SAN is used
for several different applications. When I arrived on the scene the
cluster
had already been created with ALL resources created in the same cluster
group.
I have asked the client to reconfigure the cluster with separate groups
for
Exchange, DTC, Cluster, and a non-IIS webserver which he insists on
running
on this cluster. So far he has declined citing the complexity/headache of
reconfiguring the SAN. (There are 2 physical disk resources. One for the
quorum disk and one for everything else.)
He has not created either Network Name or IP resources for the DTC.
This is a small organization with fewer than 40 total Exchange users.
I suppose I have two questions for those brave enough to weigh in:
1) Are we headed for disaster with every resource sitting in the same
cluster group? (It's not too late for me to fight for reconfiguring
everything.)
2) What are the implications of not having NN and IP resources dedicated
to
the DTC?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
RS |
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Scott Schnoll [MSFT]
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 12:14 am Post subject:
Re: cluster configuration |
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|
Hi,
Exchange Virtual Servers should be isolated in their own resource groups.
The only items that should be in the default cluster group is the quorum
resource, cluster network name, cluster IP address and DTC resources. Our
best practice recommendation is to have the DTC resource in the default
cluster group because Exchange only uses the clustered DTC resource during
Setup and Service Pack Setup. That said, if this non-IIS Web server uses
the DTC resource, thereby increasing the I/O load on the DTC disk, our best
practice recommendation would be to isolate the DTC in its own resource
group with a dedicated disk, IP address and network name resource.
The design of this cluster is contrary to best practices in several
respects, and its a most unusual configuration in my experience. I'd be
curious to know why the non-IIS Web server is running in this cluster, when
you already have IIS running. You might want to run the Exchange Server
Best Practices Analyzer Tool (http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/exbpa)
against this cluster to validate other important aspects of your Exchange
infrastructure.
If your availability needs are high enough where they justify a cluster for
40 users then I would ensure that the cluster you are using is designed for
high availability. The cluster system you described sounds like it is not
designed for high availability.
Feel free to post back here if you have any more questions.
--
Scott Schnoll
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights. Please do not send email directly to this alias. This alias is for
newsgroup
purposes only.
"R Stovall" <richard-at-@shuffle-daht-.com> wrote in message
news:6AE9B9D1-693D-4D17-A22E-B4DC3EE29E37@microsoft.com...
| Quote: | I have a new client that called me in to help him get his 2-node Exchange
cluster (Active/Passive) up and running. It is working now, though we're
still testing and haven't actually implemented it in the organzation yet.
The basic scenario is this:
Client has cluster compatible HP hardware (servers and SAN). SAN is used
for several different applications. When I arrived on the scene the
cluster
had already been created with ALL resources created in the same cluster
group.
I have asked the client to reconfigure the cluster with separate groups
for
Exchange, DTC, Cluster, and a non-IIS webserver which he insists on
running
on this cluster. So far he has declined citing the complexity/headache of
reconfiguring the SAN. (There are 2 physical disk resources. One for the
quorum disk and one for everything else.)
He has not created either Network Name or IP resources for the DTC.
This is a small organization with fewer than 40 total Exchange users.
I suppose I have two questions for those brave enough to weigh in:
1) Are we headed for disaster with every resource sitting in the same
cluster group? (It's not too late for me to fight for reconfiguring
everything.)
2) What are the implications of not having NN and IP resources dedicated
to
the DTC?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
RS |
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| Back to top |
|
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R Stovall
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 1:01 am Post subject:
Re: cluster configuration |
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|
Excellent reply. Thank you VERY much.
I will see if I can have the setup reconfigured.
RS
"Scott Schnoll [MSFT]" wrote:
| Quote: | Hi,
Exchange Virtual Servers should be isolated in their own resource groups.
The only items that should be in the default cluster group is the quorum
resource, cluster network name, cluster IP address and DTC resources. Our
best practice recommendation is to have the DTC resource in the default
cluster group because Exchange only uses the clustered DTC resource during
Setup and Service Pack Setup. That said, if this non-IIS Web server uses
the DTC resource, thereby increasing the I/O load on the DTC disk, our best
practice recommendation would be to isolate the DTC in its own resource
group with a dedicated disk, IP address and network name resource.
The design of this cluster is contrary to best practices in several
respects, and its a most unusual configuration in my experience. I'd be
curious to know why the non-IIS Web server is running in this cluster, when
you already have IIS running. You might want to run the Exchange Server
Best Practices Analyzer Tool (http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/exbpa)
against this cluster to validate other important aspects of your Exchange
infrastructure.
If your availability needs are high enough where they justify a cluster for
40 users then I would ensure that the cluster you are using is designed for
high availability. The cluster system you described sounds like it is not
designed for high availability.
Feel free to post back here if you have any more questions.
--
Scott Schnoll
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights. Please do not send email directly to this alias. This alias is for
newsgroup
purposes only. |
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