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Configuring IBM ServeRAID for Clustering

The following information was adapted from material found on the IBM web site[1].

Like our other examples, one server is named paul, and the other silas.

Create Utilities CD

  1. Download the Linux version of the

    IBM ServeRAID Management CD[2]

  2. Burn a CD from the downloaded image. This CD can be booted, or mounted from Linux. We will use it both ways.

  3. Read the good background information on the CD contents from the IBM web site[2]

Updating and Configuring Server paul

  1. Boot Server paul from the IBM ServeRAID Management CD[2] in the CD-ROM Drive. Make sure Server silas is powered off.

  2. Upgrade the firmware on paul's ServeRAID controller. The ServeRAID Support CD will automatically check the controller firmware and prompt the user to upgrade if it is found to be downlevel. For this reason, you should always grab the latest version of the ServeRAID Support CD from the IBM web site before you begin.

  3. Once the ServeRAID Support CD is satisfied that your controller(s) firmware is current, configuration will begin.

  4. If the ServeRAID controller is not already configured, the user will be prompt with Express Configuration. Click Cancel.

  5. Select the appropriate ServeRAID controller.
  6. Using the right mouse button, click Controller.
  7. Select Restore to Factory Default Settings.

  8. Confirm Window will appear. Click Yes to confirm. When complete, a message will appear at the bottom of the screen.

  9. Using the right mouse button, click the same Controller.
  10. Select Create Arrays to create an array.

  11. Select either Express Configuration or Custom Configuration for controller.

  12. Select Next.

  13. If Express Configuration was selected, the software will automatically create the arrays or hot spares.

  14. If Custom Configuration was selected, the user has the option to create the arrays.

    1. To create Raid level 1, two or more drives are needed. ServeRAID firmware does not reliably support any RAID5-based configuration in cluster mode.

    2. All ready physical drives will appear on the left side of the windows. Double click on the ready drives to add them to an array.
    3. To create Hot-Spare, select Hot-Spare on the right side of Window and Double click on any ready drives on the left side of the window.

    4. Click Next to continue.

    5. Select the Raid level for the logical drive from the pull-down menu.
    6. Click Next.

    7. Configuration Summary screen will appear. Click Apply to confirm.

    8. Click Apply to accept and save the configuration.
  15. To create more arrays, repeat the steps above.
  16. After creating all the arrays needed, Right-click on the same Controller.

  17. Select Configure for Clustering.

  18. Enter the name of first controller under Controller Host ID. It is best to name it the same as the local Linux host name (paul).

  19. Enter the name of second controller under Cluster Partner Host ID. It is best to name it after the partner's Linux host name (silas).

  20. Be sure to make a note of the names and the SCSI Channel Initiator IDs.

  21. Click on shared checkbox for the logical drives that will be shared between the two ServeRAID controllers. Assign a merge group ID[3] to the shared drives. Each shared logical drive must have a unique merge ID. Make note of the merge group ID for use in configuring the ServeRAID heartbeat resource agent[4].

  22. Click OK.

  23. Exit and Shut down Server paul.

Updating and Configuring Server silas

  1. Boot Server B from the IBM ServeRAID Management CD[2] in the CD-ROM Drive. Make sure Server paul is powered off.

  2. Upgrade the firmware on silas's ServeRAID controller. The ServeRAID Support CD will automatically check the controller firmware and prompt the user to upgrade if it is found to be downlevel. For this reason, you should always grab the latest version of the ServeRAID Support CD from the IBM web site before you begin.

  3. Once the ServeRAID Support CD is satisfied that your controller(s) firmware is current, configuration will begin.

  4. If the ServeRAID controller is not already configured, the user will be prompted with Express Configuration. Click Cancel.

  5. Select the appropriate ServeRAID controller.
  6. Right-click on the appropriate controller.

  7. Select Restore to Factory Defaults.

  8. Click Yes to confirm.

  9. Using the right mouse key, click on the appropriate controller.

  10. Select Configure for Clustering.

  11. Enter the name of second controller (silas) under Controller Host ID.

  12. Enter the name of the first controller (paul) under partner Controller Host ID.

  13. Be sure to change the SCSI Channel Initiator Ids, and make them different from Server A ServeRAID SCSI Channel Initiator Ids on the corresponding physical channels.

  14. Exit and Reboot Server silas and bring up paul.

References

[1]http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-4FJPZ7.html
[2]http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-495PES
[3]http://www.linux-ha.org/ServeRAIDMergeGroup
[4]http://www.linux-ha.org/HeartbeatResourceAgent/ServeRAID

This information provided courtesy of the Linux-HA project at http://linux-ha.org/