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Release Notes
REV 01
Product description............................................................................................ 2
New features and changes ................................................................................. 3
Environment and system requirements............................................................... 4
Known problems and limitations ........................................................................ 9
Technical notes ................................................................................................ 12
Documentation ................................................................................................ 13
Software media, organization, and files............................................................ 13
Installation....................................................................................................... 14
Troubleshooting and getting help ..................................................................... 19
Product description
Product description
SRDF/Cluster Enabler (SRDF/CE) Version 4.2.1 is a software plug-in module to EMC
Cluster Enabler for Microsoft Failover Clusters software. Cluster Enabler (CE) plug-in
architecture consists of a CE Base Component and separately available plug-in
modules, which support your chosen storage replication technology.
The SRDF/CE plug-in module provides a software extension of failover clusters
functionality that allows Windows Server 2008 (including R2) Enterprise and
Datacenter editions, and Windows Server 2012 (including R2) Standard and
Datacenter editions running Microsoft Failover Clusters to operate across multiple
connected VMAX arrays in geographically distributed clusters.
Each cluster node is connected through a storage network to the supported VMAX
array. Once configured using the EMC Cluster Enabler Manager graphic user interface
(GUI), Microsoft Failover Clusters are referred to as CE clusters. SRDF/CE software can
support up to 64 shared quorum disk clusters per VMAX array pair. There is no limit on
the number of Majority Node Set (MNS) clusters per VMAX array pair.
Using an SRDF1 link, SRDF/CE expands the range of cluster storage and management
capabilities while ensuring full business continuance protection. A Fibre Channel
connection from each cluster node is made to its own VMAX array. Two VMAX arrays
are connected through SRDF to provide automatic failover of SRDF-mirrored volumes
during a Microsoft failover cluster node failover. This connection effectively extends
the distance between cluster nodes to form a geographically distributed cluster with
disaster-tolerant capabilities. 2
SRDF/CE protects data from storage, system, and site failures, 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week, and 365 days per year.
The EMC Solutions Enabler SRDF Family 8.0.2 CLI User Guide provides more detailed
information about SRDF operations.
2. The EMC Networked Storage Topology Guide provides additional information regarding
distance restrictions for your specific configuration.
1.
Hardware requirements
You need the following hardware to create a geographically distributed failover cluster
using SRDF/CE software.
Two or more DMX or VMAX arrays with Remote Link Director (RLD) cards installed
and RDF links established in synchronous or asynchronous mode with auto
recovery enabled. The VMAX arrays must have RDF-type disks for the device
groups.
Note: Each array pair supports up to 64 failover clusters using SRDF/CE software.
Each VMAX array must be configured with six or more gatekeeper devices per
node, per side for SRDF/CE exclusive use. Gatekeepers should be mirrored with
signatures. This prevents Microsoft failover clusters from hiding them. In addition,
for performance reasons, an additional gatekeeper should be associated with
each SRDF/CE device group.
Note: It is recommended that you allocate one additional gatekeeper on each host
for each SRDF/CE group created for optimum performance. The gatekeepers
should be associated on a per group basis and should be mirrored.
All disks need to be Read Write visible to the intended hosts at least once to allow
Windows to fully populate its internal data stores.
Servers
Two or more x64 servers with separate external Fibre Channel buses. All servers in a
cluster must be of the same processor architecture.
Disks
SRDF/CE requires all disks have signatures. You can assign disk signatures using
Windows device management initialization or other third-party tools.
Network
Microsoft failover cluster compatible network configuration, as recommended by
Microsoft.
Mandates
EMC mandates that all hardware configurations (servers, adapter cards, cluster
system, and so forth) be supported in the SRDF/CE cluster environment, as
documented in the E-Lab Interoperability Navigator at http://elabnavigator.EMC.com
CSV configuration
EMC recommends having two or more nodes per site when managing cluster shared
volumes. However, high availability may not be guaranteed in the event of storage or
site failures.
Note: SRDF/CE does not support the Optimised CSV Placement Policies feature of
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2. Ensure that you switch off the feature by setting
the value of the CSVBalancer property to 0.
EMC SRDF/Cluster Enabler Plug-in Version 4.2.1 Release Notes
Software requirements
To install and configure SRDF/CE, the following Microsoft software and EMC software
must be installed on all nodes that make up the SRDF/CE cluster.
Microsoft software
The software requirements for Microsoft products are:
Installation on Windows Server 2008 and 2012 requires that Microsoft Windows
Installer Version 4.5 first be installed.
For Failover Cluster on Windows Server 2008 and 2012, Microsoft Cluster Validate
must pass all tests except storage. For more information see
support.microsoft.com/kb/943984.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and higher (only required for online help).
Currently, the latest release is 11.
A wmiprvse.exe process may leak memory when a WMI notification query is used
heavily on a Windows Server 2008 system.
Refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base article 958124 for a hotfix download:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;958124
In addition, refer to EMC Knowledge Base article 91194 Best Practices for SRDF
Cluster Enabler (SRDF/CE) that includes suggested settings for WMI:
http://support.emc.com/kb/91194
SRDF/CE supports Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV). Once converted using the CE
Configuration wizard, CSV disks display under Cluster Shared Volumes in the left
pane navigation tree of the CE Manager. The EMC SRDF/Cluster Enabler Plug-in
Version 4.2.1 Product Guide and the EMC Cluster Enabler Base Component
Version 4.2.1 Release Notes provide additional information.
EMC software
The software requirements for EMC software are as follows:
Group Name Services (GNS) for Symmetrix arrays is not supported on hosts
configured with SRDF/CE.
PowerPath is optional, and only required if more than one HBA is attached per
host and you want to load balance between the HBAs.
