A server cluster is a group of independent servers managed as a single system for higher availability, easier manageability, and greater scalability. The minimum requirements for a server cluster are:
Two servers connected by a network.
A method for each server to access the other’s disk data.
Special cluster software such as Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS), which provides services such as failure detection, recovery, and the ability to manage the servers as a single system.
Customer surveys indicate that MSCS clusters will be used as highly available multipurpose platforms. Surveyed customers suggested that the most common uses of MSCS clusters will be mission-critical database management, file/intranet data sharing, messaging, and general business applications.
MSCS is a built-in feature of Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition. MSCS can automatically detect and recover from server or application failures. It can be used to move server workload to balance utilization and to provide for planned maintenance without downtime.
The initial release of MSCS supports clusters with two servers. A future version, referred to as MSCS Phase 2, will support larger clusters and will include enhanced services to simplify the creation of highly scalable, cluster-aware applications. The Phase 2 version of MSCS is expected to enter beta test in 1998.
Server Requirements. The minimum server system requirements for MSCS cluster hardware consist of the following:
Two PCI-based servers running Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition. The two servers do not have to be identical. MSCS can run on Intel Architecture systems or RISC-based systems; however, you cannot mix Intel Architecture and RISC-based servers in the same cluster.
Each server requires at least 64 MB of RAM, at least 500 MB of available hard disk space, a CD‑ROM drive, a Windows NT–compatible pointing device, and a Windows NT–compatible graphics adapter.
Network Requirements. Each server must have at least two PCI-based network adapters. Typically, one is connected to the public/corporate network and the other to a private network between the two nodes. A static IP address is needed for each group of applications that move as a unit between nodes. MSCS can project the identity of multiple servers from a single cluster by using multiple IP addresses and computer names.
It is recommended that MSCS clusters have a private network between the servers in the cluster, generally referred to as an interconnect or a system area network (SAN), which is used for cluster-related communications. Carrying this communication over a private network provides dependable response time, which can enhance cluster performance. It also enhances reliability by providing an alternate communication path between the servers.
An MSCS cluster configuration can use as its interconnect virtually any network technology that is validated for Windows NT Server. This includes, for example, 10BaseT Ethernet, 100BaseT Ethernet, and specialized interconnect technologies.
Storage Requirements. Each server in a cluster must be attached to a shared, external SCSI bus that is separate from the system disk bus, using PCI-based SCSI adapters. Applications and data are stored on one or more disks attached to this bus. There must be enough storage capacity on this bus for all applications running in the cluster environment. This configuration allows MSCS to migrate the applications between machines.
MSCS works best with differential SCSI with Y cables. The termination should be outside the systems so that losing power in the system does not cause the termination on the SCSI bus to be lost. Also, note that good drives in good electrical/mechanical enclosures make this work better as well.
Hardware RAID is recommended for all disks on the shared SCSI bus, to eliminate disk drives as a potential single point of failure. This means using either a RAID storage unit or a SCSI host adapter that implements RAID across “dumb” disks.
Complete cluster configurations are tested using the MSCS Cluster Hardware Compatibility Test (HCT), available from http://www.microsoft.com/hwtest. Anyone with an appropriate lab setup can run the test, which takes at least two weeks and requires one-half of a full-time-equivalent Microsoft Certified Professional.
MSCS hardware validation testing applies to a complete cluster configuration—two servers, an interconnect, and a storage solution. Validation is only available for complete configurations that were tested together, not on individual components. All components must be on the regular Windows NT HCL, including, network adapters, SCSI adapters and components, Raid assemblies, and servers.
Notice that few components can be changed in a tested MSCS configuration before new testing is completed. Some acceptable changes that would not require retesting include the number or size of disk drives. Component changes that require re-testing are those that change the base function by addition of different drivers or system components, such as changes to the number of processors, network adapters, or SCSI adapters.
The most important criteria for MSCS hardware is that it be listed on the MCS HCL, indicating it has passed the MSCS Cluster HCT. The MSCS HCL is available from http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/info/hwcompatibility.htm.
The other general requirement for clustering hardware is that all components meet the related requirements defined in this guide. This section presents the additional requirements for systems used in a clustered configuration under these guidelines.
