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Windows Server Forum / Exchange Server / Design / November 2006Geo Clustering - Longish Post
Hello All Here is what I want to achieve: I want to have a 2 Node Exchange 2003 cluster (A/P) stretched across 2 locations, 100 metres between the buildings connected via fibre. Latency is not an issue. The cluster nodes will be SAN attached with each node having a connection to the primary SAN. In the DR location I want to have a DR SAN which will be an exact copy of the primary SAN from a hardware and software perspective. SAN replication will replicate exchange data including the logs and the Quorum disk in real-time from the primary SAN to the DR SAN. Can someone tell me with this configuration if we lose the primary site and we are in a DR situation could we simply present the DR SAN to the remaining node in the DR location? I was hoping that upon boot up the cluster node would be able to see the quorum resource and therefore the EVS should start correctly and clients will be able to connect Ideally I would like both nodes to be connected to their local SAN and for any failover to happen automatically but our storage vendor says this is not possible. I have this question out with them as the guy we spoke with was not an Exchange expert. The vendor actually suggested that we used Replistore to replicate to a DR Exchange server in our DR location and not to stretch the cluster between the locations. I like this solution as it does provide automatic failover but is also going to cost us quite a bit more money. He also said that you cannot present a server that is a part of a cluster to the DR SAN without first removing it from the cluster, anyone know if this is true? Thanks AJ PS we already have the SAN hardware allocated to the project and we can't wait for Exchange 2007 :) >Hello All > [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] >PS we already have the SAN hardware allocated to the project and we >can't wait for Exchange 2007 :) Stop, just stop. Go and talk to the SAN team/vendor. They will do this solution, in their sleep, without you going creating completely unsupported solutions with server clustering. Essentially you're looking at booting the server from the SAN and the having spare tin at the other site (as you want). This will allow you to keep the server solution sensible (read simple) and get the server to boot and run Exchange is about the same time as a failover would occur. > >Hello All > > [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] > to boot and run Exchange is about the same time as a failover would > occur. I am not creating unsupported solutions and we are talking to the vendor if you read the post. I am simply asking a question to see if what we want to do is possible, its another idea we have had. The SAN replication methods (RSME/VSS Clones/SAN copy and Replistore) are all SUPPORTED replication solutions. We are not looking to boot from SAN and the storage vendor (EMC) never mentioned this either as a possible solution. My question was simple I thought. Will the node in the DR location come up and service clients or not? Can you explain how your boot from SAN scenario is beneficial to us in the scenario I talk about below? then maybe it will make sense. Thanks AJ It was simply a question, do you have an aswer for it or not? > >Hello All > > [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] > to boot and run Exchange is about the same time as a failover would > occur. >I am not creating unsupported solutions and we are talking to the >vendor if you read the post. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >AJ Whilst it can be done and I was going to give you some NetApp slanted information you'll have seen the post from JF already who is a NetApp employee, saving me the typing and adding more much credibility than I'd have given you. I'd still avoid this as a solution though. Why? Because your interest in Exchange 2007 will mean that you have less work to do if you maintain a couple of high availability boxes that aren't clustered. So, EMC didn't talk to you about boot from SAN? Not even to tell you why you didn't want it or why they were excluding it from their design? Wow, if my company (we're the biggest NetApp SI in the UK by a long margin) had done (or not done to be more accurate) that then there would have been questions asked. Thanks Mark. In fairness to EMC the guy we had the initial meeting with was not an Exchange guru, more a generalist. I will carry on talks with EMC. I have already tried to convince the company in question regarding Exchange 2007 but they may not move to this for sometime. Too bleedin edge for them which is understandable at this stage...... AJ > >I am not creating unsupported solutions and we are talking to the > >vendor if you read the post. [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > a long margin) had done (or not done to be more accurate) that then > there would have been questions asked. Thanks Mark. In fairness to EMC the guy we had the initial meeting with was not an Exchange guru, more a generalist. I will carry on talks with EMC. I have already tried to convince the company in question regarding Exchange 2007 but they may not move to this for sometime. Too bleedin edge for them which is understandable at this stage...... AJ > >I am not creating unsupported solutions and we are talking to the > >vendor if you read the post. [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > a long margin) had done (or not done to be more accurate) that then > there would have been questions asked. I did a design very similar to this for Arizona Sate University. I did however use an MNS cluster and synchronous Snapmirror . http://www.netapp.com/library/cs/asu.pdf?xCountry=US&xLanguage=EN > Hello All > [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > PS we already have the SAN hardware allocated to the project and we > can't wait for Exchange 2007 :) Thanks John, very interesting. AJ > I did a design very similar to this for Arizona Sate University. I did > however use an MNS cluster and synchronous Snapmirror . [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > PS we already have the SAN hardware allocated to the project and we > > can't wait for Exchange 2007 :) |
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