Step-by-Step: Configuring Windows Server 8 Beta iSCSI Target Software for Use in a Cluster
So you just download the bits for Windows Server 8 Beta and you are anxious to try out all the great new features including Windows Storage Spaces, Continuously Available Fail Servers and Hyper-V Availability. Many of those new features are going to require you become familiar with Windows Server Failover Clustering. In addition, things like Storage Spaces are going require that you have access to additional storage to simulate JBODS. Windows iSCSI Target Software is a great way for you to provide storage for Failover Clustering and Spaces in a lab environment so you can play around with these new features.
This Step-by-Step Article assumes you have three Windows Server 8 servers running in a domain environment. My lab environment consists of the following:
Hardware
My three servers are all virtual machines running on VMware Workstation 8 on top of my Windows 7 laptop with 16 GB of RAM. See my article on how to install Windows Server 8 on VMware Workstation 8.
Server Names and Roles
PRIMARY.win8.local – my cluster node 1
SECONDARY.win8.local – my cluster node 2
WIN-EHVIK0RFBIU.win8.local – my domain controller (guess who forgot to rename his DC before I promoted it to be a Domain ControllerJ)
Network
192.168.37.X/24 – my public network also used to carry iSCSI traffic
10.X.X.X /8– a private network defined just between PRIMARY and SECONDARY for cluster communication
This article is going to walk you through step-by-step on how to do the following:
- Install the iSCSI Target Role on your Domain Controller
- Configure the iSCSI Target
- Connect to the iSCSI Target using the iSCSI Initiator
- Format the iSCSI Target
- Connect to the shared iSCSI Target from the SECONDARY Server
- Configure Windows Server 8 Failover Clustering
The article consist mostly of screen shots, but I also add notes where needed.
Install the iSCSI Target Role on your Domain Controller
Click on Add roles and features to install the iSCSI target role.
You will find that the iSCSI target role is a feature that is found under File And Storage Servers/File Services. Just select iSCSI Target Server and click Next to begin the installation of the iSCSI Target Server role.
Configure the iSCSI Target
The iSCSI target software is managed under File and Storage Services on the Server Manager Dashboard, click on that to continue
The first step in creating an iSCSI target is to create an iSCSI Virtual Disk. Click on Launch the New Virtual Disk wizard to create a virtual disk.
Connect to the iSCSI Target using the iSCSI Initiator
Format the iSCSI Target
Connect to the shared iSCSI Target from the SECONDARY Server
Configure Windows Server 8 Failover Clustering
Hyper-V Replica Coming in Windows Server “Next”
Here is an interesting video that demonstrates “Hyper-V Replica”, a new feature coming in the next version of Windows. Skip to the 39 minute mark to see the demonstration.
It looks like a very welcome feature that certainly will make Hyper-V even more competitive when comparing the feature set vs. price between vSphere and Hyper-V, especially with the new pricing announced by VMware.
I’ll be very curious to see if this integrates with Windows Server Failover Clustering to allow you create shared nothing clusters as you can today with 3rd party replication software like SteelEye DataKeeper Cluster Edition as I demonstrated in an earlier blog post.
http://clusteringformeremortals.com/2009/09/17/hyper-v-live-migration-across-data-centers/
Failover Clustering & Hyper-V: Multi-Site Disaster Recovery
Here is a great video from a friend of mine and former MVP Cluster Lead, Symon Perriman. It looks like he is enjoying his new job as Microsoft product evangelist.
Microsoft now officially supports the iSCSI Software Target 3.3 in production
Just a few weeks ago I wrote an article about how to configure the iSCSI Software Target 3.3 in a cluster environment. While it is great for labs and testing, up until today it was not supported in a production environment. Well…that all changes today! Microsoft just announced that the iSCSI Software Target 3.3 is a freely available download and can be used on a production network.
This all starts to get interesting once you start considering the possibility of building shared nothing iSCSI Target clusters with DataKeeper Cluster Edition. Build 2-nodes locally for HA and then place a 3rd one in a remote data center for disaster recovery. Now that is a pretty sweet HA/DR solution without having to break the bank!
Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals – Free Online Classes – March 29 – 31
Just one week after Microsoft Management Summit 2011 (MMS), Microsoft Learning will be hosting an exclusive three-day Jump Start class specially tailored for VMware and Microsoft virtualization technology pros. Registration for “Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals” is open now and will be delivered as a FREE online class on March 29-31, 2010 from 10:00am-4:00pm PDT.
What’s the high-level overview?