218 SCSI controllers provide multi-initiator support
Multi-initiator support allows two SCSI controllers—each installed in a separate computer system—to coexist on a shared SCSI bus with a set of shared devices.
For use in a system intended as a node in a cluster using shared SCSI, the SCSI IDs must be changeable from the default SCSI controller ID of 7, and the boot time SCSI bus reset operation must be able to be disabled on each controller attached to a shared bus.
Appendix B
Server Requirements Checklist
This appendix summarizes all the requirements listed for server systems in this guide. If a recommended feature is implemented, it must meet the requirements defined in this guide for that feature.
Basic Component Requirements
1. All operating system–recognized hardware complies with these guidelines and is included on the Windows NT HCL
Required
2. System and components support dates beyond 2000
Required
System Microprocessor Requirements
3. System processor capabilities meet minimum requirements
200 MHz; 256K L2 cache required
4. Multiprocessor-capable systems comply with symmetric multiprocessor support specifications and meet minimum expansion requirements
Required
Memory Requirements
5. Installed system memory meets minimum requirements
64 MB required
6. System memory capacity meets minimum requirements
512 MB required
7. System memory includes ECC memory protection
Required
ACPI and Power Management Requirements
8. System design meets ACPI 1.0 specification and related requirements
Required
9. Hardware design supports OnNow initiative
Required
10. System startup meets requirements for OnNow support
Optional
Startup Support Requirements
11. System BIOS meets boot support requirements
Required
Plug and Play Requirements
12. System and device configuration meet Plug and Play requirements
Required
13. Unique Plug and Play device ID provided for each system device and add‑on device
Required
14. Option ROMs meet Plug and Play requirements
Optional
15. “PNP” vendor code is used only to define a legacy device’s CompatibleID
Required
PCI Bus Requirements
16. System supports a 32‑bit bus architecture
Required
17. PCI bus and devices meet Hardware Design Guide guidelines and PCI 2.1 requirements
Required
18. Each PCI slot and device type has access to a non-shared interrupt line
Required
19. System does not contain ghost cards
Required
20. System uses standard method to close BAR windows on nonsubtractive decode PCI bridges
Required
21. PCI devices do not use the <1 MB BAR type
Required
22. PCI devices decode only their own cycles
Required
23. VGA-compatible devices do not use non-video I/O ports
Required
24. PCI chip sets support Ultra DMA/33
Required
25. ISA Write Data Port address is propagated to ISA bus at power up
Required
26. Functions in a multifunction PCI device do not share writable PCI Configuration Space bits
Required
27. Devices use the PCI 2.1 Configuration Space register for their Plug and Play device identifiers
Required
28. Device IDs include PCI 2.1 Subsystem IDs
Required
29. Configuration Space is correctly populated
Required
30. Interrupt routing is supported using ACPI
Required
31. BIOS does not configure I/O systems to share PCI interrupts
Recommended
32. BIOS configures boot device IRQ and writes to the interrupt line register
Required
33. Hot swapping for any PCI device uses ACPI-based methods
Required
34. System supports a 64‑bit bus architecture
Recommended
35. All 66‑MHz and 64‑bit PCI buses present in a server system meet Hardware Design Guide and PCI 2.1 requirements
Required
USB Requirements
36. All USB hardware complies with USB 1.0 specifications
Required
37. USB connections use USB icon
Required
38. USB devices and drivers support maximum flexibility of hardware interface options
Recommended
39. USB host controller meets either OpenHCI or UHCI specification
Required
40. System and devices comply with USB power management requirements
Required
41. USB devices meet requirements in the related USB device class specification
Required
Other Bus Requirements
42. Any subsystems implementing I2O meet standards and Hardware Design Guide requirements
Required
43. System does not include ISA expansion devices
Required
44. System includes APIC support
Required
Device Requirements
45. Device driver and installation meet Hardware Design Guide requirements
Required
46. Keyboard and mouse connections meet requirements for bus and device classes
Required
47. Serial port meets requirements for bus and device classes
