Executive summary............................................................................................................................... 2 System requirements............................................................................................................................. 2 Hardware requirements .................................................................................................................... 2 Software requirements ...................................................................................................................... 3 Hyper-V hosts cluster configuration process overview............................................................................... 3 Step 1: Configure iSCSI disks and iSCSI Target on SB600c...................................................................... 5 Create virtual disks........................................................................................................................... 6 Create iSCSI Target........................................................................................................................ 12 Add the existing disk to the iSCSI Target........................................................................................... 19 Step 2: Install Windows Server 2008 and HP ProLiant supporting software on BladeSystem server blades ... 21 Step 3: Configure ProLiant ROM BIOS and install Hyper-V server role...................................................... 22 Step 4: Configure iSCSI Initiator and connect to iSCSI LUN disk on server blades ..................................... 23 Configure iSCSI Initiator ................................................................................................................. 23 Configure the iSCSI disk volumes ..................................................................................................... 29 Step 5: Install and configure Windows Failover Clustering feature........................................................... 38 Install Windows Failover Clustering feature ....................................................................................... 38 Run Failover Clustering validation test............................................................................................... 40 Create and configure a cluster......................................................................................................... 44 Step 6: Configure iSCSI disk on SB600c for VM storage and add disk to the cluster ................................. 48 Step 7: Create and add VM to the cluster............................................................................................. 53 Create a VM................................................................................................................................. 53 Add VM to the cluster ..................................................................................................................... 57 Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 61 For more information.......................................................................................................................... 62
Executive summary Hyper-V is a Microsoft hypervisor-based server virtualization product for 64-bit Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Hyper-V helps IT customers consolidate servers, improve server utilization, reduce energy consumption and lower total cost of ownership (TCO). In a Hyper-V based infrastructure, virtual machines (VMs) are running on top of the physical host server. The physical host server could be a single point of failure if it loses power or has a hardware failure. With a host server failure, all VMs running on the host server will be out of service. To solve this problem, it is possible to create a simple failover cluster with two cluster nodes and one witness disk. In a step-by-step approach, this document describes how to use Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering feature, in conjunction with HP BladeSystem c-Class ProLiant server blades and an HP StorageWorks All-in-One SB600c (SB600c) storage blade, to provide high availability to the Hyper-V host servers or parent partitions. Details on how to install Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V on HP ProLiant servers can be found in the HP documents Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 on HP ProLiant servers and Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V on HP ProLiant servers at http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00710606/c00710606.pdf and http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01516156/c01516156.pdf?ju mpid=reg_R1002_USEN. Target audience: The intended audience for this document includes, but is not limited to, solutions architects, technical consultants and readers who are interested in obtaining information on Windows Server 2008 and are interested in Hyper-V and Windows Failover Clustering. The document is also intended for users needing a quick guide to installing Failover Clustering for Hyper-V host on server blades with an SB600c storage blade. System requirements Hardware requirements The hardware infrastructure is based on HP ProLiant c-Class server blades and an HP StorageWorks All-in-One SB600c storage blade. Two ProLiant BL465c G5 server blades with identical hardware configurations are deployed as cluster nodes. Customers can create a similar cluster on ProLiant BL260c G5, BL460c, BL465c G5, BL480c, BL495c G5, BL680c G5 or BL685c G5 server blades as well. The recommended server configuration is dual quad-core processors or greater with a minimum of 8GB memory (recommended 12 GB memory) and at least 70GB disk space. The SB600c storage blade is an in-the-enclosure storage solution that provides iSCSI shared storage service over IP networks. HP BladeSystem c-Class c3000 or c7000 enclosure Note Microsoft Hyper-V and Windows Failover Clustering are not limited to c-Class server blades. ProLiant servers with x64 Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT) or AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) hardware-assisted virtualization also support Hyper-V and Failover Clustering. 