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"share" same virtual disk between two servers
We have two windows 2003sp2 servers, one primary, one as backup when the first is down, not clustered (yet). We have an AX150SCi, with one single SP. Each server is connected to the AX150 via a GB link.
We would like to use all the storage space using a single virtual disk where to keep home/profiles user's folders. We would like to "share" this virtual disk between the two servers, so that if one files, the other "activates" its link and can see the same virtual disk. When the primary server is back online the backup server puts the link in a standby mode.
Is this possible?
thanks,
a.
We would like to use all the storage space using a single virtual disk where to keep home/profiles user's folders. We would like to "share" this virtual disk between the two servers, so that if one files, the other "activates" its link and can see the same virtual disk. When the primary server is back online the backup server puts the link in a standby mode.
Is this possible?
thanks,
a.
eVOGT
5 Posts
1
January 3rd, 2008 11:00
power both servers down.
assuming all lun(s) are shared:
create one storage group and add your desired lun(s) and hosts. to the same storage group.,
1) power up server 2, introduce the lun(s) to the server,
Initialize the lun(s)
(do not convert to dynamic disk)
make it a primary partition, typical steps here..
power down the server.
2)power up server 1, introduce the lun(s), same steps as above, and ensure the drive letters are the same on both servers.
Install the clustering services
power up server 2 and add it to the cluster.
I might be missing a couple of steps, but thats the basic idea.
if you share a lun between two computers that are not clustered your going to get data corruption.
hopefully thats what you were looking for.
alaxa
17 Posts
0
January 4th, 2008 06:00
- server A is the primary, with the virtual disk attached
- server B is backup, with virtual disk in a "standby" mode
- server A fails or need to be restarted, server B should see that A is not alive and put the virtual disk in an online state
- if in the meanwhile server A is alive again, server B put the disk in standby and waits..
this would be done "easily" if the AX150 would be in some way accessed via script. But I am afraid it's not possible and it is not possible either assign the virtual disk to both servers and use it once at a time, I mean "attach" it but leave it not "mounted" or "usable"
I understand that clustering would be the solutions, but I think this involves efforts that are maybe too much for just a shared disk.
thanks,
a.
wescott1
36 Posts
0
January 4th, 2008 08:00
If your data is important enough to be served redundantly, it is too important to be corrupted by bugs in your failover scripts.
alaxa
17 Posts
0
January 4th, 2008 09:00
one server fails, another takes over. And it is very
tricky to get it right.
yes, you are right. Cluster seems to be the correct working solution. My problem is that only one server is licensed as enterprise, the other is only standard. So this means to buy another license, install a new server etc.. This is what I mean with "too much effords"
redundantly, it is too important to be corrupted by
bugs in your failover scripts.
sorry, I thought that it was easy like with the xRaid where with easy scripts is possible to failover two mac servers. Nevermind, we will see if cluster could be done, otherwise we keep things as they are and we do the manual switch between the servers when we do maintenance and we pray God when a fail occurs in one of them.
thanks for your help