Required
48. Parallel port meets requirements for bus and device classes
Required
49. System includes emergency repair support
Required
50. Primary graphics adapter meets minimum requirements
Required
Network Adapter Requirements
51. System includes non‑ISA NDIS 5.0 network adapter
Required
52. Network adapter uses NDIS 5.0 miniport driver
Required
53. Full-duplex adapter automatically detects and switches to full-duplex mode
Required
54. Adapter automatically senses presence of functional network
Required
55. Adapter automatically senses transceiver type
Required
56. Adapter supports quadword buffer alignment for receive and byte buffer alignment for send
Required
57. Adapter communicates with driver across any bridge
Required
58. Adapter supports filtering for 32 multicast addresses, at minimum
Required
59. Adapter supports configuration capabilities for performance tuning, with all settings stored in the registry
Required
60. Adapter is compatible with remote new system setup capabilities, if used as boot device
Required
61. PCI network adapter properly supports higher-level PCI commands
Required
62. Driver supports promiscuous mode
Required
63. Driver works correctly with Microsoft network clients and protocols
Required
64. NDIS miniport driver does not make Windows NT–specific kernel calls
Required
65. NDIS 5.0 driver uses new INF format
Required
Modem Requirements
66. System includes modem communications device
Recommended
67. Modem supports TIA‑602, Hayes-compatible command set
Required
68. Data modem supports 33.6 Kbps (V.34–1996) with V.42 and V.42bis protocol
Required
69. Data modem supporting speeds over 33.6 Kbps can be upgraded to V.pcm
Required
70. Fax modem supports 14.4 Kbps (V.17) with Class 1 (TIA‑578‑A) command set
Required
71. Data modem supports V.80 for synchronous access
Recommended
72. Modem supports adaptive connection, V.25, V.8, and V.8bis call control signaling with V.25ter Annex A modem commands
Recommended
73. Modem supports blacklisted and delayed number clearing
Recommended
74. Modem supports TDD, meeting V.18‑1996 with V.25ter AT commands
Recommended
75. PCM modem supports ITU‑T V.pcm
Required
76. Modem controller meets minimum requirements
Required
77. Voice modem supports TIA‑695 (AT+V)
Required
ATM Requirements
78. ATM adapter meets network adapter requirements
Required
79. ATM adapter supports a minimum number of active connections
Required
80. ATM adapter supports all service types defined by the ATM Forum
Recommended
81. ATM adapter supports a minimum number of simultaneously active
rt–VBR/nrt–VBR/CBR connections
Required
82. ATM adapter supports traffic shaping
Required
83. ATM adapter supports external clocking
Required
84. ATM adapter supports OAM
Required
85. ATM adapter supports buffer chaining (Tx + Rx)
Required
ADSL Requirements
86. ADSL device meets network adapter requirements
Required
87. ATM/ADSL solution is implemented
Recommended
88. ADSL device supports RADSL
Recommended
Serial ISDN Modems
89. ISDN modem supports required command set
Required
90. ISDN modem supports auto-SPID detection algorithms and standard SPID format
Required
91. ISDN modem supports CHAP in firmware if B channels are not exposed
Required
92. ISDN modem exposes both B channels
Recommended
93. ISDN modem supports multilink PPP
Recommended
94. ISDN modem supports asynchronous-to-synchronous conversion
Required
95. ISDN modem uses high-speed port
Recommended
96. ISDN modem driver supports switch detection
Recommended
97. ISDN modem driver supports unattended installation, with limitations
Required
Parallel ISDN Devices
98. Internal ISDN device meets Hardware Design Guide network adapter requirements
Required
99. Internal ISDN device supports synchronous HDLC framing
Required
100. Internal ISDN device uses NDIS WAN miniport driver
Required
101. Internal ISDN device includes connection for analog phone
Recommended
102. ISDN device supports auto-SPID detection algorithms and standard SPID format
Required
103. Driver for internal ISDN device supports switch detection
Recommended
104. Driver for ISDN internal device supports unattended installation, with limitations
Required
105. ISDN device includes built-in NT‑1
Recommended
106. Non-ISA host controllers and devices support bus mastering
Required
107. Device supports Int 13h Extensions in system and option ROMs
Required
108. Hard drives meet minimum performance requirements
Required
109. All rewritable ATAPI devices meet SFF 8070i requirements