2 Software requirements Server blades in the test environment have the following software installed: Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Datacenter (x64) Only Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and Datacenter (both 32-bit and 64-bit) support the Windows Failover Clustering feature. Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Datacenter (x64) cluster supports up to the 16 cluster nodes with Fibre Channel, iSCSI or SAS shared storage disk configurations. Hyper-V Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB950050). This update can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=F3AB3D4B-63C8-4424-A738- BADED34D24ED&displaylang=en. Hyper-V requires 64-bit Windows Server 2008. HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool v1.30 or later CD-ROM. This firmware CD-ROM can be found at http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us& prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=1842750&prodNameId=3288156&swEnvOID=4024&swLa ng=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-37156367a830406295923e5423 HP SmartStart CD x64 version 8.10. This CD-ROM can be found at http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us& prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=1842750&prodNameId=3288156&swEnvOID=4024&swLa ng=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-a12b434edd8941f58e4e608c94 HP ProLiant Support Pack for Windows Server 2008 x64 Editions version 8.11 (A). This support pack can be found at http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us& prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=1842750&prodNameId=3288156&swEnvOID=4024&swLa ng=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-60db08ae0a914c359406c839e8 Hyper-V hosts cluster configuration process overview Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering provides high availability for the Hyper-V hosts. The enhanced Windows Failover Clustering has four possible configurations: Node Majority, Node and Disk Majority, Node and File Share Majority, and No Majority (Disk Only). In the following sections, a two-node host server cluster (even number of nodes) is created using a StorageWorks SB600c iSCSI shared storage disk as the witness disk. The witness disk stores cluster configuration information only. Node and Disk Majority is selected for this cluster quorum configuration and can sustain failure of one node with the witness disk online. This cluster is based on an active-passive configuration where one server node is an active node hosting VMs, and the other node is a passive node. All VM configuration files and virtual hard disks (VHD) are stored on the second shared storage disk owned by an active cluster node, in addition to the witness disk. If the active server node fails due to hardware or software failure, the passive node takes over the cluster and controls the cluster resources such as the shared disks and applications. The passive server node becomes the active server node and automatically brings VMs online (See Figure 1). In this cluster configuration, iSCSI protocol is used by the StorageWorks SB600c storage device to send and receive SCSI commands through the IP network with Windows disk management technology (iSCSI Target) to provide iSCSI shared storage service to the iSCSI Initiator. Note In the above configuration, multiple HP GbE2c Ethernet switches are dedicated to different network traffic to improve the Hyper-V cluster performance (see Figure 1). Also, the shared storage disks in the above configuration could potentially be single points of failure. 3
Figure 1. Hyper-V Host Failover Clustering
The following sections provide detailed installation and configuration steps: Step 1: Configure iSCSI disks and iSCSI Target on SB600c. Step 2: Install Windows Server 2008 and HP ProLiant supporting software on BladeSystem server blades. Step 3: Configure ProLiant ROM BIOS and install Hyper-V server role. Step 4: Configure iSCSI Initiator and connect to iSCSI LUN disk on server blades. Step 5: Install and configure Windows Failover Clustering feature. Step 6: Configure iSCSI disk on SB600c for VM storage and add disk to the cluster. Step 7: Create and add VM to the cluster. Note This document shows details for Steps 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
4 Step 1: Configure iSCSI disks and iSCSI Target on SB600c Before installing Windows Failover Clustering, you need to create the iSCSI shared storage disks and make them available to the server blades. The two server blades are cluster nodes described later in this document. In this configuration, you need two disks shared between these two server blades: one is the witness disk or quorum disk, and the other is the disk that stores all VM configuration files and VHD files. The quorum disk keeps only cluster configuration information and can not be used to store other information such as VHD files. In cluster Node and Disk Majority configuration, both cluster host server nodes (server blades) and the quorum disk get a vote. In step 1, you only make the quorum disk available to the server blades, so the cluster installation locates the correct quorum disk. You will add the shared VM storage disk in a later step. On SB600c, launch HP All-in-One Storage System Management console. In the left panel, click Storage Management, and in the middle panel, click Microsoft iSCSI Target.
Figure 2. Launch Microsoft iSCSI Target on SB600c
5 Create virtual disks In the iSCSI Target console left panel, right click Devices, and click Create Virtual Disk to launch the Create Virtual Disk Wizard. Click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 3. Create virtual disk
6 On the StorageWorks SB600c storage device, each iSCSI virtual disk is a virtual disk file (VHD). Give a VHD file name and specify which folder will hold this VHD file on the SB600c drives. In this case, you create a virtual disk that stores all VM configuration and VHD files, enter E:\V-Cluster.vhd, and click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 4. Create a new virtual disk file.
7 Enter the virtual disk size and click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 5. Enter the virtual disk size
8 Enter the virtual disk description, and click the Next> button. On the next Access (add iSCSI Target) page, click the Next> button again to skip. Then click the Finish button to complete.