- This cutting edge course will feature expert instruction and real-world demonstrations of Hyper-V and brand new releases from System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta (many of which will be announced just one week earlier at MMS). Register Now!
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Day 1 will focus on “Platform” (Hyper-V, virtualization architecture, high availability & clustering)
- 10:00am – 10:30pm PDT: Virtualization 360 Overview
- 10:30am – 12:00pm: Microsoft Hyper-V Deployment Options & Architecture
- 1:00pm – 2:00pm: Differentiating Microsoft and VMware (terminology, etc.)
- 2:00pm – 4:00pm: High Availability & Clustering
- 10:00am – 10:30pm PDT: Virtualization 360 Overview
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Day 2 will focus on “Management” (System Center Suite, SCVMM 2012 Beta, Opalis, Private Cloud solutions)
- 10:00am – 11:00pm PDT: System Center Suite Overview w/ focus on DPM
- 11:00am – 12:00pm: Virtual Machine Manager 2012 | Part 1
- 1:00pm – 1:30pm: Virtual Machine Manager 2012 | Part 2
- 1:30pm – 2:30pm: Automation with System Center Opalis & PowerShell
- 2:30pm – 4:00pm: Private Cloud Solutions, Architecture & VMM SSP 2.0
- 10:00am – 11:00pm PDT: System Center Suite Overview w/ focus on DPM
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Day 3 will focus on “VDI” (VDI Infrastructure/architecture, v-Alliance, application delivery via VDI)
- 10:00am – 11:00pm PDT: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 1
- 11:00am – 12:00pm: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 2
- 1:00pm – 2:30pm: v-Alliance Solution Overview
- 2:30pm – 4:00pm: Application Delivery for VDI
- 10:00am – 11:00pm PDT: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 1
- Every section will be team-taught by two of the most respected authorities on virtualization technologies: Microsoft Technical Evangelist Symon Perriman and leading Hyper-V, VMware, and XEN infrastructure consultant, Corey Hynes
Who is the target audience for this training?
Suggested prerequisite skills include real-world experience with Windows Server 2008 R2, virtualization and datacenter management. The course is tailored to these types of roles:
- IT Professional
- IT Decision Maker
- Network Administrators & Architects
- Storage/Infrastructure Administrators & Architects
How do I to register and learn more about this great training opportunity?
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Register: Visit the Registration Page and sign up for all three sessions
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Blog: Learn more from the Microsoft Learning Blog
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Twitter: Here are a few posts you can retweet:
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Mar. 29-31 “Microsoft #Virtualization for VMware Pros” @SymonPerriman Corey Hynes http://bit.ly/JS-Hyper-V
@MSLearning #Hyper-V -
@SysCtrOpalis Mar. 29-31 “Microsoft #Virtualization for VMware Pros” @SymonPerriman Corey Hynes http://bit.ly/JS-Hyper-V
#Hyper-V -
Learn all the cool new features in Hyper-V & System Center 2012! SCVMM, Self-Service Portal 2.0, http://bit.ly/JS-Hyper-V
#Hyper-V #Opalis
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What is a “Jump Start” course?
A “Jump Start” course is “team-taught” by two expert instructors in an engaging radio talk show style format. The idea is to deliver readiness training on strategic and emerging technologies that drive awareness at scale before Microsoft Learning develops mainstream Microsoft Official Courses (MOC) that map to certifications. All sessions are professionally recorded and distributed through MS Showcase, Channel 9, Zune Marketplace and iTunes for broader reach.
Please join us for this fantastic event!
Hyper-V Multi-Site Demo at Tech-Ed 2010 New Orleans
If you are at Tech-Ed in New Orleans this week make sure you stop by the Windows Server Failover Cluster booth in the Technology Learning Center and have a look at the multi-site Hyper-V cluster demo using SteelEye DataKeeper Cluster Edition as the replication engine. I’ll also be in the booth to answer any questions you may have. SteelEye also has a booth at the show if you would like to discuss becoming a partner or customer!
How to Install Service Packs into a Cluster while also Minimizing Planned Downtime
I answer this question often enough that I thought I should probably but a link to it in my blog.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/174799?p=1
This article tells you everything you need to know. However, what you may not realize is that by following the instructions in the article you are minimizing the amount of planned downtime while also giving yourself the opportunity to “test” the update on one node before your upgrade both nodes. If the upgrade does not go well on the first node, at least the application is still running on the second node until you can figure out what went wrong.