Required
110. External drive devices have key-locking capabilities
Recommended
111. Controller and peripherals support media status notification
Required
SCSI Controllers and Peripherals
112. System includes SCSI host controller and SCSI peripherals
Recommended
113. SCSI option ROMs support virtual DMA services
Required
114. Bus type is clearly indicated on connectors for all adapters, peripherals, cables, and terminators
Required
115. Differential devices support DIFFSENS as defined in SCSI‑3
Required
116. Automatic termination circuit meets SCSI‑3 specification
Required
117. SCSI terminator built onto internal cables meets SCSI‑3 specification
Required
118. Terminator power is supplied to the SCSI bus, with over-current protection
Required
119. External connector meets SCSI‑2 or later specification
Required
120. Internal terminator is as close as possible to the last peripheral on the cable
Recommended
121. SCSI bus parity signal meets SCSI‑2 specification
Required
122. Cables meet SCSI‑3 SPI Clause 6 requirements
Required
123. User cannot incorrectly plug in cables
Required
124. External devices use automatic termination, an external pluggable terminator, or an accessible on‑board termination switch
Required
125. Shielded device connector meets SCSI‑2 or higher specification
Required
126. SCSI removable media include media status notification support
Recommended
127. Hardware supports the STOP/START UNIT command as defined in the SCSI‑2 specification
Required
128. STOP/START UNIT command can be used to decrease power consumption
Recommended
IDE Controllers and Peripherals
129. System includes IDE host controller and peripherals
Optional
130. Controller complies with ATA 2 specification
Required
131. Dual IDE adapters use single FIFO with asynchronous access or dual FIFOs and channels
Required
132. System BIOS and devices support LBA
Required
133. Controller and peripherals support PCI IDE bus mastering
Required
134. IDE/ATAPI controller and devices support Ultra DMA/33
Required
135. Controller and peripheral connections include Pin 1 cable designation with keyed and shrouded connectors
Required
136. Peripherals comply with SFF 8020i, Version 2.5 or higher
Required
137. BIOS enumeration of all ATAPI devices complies with SFF 8020i, Version 2.5 or higher
Required
138. Devices support ATAPI RESET command
Recommended
139. Operating system recognizes the boot drive in a multiple-drive system
Required
140. ISA address ranges 3F7h and 377h are not claimed by IDE controllers
Required
141. Device supports ATA STANDBY command
Required
142. IDE hard drive is SMART-compliant and uses SMART IOCTL API
Required
Fibre Channel Controllers and Peripherals
143. System includes Fibre Channel controller and peripherals
Recommended
Erasable Disk Drives
144. SCSI erasable drives support SCSI commands
Required
CD-ROM and Other CD Drives
145. System includes CD‑ROM drive or other method for installing the operating system
Required
CD-ROM Requirements
146. CD‑ROM drive provides 8x or higher performance
Required
147. CD‑ROM drive is CD-Enhanced compatible
Required
148. CD‑ROM drive supports specified logical and physical CD formats
Required
149. IDE/ATAPI CD‑ROM drive complies with SFF 8020i, Version 1.2
Required
150. CD‑ROM drive supports multisession and compatibility forms of the READ_TOC command
Required
151. IDE/ATAPI CD changer meets SFF 8070 specifications
Required
152. System BIOS or option ROM supports El Torito No Emulation mode
Required
DVD-ROM Requirements
153. DVD drive supports bus master DMA transfers
Required
154. DVD drive meets minimum compatibility requirements
Required
155. DVD device and driver support DVD command sets
Required
156. DVD device meets SFF 8090 specification
Required
157. DVD device uses high-speed expansion bus
Required
158. DVD drive supports UDF
Required
159. DVD device uses push-to-close design
Recommended
160. DVD device supports defect management
Required
161. System meets video playback requirements if DVD device supports DVD‑Video playback
Required
Tape Drives
162. System includes tape drive for local backup
Recommended
163. Single-tape device meets minimum capacity requirements
4 GB required; 8 GB recommended
164. Single-tape device meets minimum speed requirements
20 MB/minute required
165. Tape device meets industry standards
Required
166. SCSI tape drive supports SCSI commands
Required
167. Win32-based backup solution provided with device
Required
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