Figure 6. Enter the virtual disk description
9 The iSCSI Target right panel shows the newly created virtual disk without being accessed by any iSCSI Target.
Figure 7. Virtual disk for VM storage
10 Repeat the above steps to create a 500MB quorum disk for the cluster. The virtual disk file name is E:\V-Cluster-Quorum.vhd, and the virtual disk description is For Hyper-V Failover Clustering Quorum Disk.
Figure 8. Virtual disk for cluster quorum disk
11 Create iSCSI Target In order for server blades to connect to these iSCSI disks, you need to create an iSCSI Target to associate with these disks. In the iSCSI Target console left panel, right click iSCSI Targets, click Create iSCSI Target to launch the Create iSCSI Target Wizard. Click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 9. Create iSCSI Target
12 Specify the iSCSI Target name V-Cluster-Target and description Hyper-V Failover Cluster iSCSI Target and click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 10. Specify iSCSI Target name and description
13 Click the Advanced button to launch Advanced Identifiers.
Figure 11. Advanced Identifier
14 Click the Add button to add iSCSI Initiator identifier.
Figure 12. Add iSCSI Initiator Identifier
15 From the Identifier Type drop-down list, click IP Address to add the iSCSI Initiators IP addresses (or the planned iSCSI Initiators IP addresses).
Figure 13. Select IP Address
16 Enter the server node iSCSI IP address here for example, 12.0.0.211. Click the OK button to complete.
Figure 14. Add iSCSI Identifier
17 Repeat the above step to add the second server blade iSCSI IP address 12.0.0.212. Click the OK button and return to the previous iSCSI Initiators Identifiers page and click the Next> button. Then click the Finish button to complete.
Figure 15. Add iSCSI Identifiers
18 Add the existing disk to the iSCSI Target The newly created iSCSI Target needs to be associated with the quorum virtual disk. In the iSCSI Target console left panel, expand iSCSI Targets; in the right panel, right click the newly created V-Cluster-Target, and click Add Existing Virtual Disk to iSCSI Target.
Figure 16. Add virtual disk to iSCSI Target
19 Select the quorum virtual disk and click the OK button.
Figure 17. Select quorum virtual disk
20 In the iSCSI Target console left panel, under iSCSI Targets, click iSCSI Target V-Cluster-Target; the newly added 500MB quorum virtual disk shows as LUN0.
Figure 18. Add Hyper-V virtual disk to the iSCSI Target
Step 2: Install Windows Server 2008 and HP ProLiant supporting software on BladeSystem server blades To install Windows Server 2008 on the two server blades, HP recommends the following procedures: Run HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool v1.30 or later CD-ROM to update server blade firmware first. Run HP SmartStart CD x64 version 8.10 to configure server blade hardware configuration. Install Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Datacenter (x64) 64-bit edition. Run HP ProLiant Support Pack for Windows Server 2008 x64 Editions version 8.11 (A) to install the latest drivers. After installing Windows, join the two server blades to the domain. Details on how to install Windows Server 2008 can be found in the HP document Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 on HP ProLiant servers at http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00710606/c00710606.pdf. 21 Step 3: Configure ProLiant ROM BIOS and install Hyper-V server role To install Hyper-V, HP recommends the following procedures: On both server blades, enable server blade hardware-assisted virtualization. For details, see the Enable support for hardware-assisted virtualization in the RBSU section in the HP document Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V on HP ProLiant servers. This document can be found at http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01516156/c01516156.pdf?j umpid=reg_R1002_USEN On both server blades, apply Hyper-V Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB950050) by running Microsoft Windows Update (see Figure 19). This update can also be found at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=F3AB3D4B-63C8-4424-A738- BADED34D24ED&displaylang=en On both server blades, launch Server Manager, and install Hyper-V server role
Figure 19. Install Hyper-V Update
22 Step 4: Configure iSCSI Initiator and connect to iSCSI LUN disk on server blades Before creating the Windows Failover Clustering, the server blades need to connect to the iSCSI Target through iSCSI Initiator and access the shared quorum disk. This quorum disk will store all cluster information and is a cluster witness disk. Configure iSCSI Initiator On both server blades, click Start. Click Administrative Tools and select iSCSI Initiator. If Microsoft iSCSI service is not running on the server blade, click the Yes button to start the service and set the service to start automatically. This service is required by the iSCSI Initiator. Click the Yes button to unblock the iSCSI service through Windows Firewall and launch iSCSI Initiator Property.
