iScsi Auto Failover

Is this feature available in Open-e DSS?
In the feature comparison table i see iScsi Failover but on the description i read "coming soon".
If yes, does this feature requires some specific license?
Thanks
Vittorio

You will not need a License Key for Auto Failover we had to release 5.0_46 first before the Auto Failover release. We had plans to release this version earlier but decided to release it before mid June.

So is iSCSI failover available now as an option for DSS? What is the cost? Is there a charge per DSS Server?

Is this an active-active or active-passive relationship between the two DSS servers?

Does it only failover between identical DSS servers?

Can it auto fail back one the failing DSS server is restored to proper operation

Can it failover between two DSS servers that share SAS or F/C arrays given the arrays have separate controllers in them?

Where can I read about the set up, features and restrictions?

Thank You

Robert

Hello robertdalco...

Let me help the guys here and share what I know about it....

So is iSCSI failover available now as an option for DSS? What is the cost? Is there a charge per DSS Server?

Its not available yet - I am waiting it as well :)- There will be no cost according to open-e guys, hopefully it will stay like this.

Is this an active-active or active-passive relationship between the two DSS servers?

its an active/passive

Does it only fail over between identical DSS servers?

You have to have the version that support auto failover which will be the next release.


Can it auto fail back one the failing DSS server is restored to proper operation

I am not sure about this, but I belive they have the fail back manually (active/passive)


Can it failover between two DSS servers that share SAS or F/C arrays given the arrays have separate controllers in them?

I dont think so.. as it will give a virtual IP address to the NIC, and I am not sure how it will do this here..

Where can I read about the set up, features and restrictions?

Propally we are going to get the official documents as soon as this been officially released...

Hope I am correct :)

Thanks SuperSan! Sorry for being late just got back.

You almost got it will Auto Failover to the Secondary then there will be a switch to fail back manually as this is in part of the active/passive operation.

Currently Auto Failover will only be supported for iSCSI Logical Volumes. So Host system will connect to a virtual IP address that Server A (Primary) and Server B (Secondary) are assigned. Please be patient we will have documentation on this when released.
In future releases we have plans for NAS as well.

but when will this be released ??

I won’t know until Thursday or Friday of this week after the QA guys approve it.

Hey Todd,
I have a question, if the auto failover will be using a virtual IP address.
And I am currently use MPIO as per Shon (due to issues in the net Bonding)
What would the failover route be since there are two sub-nets in play with the MPIO?

Thanks, carter

We have not tested this mix but this should work as you can set a virtual IP address from each NIC.

Hi there!

We have the up44 Vesion running with iSCSI failover installed (or activated).
We had to get an additional license Code but it is not working very well.
So we decided not to use it. (Our Harware/open-e supplier also recommended this).

In the up46 iSCSI failover is not available as you said.

We would like to use this function as well as to have the VMware certification.
(They said us that it will available in March (2008 ;-) ).

I do not expect it to be be available before autumn (both) - if it comes.

Regards
DerFux

Trying to create an iSCSI-cluster with Version: 5.0.DB47000000.3117 wo do have the following problem:

setup - network - iSCSI Cluster

Secondary

Here we can create a Secondary Cluster Member but the status is always:
- Service running inactive
- Node status inactive
- Ping node disabled
- eth3 unknown
- com 1unknown

We are not able to add the reverse iSCSI Target to the Cluster Task (Button grayed)
- No task have been selected.
- In secondary mode start and stop action will be made only on this node.


Primary

Here we can create a Primary iSCSI Cluster Meber with following Status
- Service running inactive
- Node status inactive
- Ping node ok
- eth3 unknown
- com1 unknown

We are not able to add the reverse iSCSI Target to the Cluster Task

Error: Most probably there has been an error when connecting to the other node, or one of the selected tasks does not have a counterpart (a reverse task) on the other node. Please check the secondary node address and make sure you have configured appropriate reverse tasks.

- Info No task have been selected

Whats going wrong
- Both DSS do have an virtual IP with the same address
- there is an iSCSI Volumne successfully replicated
- both servers do have the iSCSI target with same name

regards Stefan

We just got certified with VMware for iSCSI yesterday so DerFux i hope this helps you.

where you get the 47 from????

Open-E informed me that they have a new version but its in Beta testing. Maybe thats why you have issues.

I prefer to wait until the official release then judge.

I test the 44 with the failover it works fine but with few issues. And as I heared they will be fixed..

Thx To-M, thats good news.

I suppose that is for the up46.

Tomorrow we will do an update on two machines
which are running the up44 (One primary - one secondary - manual failover).

Lets hope the best that the automatic failover will come soon as well.
The manual failover is working with VMware and linux.

Regards
DerFux

so when will this update be available and how is the configuration for master/slave. will the slave-machine automatically pull the config from the master?

As Ottl05 says.

Can I buy this today? What do I specifically reference to make sure I get the version that supports iSCSI failover.

Robert

You will need to purchase the DSS product, NAS-R3 and iSCSI-R3 professional version will not have this feature. Please wait as we will not release until all has been passed by our QA department. We will not release it until then.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by To-M

I won’t know until Thursday or Friday of this week after the QA guys approve it.

