Losing SAN config

[nickpin]

Help. I'm reinstalling a 2 node cluster that utilises a SAN box via SCSI connections. O/S is Windows 2003 Server Enterprise edition. I install the O/S on each box, connect up the SAN, and now I can see raw partitions in disk management - i.e. the system knows the size of the logical disks on the SAN, but they don't yet have a drive letter assigned or a partition created on them.

When I set up the partitions, format them and assign drive letters on the first node, the second still sees them as raw partitions. If I reinstall and set them up first on the second node, when I turn on the first node it seems to steal the SAN disks from the second node and I lose their config - hence I'm left with raw partitions again.

I have no idea what to do - pretty much zero SAN ability here, so any ideas would be greatly appreciated. As I said at the start, I'm reinstalling the systems, so I know they used to work!! I haven't changed anything on the SAN, i.e. LUNs, logical disks, logical partitions. The SAN box is a raidserv 520scsi I think.

Cheers in advance!
Nick

 

[comtec17]

You need to install the cluster in this fashion:

Install first node and connect disk. Create partitions, etc then add the cluster software.

Once the cluster on one node is running, shut it down and bring up node2. That node should now see the disk as you created them on node1. Now install the cluster software on node2 and add the disks in a resource group. Shutdown Node2 and bring up node1. Once node 1 is up them bring up node 2, you should now be up and running

 

[nickpin]

Cheers for the reply - I had driver issues hence no response for a while. But I have another problem. I've configured the disks on node1 and added the cluster software - all is good. Then I power it down, power up node2, but it can't see the disks as I created them, it only sees raw partitions with no drive letters or labels. Also, I can't add this as a node to the existing cluster as node1 is powered down and it can't see it.

Logic would tell me that I need both boxes powered on to add node2 to the cluster? At this point should it see the drives?

 

[comtec17]

Both nodes do not need to be on in a Microsoft Cluster to build your cluster. As long as there is a shared Quorum, you will be ok.

How are your disks attached to each of the hosts?

 

[nickpin]

OK, well this should be the final question...! The shared storage is connected via scsi. Both nodes can see all the drives correctly now, and can read/write to them (depending on which one is turned on at the time of course). But I still don't get how to add the 2nd node. The 1st node is configured as CLUSTER1, an IP address, and is using disk Q as the shared Quorum. So I now think I turn this node off, bring up node2, and it's there I'm stuck - if I try to 'add nodes to cluster' and use CLUSTER1 as the name, it says it can't connect to it (because CLUSTER1 is setup on node 1 I assume). So should I add a new cluster also called CLUSTER1 - are you saying Windows will be intelligent, notice the existing quorum and add this node to the cluster rather than make a second quorum on disk Q?