VMware software
SRDF/Cluster Enabler Version 4.0 and later supports the configuration of a four-node
Windows Server 2008 cluster (including R2) and Windows Server 2012 (including R2)
in VMware ESX Server environments.
Cascaded SRDF
SRDF/CE supports cascaded SRDF configurations for SRDF synchronous and
asynchronous modes as follows:
The EMC SRDF/Cluster Enabler Plug-in Version 4.2.1 Product Guide provides details
on both concurrent and cascaded SRDF/CE supported environments.
Continued support
Support for SRDF/Cluster Enabler for MSCS V4.1.2 ended 11/2013. It is
recommended that customers who are still running V4.1 or earlier upgrade to the
latest version as soon as possible.
To improve the performance of SRDF/CE, edit the options file and add the following
line to the end of the file:
SYMAPI_AUTO_COMMIT_DB_RELOAD = ENABLE
Edit the options file and add the following line to the end of the file:
SYMAPI_ALLOW_DEV_IN_MULT_GRPS = ENABLE
This enables the same device to be added to multiple groups in the SYMAPI database.
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Cascaded SRDF
For SRDF/CE to support cascaded SRDF/CE configurations, the cascaded disks cannot
be used as the quorum disk. If the cluster loses quorum, incomplete failover occurs
and the cluster goes down.
Also, cascaded SRDF disks are not discovered in CE if the R21 and R2 Symmetrix
arrays are mapped to the same R2 host.
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Technical notes
Technical notes
There are no technical notes presented with this release of SRDF/CE for Microsoft
Failover Clusters, Version 4.2.1.
12
Documentation
Documentation
These release notes provide the latest information not included in the EMC
Required documentation
The EMC Cluster Enabler Base Component Version 4.2.1 Release Notes is part of the
EMC Cluster Enabler for Microsoft Failover Clusters documentation set, and is required
for SRDF/Cluster Enabler.
EMC SRDF/Cluster Enabler Plug-in for Microsoft Failover Clusters Module Version
4.2.1 software
Note: Software and documentation are downloadable from EMC Online Support at
https://support.EMC.com.
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Installation
Installation
Complete installation and upgrade instructions for the supported Microsoft Windows
Server 2008 or 2012 systems are provided in the EMC SRDF/Cluster Enabler Plug-in
Version 4.2.1 Product Guide. Simplified installation instructions are provided in this
section for a clean install (no previous versions of CE exist) or upgrade from version
4.0 and above only.
It is recommended that you contact EMC Customer Support for assistance if any of the
following issues are applicable:
You are not confident about installing and configuring new software within the
context of Windows Server 2008 or 2012, Microsoft Failover Clusters, and
Symmetrix arrays with SRDF.
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Installation
The Cluster Enabler Base Component is a prerequisite for the Cluster Enabler
plug-ins, and therefore must be installed prior to or with the plug-ins. For
instructions on installing the Base Component, refer to the EMC SRDF/Cluster
Enabler Plug-in Product Guide and the EMC Cluster Enabler Base Component
Release Notes.
Only the x64 (AMD64 and Intel EM64T) Windows processor architectures are
supported.
For Enginuity versions earlier than 5875, SRDF/CE requires that the appropriate
license keys for Solutions Enabler SRDF/Synchronous and SRDF/Asynchronous be
entered to create SRDF pairs. Refer to the EMC Solutions Enabler Installation
Guide for information on the appropriate license keys.
Installation on Windows Server 2008 systems requires that all nodes first be
installed with the Failover Cluster feature.
On Windows Vista SP1, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 (including R2)
select Start ->Run, and type in mstsc /admin /v: <host name> to use Remote
Desktop in the Console Mode.
For Failover Cluster on Windows Server 2008 and 2012, Microsoft Cluster Validate
must pass all tests except storage.
Configurations where the cluster node is zoned to both local and remote storage
arrays are not supported.
For upgrade scenarios, the cluster quorum type can only be changed before or
after the upgrade.
EMC SRDF/Cluster Enabler Plug-in Version 4.2.1 Release Notes
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Installation
Installing the Base Component with the SRDF/CE plug-in (clean install)
For a clean install of the Base Component and SRDF/CE Plug-in, files must be
downloaded into the same folder on a local directory with the required administrative
privileges. Do not install the files from network shares. The Base Component files are
named EMC_CE_Base.msi and Setup.exe. The SRDF/CE plug-in files are named
EMC_CE_SRDF_Plugin.msi and Setup_SRDF_Plugin.exe.
To install the Base Component together with the SRDF/CE plug-in:
1. Create a temporary directory and into it download (save) the Base Component
files (EMC_CE_BASE_4.2.1.zip) from the EMC online support.
2. Unpack the .zip file in that directory.
3. Download the SRDF/CE plug-in file (SRDFCEMFC_Plugin_4.2.1.zip) to the same
temporary directory you just created, being sure not to rename it.
4. In the temporary directory, run the EMC_CE_Base.msi file to launch the
InstallShield wizard.
5. Complete the steps in the InstallShield wizard.
Note: When prompted, select the SRDF/CE Plug-in. The plug-in is automatically
launched by the installer before reboot.
6. When prompted to restart your system, click Yes to restart the system, or No to
restart it at a later time.
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Installation
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Installation
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Technical support For technical support, go to EMC online support and select
Support. On the Support page, you will see several options, including one to create a
service request. Note that to open a service request, you must have a valid support
agreement. Contact your EMC sales representative for details about obtaining a valid
support agreement or with questions about your account.
Copyright 2015 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Published in the USA.
Published March 16, 2015
EMC believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to
change without notice.
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For the most up-to-date regulatory document for your product line, go to the technical documentation and advisories
section on the EMC online support website.
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