Active-Active Load Balancing and VLANs

[xavier]

Hi all,

I'm actively learning how to implement this resource : <http://www.open-e.com/site_media/download/documents/Open-E-DSS-V7-Active-Active-Load-Balanced-iSCSI-HA-Cluster.pdf>
(Let alone the replication link, which is a Fiber on its own)

AFAIK, the Windows parts are OK, I've setup 2 teamed NICS (one phys. NIC each), which six VLANs :

eth3 - VLAN 501 = MPIO1a
eth3 - VLAN 502 = MPIO2a
eth3 - VLAN 511 = HB a

eth4 - VLAN 503 = MPIO1b
eth4 - VLAN 504 = MPIO2b
eth4 - VLAN 512 = HB b


The switches have been setup accordingly, with all relevant VLANs tagged on the two ports.

So far, am I good ?

Now, when I read the network part of this HowTo, I see no mention of VLANs on the DSS V7 machines sides. Do I assume they are all untagged ?

Summarizing, the switch ports for Windows Hosts have all VLANs tagged, while on the Open-E side, they are all untagged. Right ? Does this cause no mess between the subnets, since my switches are not all L3.

Thanks for any advice.

Xavier - Chatenay-Malabry - France

[To-M]

The DSS does not have VLAN support and will be untagged. All VLAN setup will be at the switch side. If using 2 switches in this setup from the link you have you will want to prevent switching loops, and is recommended to use RSTP (802.1w) or Port Trunking on network switches used to build Active - Active Failover network topology. This is noted on the bottom of page 3 of this link.

http://www.open-e.com/site_media/dow...I_Failover.pdf

[xavier]

The DSS does not have VLAN support and will be untagged. All VLAN setup will be at the switch side.

OK. All is fine until page 34 : Configuring Cluster, entering ping nodes. None of the remote nodes is reachable. Can't even ping from the Windows machine.

My setup is as follows (exactly as depicted in page 3 of http://www.open-e.com/site_media/dow...HA-Cluster.pdf), let alone the LAN interface and VLAN (1):

* On the Windows side, two more NICs, each configured with three VLANs (bond with only one NIC), 501, 502, 511 and 503, 504, 512 matching MPIO 1, MPIO 2 and Ping Node, resp.

* On Windows's side of the switch, two ports, with STP, configured as trunk with VLANs 501, 502, 511 (resp 503, 504, 512) tagged

* On DSS's side of the switch, two ports, with STP, configured as general with VLANs 501, 502, 511 (resp 503, 504, 512) untagged

* On the DSS, the configuration is exactly as in the doc. The to switches are linked by a Trunk with all VLANs tagged but the VLAN 1 (the LAN VLAN). All others VLANs on these switches work correctly, as they did before the creation of the six 5XX VLANs.

* A direct fiber link (crossed) between the two remaining GBIC interfaces of the DSSs : THIS WORKS.

Is there something wrong in this VLAN configuration ? Especially with the tagging of VLANs and/or trunking vs general ?

Thanks in advance,

Xavier

[To-M]

Xavier sorry to say I am not a VLAN expert so maybe someone on the forum here might be able to assist with the switches and the VLAN setup.
Xavier