---

Hi ToM. It's almost end of June. Is this feature going to make it to us before July?

Thanks,

ErrolDC

Looks that we might be able to make it next week. Keep in mind that we have so many tests to run that if any issues arise we may need additionally time. But so far we are on schedule for next week.

Hello All and T-Mo,

So now it is next week. What will I specifically need to put on my order to make sure I get the correct revision to do iSCSI failover? Does it require any additional licensing/cost for the iSCSI failover feature?

Even if there isn't a requirement to list specifically, I still would like to put it on the order.

Thanks,

Robert

It will be in DSS only so there will be no license part number for this and all updates for DSS will have this feature for free as well.

I have a version that you can test before the official release if you wish to test it. Just email me.

What number build has the iSCSI failover enabled? (i.e. the engineering-stage builds)

zooom :)

build_3145_RC4

So now I am pushing it.

With this latest build. Can I have two units locally configured for iSCSI failover and still mirror to a remote unit asynchronously?

Robert

We only have synchronous Volume Replication (Block Level) for iSCSI and FC volumes - asynchronous is for our Data Replication (File Level). Also you can only replicate 2 servers for iSCSI Volumes Server A to Server B.

As a newcomer to Open-e I wanted to test this build out but when I try and boot it with the CD it says something to the effect that my USB key is not detected or corrupted. Do i need a special dongle or unlock code for the beta to run?

Hey trafalger -

Are you booting with a demo CD, or a USB module?

Asaph

This would be the failover build CD developer. So yes a CD

Any suggestions? does this build require a special dongle key?

when will this update be available?

My coworker tested the beta version of it. And he said its working fine. He report to opene engineers and they told him they r going to release it in few weeks.

he didnt use any special key.. he used the same module with the same license key...

Is it going to be possible to use the failover option without replicating ?
For our solution replicating data is a bit useless since we're planning two open-e nodes connected to the same fiberchannel san...both can already access the same storage and we just need the failover to create redundancy for the open-e nodes. We planned to use two luns from the fiber san, each of them actively handled by it's own open-e node...in case of failure the alive node should handle them both. If this is possible Open-e would be a great solution for us to convert a part of our fiber storage to low cost iscsi...

Currently not at this time but we are looking into a using 2 head nodes and connect to a common storage pool but no set date has been scheduled to start designs.

The Auto Failover will be for iSCSI Volumes only for this release.

So is there any updated documentation for this? Like explaing how it works and how it should be setup. Also how will licensing work? Do i need to buy 2 dss licenses?

For the iSCSI Auto Failover you will need 2 DSS modules only, there is no additional license fees for this. Below is a Quick Start guide for the Auto Failover.

Auto Failover Quick Start Guide:

1. Set up volume replication and start the replication task on the primary system.
2. On both systems, create a new target with exactly the same name and assign the LUN by clicking on the "+" button.
3. In the GUI menu, SETUP -> Network, configure bonding using eth0 and eth1.
4. Connect the cable from eth0 to the first network switch and the cable from eth1 to the second one.
5. Do the same as above on the secondary system.
6. On both systems, configure the virtual IP on the bond and select it as an auxiliary interface.
7. Select eth2 as the auxiliary on both systems (it there must be 2 auxiliary interfaces selected on every system).
8. In Function: Failover configuration: on the primary, enable primary mode and on the secondary, enable the secondary accordingly.
9. Select one failover task and click on Apply in function failover tasks on primary system.
10. Click on Start, in Function: failover manager on the primary system.
11. Check the status in Function: Failover status; all must be OK and in Task status, the destination volume must be consistent.
12. Please (either connect or log on?) connect log on to the mirror target with iSCSI initiator using the virtual IP.
13. Create a partition and format the iSCSI disk.
14. Test the Failover function by clicking on Manual Failover in Function: Failover Manager on the primary system.
15. Afterwards, the secondary system must show "active" mode in the node status in Function: Failover status.
16. In order to test Failback, please click on "Sync volumes" in Function: Failover manager on the secondary system.
17. Once both systems are in sync, the Failback button will be activated. Please check Task Status in Function: Failover status on the secondary system; it must show both volumes as consistent.
18. Click on the Failback button in Function: Failover manager on the secondary system.
19. Afterwards, the primary system is back in active mode and ready for failover.

Thank you for explanation!

Question: I want to test the fail-over before I buy a second DSS machine - is it possible with DSS Lite or the demo CD?

regards,
Lukas

Tom, why the need for the bonded interface?
Can I rely on one ethernet connection and the serial?

We will have a DSS Demo-CD version ready very soon, ETA 2 weeks. DSS LITE will not have this feature.

I have tried the following:

2 DSS and a Microsoft 2008 Server and Hyper-V

The VM was laying in the iSCSI Target from the DSS Server.

If i make a iSCSI Failover the VM Hangs. Is that normal ?
Have anybody expiriences with that. Will I have the same Problem,
if i use VM ESX instead of Hyper-V ?

Thanx,
Deejay

Hi deejay24

In our test with VMware failover worked with out any problems
Here is a link to another user using Hyper-V without issues as well
http://forum.open-e.com/showthread.p...hlight=Hyper-V
Check out his setup, it may help with you problem