Figure 20. Launch iSCSI Initiator
23 Click the Discovery tab and click the Add Portal button to add iSCSI Target portal.
Figure 21. Add iSCSI Target portal
24 Enter iSCSI Target IP address 12.0.0.101 and click the OK button to continue.
Figure 22. Enter iSCSI Target IP address
25 Click the Targets tab; in the Targets list, it shows the target name, and the status is Inactive. Click the Log on button to continue.
Figure 23. Connect iSCSI Target
26 In the Log On to Target, make sure Automatically restore this connection when the computer starts is checked, and click the OK button to continue. When restarting the blade server, this option ensures that Windows will automatically connect the iSCSI Target.
27 In the Targets list, the iSCSI Target status is changed from Inactive to Connected. Click the OK button to continue and finish the iSCSI Initiator configuration.
Figure 25. Target is connected.
28 Configure the iSCSI disk volumes Now you need to discover and format the iSCSI disks in Windows on the first server blade V-HOST1. Click Server Manager to launch the console.
Figure 26. Launch Server Manager
29 In the left panel, expand Storage and click Disk Management. In the bottom of the middle panel, the 500MB quorum disk shows as an offline disk 1. If this quorum disk does not show in the middle panel, you can click More Actions in right panel and click Rescan Disks to discover the iSCSI quorum disk. Right click Disk 1 and click Online to bring this quorum disk online. Repeat this step on the second server blade V-HOST2, but do not bring the disk online.
Figure 27. Bring iSCSI quorum disk online
30 The following steps only apply to the first server blade V-HOST1. Right click Disk 1 (iSCSI quorum disk) again and click Initialize Disk.
Figure 28. Initialize disk
31 Check Disk 1, select MBR and click the OK button to continue.
Figure 29. Initialize disk
32 Select New Simple Volume. . In the New Simple Volume Wizard; click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 30. Select New Simple Volume
33 Specify the size of the quorum disk volume and click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 31. Specify Volume Size
34 Assign a drive letter to the new iSCSI disk volume; for example, assign drive letter Q for quorum disk volume. Click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 32. Assign a drive letter to the iSCSI disk volume
35 Assign a volume label to the iSCSI quorum disk. Click the Next> button to continue, and click the Finish button on the next page.
Figure 33. Assign a volume label to the iSCSI quorum disk
36 The middle panel of Server Manager shows the newly configured Quorum disk volume.
Figure 34. New quorum disk
37 Step 5: Install and configure Windows Failover Clustering feature After the server blades are configured with quorum disks, you can start to install Failover Clustering. Install Windows Failover Clustering feature In this section, you will install the Windows Failover Clustering feature on both server blades, V-HOST1 and V-HOST2. Launch Server Manager; in the left panel, click Features. In the right panel, click Add Features.
Figure 35. Add features
38 In the Add Features Wizard, check Failover Clustering and click the Next> button to continue. On the next page, click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 36. Select Failover Clustering feature
After installing the Failover Clustering feature on V-HOST1, repeat the same steps on V-HOST2. Apply the Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB951308) on both server blades by running Microsoft Windows Update. Restart the server blades after the installation of the update. This Windows update provides Failover Cluster Management console more control and functionalities for Hyper-V. This update also can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C614376D-477A-4BD9-8559- 3C8B91F90998&displaylang=en. 39 Run Failover Clustering validation test In this section, you only need to run the Windows Failover Clustering validation test on one of the server blades, the V-HOST1. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and click Failover Cluster Management to launch the Failover Cluster Management console.
40 In the Failover Cluster Management console, click Validate a Configuration to launch the Validate a Configuration Wizard. Cluster validation test is not a must-run test but is highly recommended.
Figure 38. Click Validate a Configuration
41 In the Enter name input box, enter the server blades name, V-HOST1, click the Add button, enter V-HOST2, and click the Add button. Click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 39. Add server names to the selected servers list
42 Select Run all tests (recommended) and click the Next> button to run the test. Click the Next> button to start the test. After the test is finished, the Wizard shows if the test is successful or failed. Click the Finish button.
Figure 40. Run test
43 Create and configure a cluster In this section, you will create and configure a cluster. On the first server blade, V-HOST1, in the Failover Clustering Management console middle panel, click Create a Cluster to launch the Create Cluster Wizard.
