Getting to know VCS using Vmware vSphere
Updated: 03 Sep 2010 | 6 comments
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I would like to get to know VCS. Is it possible to learn VCS using two Solaris x64 installed within vSphere VMs ? Is VCS going to work within Vmware ?
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I believe you have to use VCS
I believe you have to use VCS One (newly named Cluster One) in this environment, as this VCS variant was specifically engineered to run inside VMs versus traditional VCS relying on LLT/GAB for cluster intercommunication. There is information for Cluster One (i.e. Install Guide, etc.) on Symantec Support website.
I would like to learn the
I would like to learn the "real" VCS. Is there any difference in maintaining VCS and VCS One ?
not too much. VCS One is much
not too much. VCS One is much better when you have to failover the applications from within the VM or the VM itself (compared with the traditional VCS).
the framework of the products is practically identical. In fact, the merge of the two into a single VCS product is on the roadmap...
For learning purpose, you can
For learning purpose, you can surely install VCS inside your GuestOS on vmware. Use VMWare virtual switch to setup gab,llt etc. Basically you could have a configuration like below for learning:
- One ESX Box
- TWO GuestOS (VCS Supported OS)
- Install VCS on the GuestOS just like you would install on any physical machine
- Use virtual switch for llt/gab configuration.
Or else install single node VCS on just one GuestOS for learning purpose but you would not be able to try failover, switch operations.
Use VMWare virtual switch to setup gab,llt etc.
Hi,
Sorry to barge in like this but have you actualy maneged to configure an LLT/GAB connection only using vmware resources?
The solution I've been trying to get to work doesn't use VCS, it uses "Veritas Storage Foundation Cluster File System 5.0 MP3" which also needs this LLT/GAB connection.
I've searched the web for a while and haven't seen any clear instructions on how to do it. Do you know a way?
In ESXi's netwroking configurations I always end up having to atribute an IP address to the corresponding VMkernel I'm trying to add... :(
Only a few things to know
There are no differences between physical and virtual servers for VCS except the following:
If you use virtual disks in the virtual machines you have to take care for the following things:
- no fencing is possible
- all virtual disks have the same udid, an empty string "" (this will force vxvm or to be more accurate Veritas DMP to show you 1 disk with n access paths)
Workaround for those things:
- Fencing: use iSCS targets like StarWind (or any other what can serve SCSI 3 completely) or small iSCSI boxes like Qnaps... Do not use OpfenFiler, this software target cannot speak SCSI 3, especially SCSI 3 persistent reservation is not supported.
- DMP: suppress all disks on your scsi controller for the disks in /etc/vx/vxdmp.exclude of via vxdiskadm
If you want to use Veritas Replicator in a virtual environment, you hae to install the solaris systems all for their own, if you clone the systems, you will have "one machine more than once", the Replicator tells you, the source and target of a replication must not be on the same server. Reason for this is the "hostid" burned into the kernel.
All other things in the clusters and in Storage Foundation in global run quite well (if you have a little patience... :-)
Good luck
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