This is just one of the side benefits that you get when you cluster at the application layer vs. clustering at the hypervisor layer. If this were simply a VM in an availability group, you would have to schedule downtime to complete the application upgrade and hope that it all went well as the only failback is to restore the VM from backup. As I discussed in earlier articles, there is a benefit to clustering at the hypervisor level, but you have to understand what you are giving up as well.
Advanced Availability and Disaster Recovery for Hyper-V at TechDays Germany
I recently returned from a 10 day trip to Germany where I attended CeBIT and also presented at TechDays in Hannover and Essen with Microsoft Technical Evangelists Michael Korp and Ralf Schnell . The trip was very productive and the sessions were very well attended. My portion of the session focused on Advanced Availability for Hyper-V, specifically multi-site clusters, data replication and automated disaster recovery. Have a look at the video here.
Are VMware’s vSphere Disaster Recovery Options Really Better than Microsoft’s options for Hyper-V?
Every time I read a blog post, or open a magazine article about virtualization and disaster recovery I see the same thing….VMware has a more robust DR solution than Microsoft. Well, I’d like to challenge that assumption. From the view where I sit, this is actually one of the areas where Microsoft has a major competitive advantage at the moment. Here is how I see it.
VMware Site Recovery Manager
This is an optional additional add on that rides on the back of Array based replication solutions. While the recovery point objective is good due to the array based replication, the RTO is measured in hours, not minutes. Add in the fact that moving back to the primary data center is a very manual procedure which basically requires that you re-create your jobs in the opposite direction; the complete end to end recovery operation of failover and failback could take the better part of a day or longer.
Microsoft Multi-Site Cluster
Virtual machine HA clustering is included with the free version of Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, as well as with Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and Datacenter editions. In order to do multi-site clusters, it requires array based replication or host based replication solutions that integrate with Windows Server Failover Clustering. With a multi-site cluster, failover is measured in minutes (just about the time it takes to start a VM) and can be used with array based replication solutions such as EMC SRDF CE or HP MSA CLX or the much less expensive host based replication solutions such as SteelEye DataKeeper Cluster Edition.
Not only is failover quick with Hyper-V multi-site clusters, measured in just a few minutes, failback is also quick and seamless as well. Add in support for Live Migrations or Quick Migration across Data Centers, I think this is one area that Microsoft actually has a much more robust solution than VMware. Maybe it does not included automated DR tests, but when you consider you can failover and failback all in under 10 minutes, maybe an actual DR test performed monthly would give you a much better indication of what to expect in an actual disaster?
If you want a Hyper-V solution more like SRM, then there is an option there as well, it is called Citrix Essential for Hyper-V. But much like SRM, it is an optional add-on feature and really doesn’t even match the RPO and RTO features that you can achieve with basic multi-site clusters for Hyper-V.
What do you think? Am I wrong or is there something I just don’t get? From my view, Hyper-V is heads and shoulders above vSphere in terms of disaster recovery features.
Will Windows Failover Clusters (MSCS/WSFC) Become Obsolete?
I was recently asked whether MSCS/WSFC will become obsolete due to 3rd party HA solutions. I think there will always be a market for 3rd party HA solutions, but many of the enhancements delivered with Windows Server 2008 have reduced the need to explore alternate HA solutions. I think the greater threat to MSCS/WSFC is HA solutions provided by the virtualization vendors, such as Microsoft’s Hyper-V failover clusters (which actually uses WSFC) and VMware HA. These solutions provided by the virtualization platform provide protection in case of host failure, although they currently do not have visibility into the application that is running within the VM.
The real question is what kind of failure do you want to protect against? If physical server failure is your primary concern, then in some cases where MSCS may have previously been deployed, you will see Hyper-V Clusters or VMware HA being deployed instead. In other cases where MSCS/WSFC may have seemed like overkill or was incompatible with the OS or application, you will instead see clustered VMs being deployed because it is easy to install and it supports all applications and operating systems. The mere fact that more workloads will be running per physical server will make it imperative to have some kind of clustering solution so that the failure of a single server does not bring down your entire infrastructure. In many cases, this clustering solution will be provided by the virtualization vendor.
Hyper-V Clusters and VMware HA are easy to implement and have a broad range of support as the protected VM can be running any OS or application. The tradeoff is that you lose the application level monitoring included with MSCS/WSFC. There will always be a class of applications that need application awareness, so MSCS/WSFC or other HA solutions that manage application availability will always be needed to ensure that the application is available, not just the server itself. With that being said, MSCS/WSFC will not become obsolete, but you will see it deployed alongside other cluster solutions provided by the hypervisor vendors..
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