Figure 41. Create a cluster
44 Enter the server blade name, V-HOST1, and click the Add button. Do the same to add the second server blade name, V-HOST2, to the selected servers list. Click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 42. Add server names
45 Enter the cluster name V-W2K8-Cluster and assign IP addresses 10.0.0.210 and 11.0.0.210 to the cluster. Click the Next> button. On the next page, click the Next> button again to create the cluster. When successfully finishing, click the Finish button.
Figure 43. Enter the cluster name and IP addresses
46 The Failover Cluster Management console shows one cluster with Node and Disk Majority (Cluster Disk 1).
Figure 44. Finish the cluster configuration
47 Step 6: Configure iSCSI disk on SB600c for VM storage and add disk to the cluster This step shows how to add the second shared storage disk, which stores all Hyper-V VM configuration files and VHD files on the cluster. On the SB600c storage device, repeat the Add the existing disk to the iSCSI Target section in Step 1 and add the second disk to the iSCSI Target.
Figure 45. Add disk for Hyper-V VM
48 On the first server blade, V-HOST1, repeat the Configure the iSCSI disk volumes section in Step 4, bring the second disk online; initialize and format the second disk and assign drive letter V for the disk.
Figure 46. Configure the disk
49 Now you need to add disk V:\ to the cluster. On the Failover Cluster Management console left panel, right click Storage and click Add a disk.
Figure 47. Add a disk to the cluster
50 Check Cluster Disk 2 from the available disks list, and click the OK button to add the second disk to the cluster.
Figure 48. Add the disk
51 After adding the second disk to the cluster, click Storage in the Failover Cluster Management console left panel; the Cluster Disk 2 (Volume V) shows in the Summary of Storage in the middle panel.
Figure 49. Second disk in the cluster
52 Step 7: Create and add VM to the cluster This section describes how to create a VM and how to add the VM to the cluster. Create a VM On the first server blade, V-HOST1, launch the Hyper-V Manager by clicking Start, click Administrative Tools and select Hyper-V Manager. In the left panel, right click the host name, V-HOST1, and select New, and click Virtual Machine to launch the New Virtual Machine Wizard.
Figure 50. Create new virtual machine
53 Enter the VM name VM1 and check Store the virtual machine in a different location. In the location, enter V:\. Hyper-V stores all VM1s configuration files on the shared storage disk V. Click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 51. Create a VM
54 Click the Next> button to accept the default memory size 512MB. Click the Next> button to accept the default value of Configure Networking. On the Connect Virtual Hard Disk, click Create a virtual hard disk and enter V:\VM1\ as the virtual hard disk location. Click the Finish button to complete.
Figure 52. Create VM virtual disk (VHD)
55 In Hyper-V Manager, click V-HOST1 in the left panel; the newly created VM1 shows in the middle panel and its status is Off.
Figure 53. VM status is off
56 Add VM to the cluster You need to add VM1 to the cluster and make it highly available. In the Failover Cluster Management left panel, click Service and Applications; in the right panel, click Configure a Service or Application to launch the High Availability Wizard. Click the Next> button to continue.
Figure 54. Configure High Availability service or application
57 On the Select Service and Application page, highlight Virtual Machine and click the Next> button.
Figure 55. Select Virtual Machine
58 The Select Virtual Machine page shows all available VMs. Check the VMs needed to be added to the cluster and click the Next> button.
Figure 56. Select VM
59 The Summary page shows whether adding the VM to the cluster was successful or failed. Click the Finish button to complete.
Figure 57. Add VM to the cluster
60 In the Failover Cluster Management console middle panel, the VM shows Offline. Right click the VM and click Bring this service or application online. Now you have the virtual machine running on top of host cluster.
Figure 58. Bring VM online
Summary In a Hyper-V environment, configuring High Availability for Hyper-V hosts is a challenge. This document provides detailed guidance on how to create and configure a Hyper-V host level cluster using HP BladeSystem ProLiant servers and the StorageWorks All-in-One SB600c storage device.
61 For more information For more information about HP BladeSystem, go to http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystem For more information about HP StorageWorks All-in-One SB600c storage blade, go to http://www.hp.com/go/sb600c For more information about HP solutions, go to the HP ActiveAnswers website http://www.hp.com/solutions/activeanswers/ For more information about Microsoft Hyper-V, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/hyperv.aspx For more information about Hyper-V cluster, go to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732181.aspx
To help us improve our documents, please provide feedback at www.hp.com/solutions/feedback
2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. AMD Virtualization and AMD-V are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. 4AA2-2983ENW, October 2008