Installing SnapManager and creating a new Windows cluster

When to use this procedure

This procedure is for installing and configuring SnapManager 3.1 for Microsoft Exchange during the process of creating a new Windows cluster. Follow the instructions in this section if you have two to four systems that you are ready to configure as a Windows cluster.

If you do not intend to configure a Windows cluster, use one of the following procedures:

Disk requirements for configuration options

You can configure your Windows cluster in either Active/Passive or Active/Active mode. However, Microsoft Exchange 5.5 supports only the Active/Passive mode.

Active/Passive configurations

In an Active/Passive Exchange cluster, there are two to four clustered nodes and one virtual Exchange server. If the node running Exchange fails, the cluster transfers the virtual Exchange server to the other node, which takes over the disks previously used by the partner node.

For an Active/Passive Exchange cluster, assuming that your Exchange data is on a shared resource, your disk requirements are the same as for a stand-alone Exchange system, with the addition of one LUN for the quorum disk.

Note
The Active/Passive configuration is recommended by Microsoft to avoid performance degradation if a node fails.

Active/Active configurations

In an Active/Active two-node configuration, there are two clustered nodes and an Exchange virtual server running on each node. If one node fails, the other node takes over the virtual server running on the failed node.

Because both nodes need to be able to run an active Exchange instance, each node requires its own disks, as if it were a self-contained stand-alone system. In addition, one extra LUN is needed for the quorum disk.

Note
Exchange 2000 does not support more than two active nodes in the same cluster. Exchange 5.5 does not support more than one active node in a cluster, so you cannot configure an Active/Active mode cluster if you are using Exchange 5.5.

Installing in a new Windows cluster

The procedure for installing SnapManager 3.1 for Microsoft Exchange in a new Windows cluster assumes the following facts:

You have two to four systems that you are ready to configure into a Windows cluster.
Microsoft Exchange is not installed on either system.
You will use a LUN as the quorum disk.

To create the cluster and install and configure SnapManager 3.1 for Microsoft Exchange as part of the cluster, complete the following steps.

Step	Action
Create cluster
1	Follow the procedure in your SnapDrive documentation for creating a Windows cluster with a virtual quorum disk.
Install and verify Exchange
2	Create all required LUNs according to your data configuration plan. For information about creating LUNs, see your SnapDrive documentation.
3	Install and configure Exchange on one node, then install Exchange on the remaining nodes. Note Exchange virtual servers are not created during this step. See the Microsoft documentation for information about installing Exchange in a cluster. You do not have to use the default cluster group, but whatever group you use must contain an IP address resource, a network name resource, and at least one physical disk cluster resource (LUN).
4	Using Cluster Administrator, create an Exchange System Attendant Resource in the cluster group where the LUN physical disk resources that store the Exchange databases and transaction logs will reside. Note Do this from the node that owns the cluster group containing the LUN physical disk resources. During this step you are prompted for an Exchange data directory. This directory is also where the Exchange system files are placed. You can accept the default location now; these system files can be moved in a later step, if necessary, using the Configuration Wizard. Specify the LUN physical disk resources and the Network Name resource as dependencies for the Exchange System Attendant Resource. Result The required Exchange cluster resources are created.
5	Bring the cluster group online if it is not already, and verify that the Exchange cluster is functioning correctly by moving the cluster group containing the newly created Exchange virtual server to the other node and back.
Install and verify SnapManager
6	Install SnapManager on all nodes, starting with the node that currently owns the cluster resources. See Installing the SnapManager software.
7	Launch SnapManager, and run the SnapManager Configuration Wizard to ensure the correct disposition of the Exchange databases and transaction log files according to the SnapManager data configuration plan you created in the install preparation. See Using the Configuration Wizard to configure your data store.
8	If you want to have one set of report directories no matter what node you are running SnapManager from, move your report directory to a shared disk resource that does not contain Exchange or SnapManager data. See About locating the report directory in a Windows cluster.
9	Run a SnapManager Backup. See Backing Up with SnapManager Backup.