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Clustered Shared Drives Disappearing

Hi All,

I am not sure whether this question should be posted here or somewhere else.

I have two Windows 2000 Adv. Server Servers, running SP4. We are trying to load Cluster Services onto the Servers and attached shared storage. The shared storage is on a Compaq Smart Arry with four volumes.

Before I load cluster services, everything is fine. I can see all the drives in Disk Management, I can see them in My Computer; everything is fine on both machines.

I load the cluster services on Node A, no problem installs just fine, starts up just fine, I create the Cluster Groups I need, set the resources I need, everything is still fine. I load Cluster Services on Node B, everything is good, joins the cluster fine.

Problem is that Node B can't see the shared drives anymore. Also if I reboot Node A, neither of the boxes can see the shared drives anymore. I believe this has something to do with Compaq drive array being a "single use" drive array. Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions?

Skal!
-b

oBdA

That's normal behaviour. The "drives" on the shared storage are resources, and they can only be seen by the node owning the resources.
Here's a step-by-step guide, explaining (among other things) in detail how to setup the shared disks correctly before and during installation of the cluster services.
Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Cluster Service
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/planning/server/clustersteps.asp

ciooal

ASKER

Ok let me make the question a little simplier.

How long should it take for the drives to be available to the "Owner?"

-b

oBdA

Nearly immediately. I'd suggest you remove the cluster service again and follow the step-by-step guide when reinstalling it again; that should make sure your setup works correctly (it did it for me with a test environment with an external SCSI drive on a shared bus...).

ciooal

ASKER

The install was performed exactly as the step-by-step instructions state... I wonder if it is a SCSI timeout issue on the drive-array?

jdeclue

Are you using SCSI cables (a Y interface) or Fiber channel with a fiber channel switch?

jdeclue

p.s. does not seem like a timout issue. Looks like the systems are both attempting to access the all the drives or the quorum device at the same time.

ciooal

ASKER

Don't ask about how this config ended up... but here it is.

Two Del 2650's with internal RAID controllers controlling 4 36 GB drives divided into two RAID 1 36 GB Arrays.

Then a Compaq Smart Array Controller 532 in each is connected to the Compaq Smart Array from each of the Servers. There are separate Smart Array controllers in the Smart Array.

-b

jdeclue

I have too go off to a customers site... if you are still having issues I will check the thread tomorrow morning. With this configuration you would have to use a SCSI Y cable.

ciooal

ASKER

Actually... the problem was with the cluster config. The preferred servers were set wrong. I also decreased the failover tolerance and it fails over relatively quickly and then back when the primary comes back online.

Thanks for the assistance.
-b

jdeclue

Sorry I was off there, I admit I havent set up a non fiber channel cluster in a while, that is why I got stuck on the SCSI issue. I am glad you found the issue, good catch. ;)

J

jdeclue

ciooal, if you do not have any more questions, would you mind closing your request? Thank you.

j

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