HP StorageWorks X1800sb Network Storage Blade - Manual (Page 59)

4 Cluster administration
HP StorageWorks X3000 Network Storage Systems support clustering; HP StorageWorks X1000
Network Storage Systems do not.
One important feature of HP StorageWorks X3000 Network Storage System models is that they can
operate as a single node or as a cluster. This chapter discusses cluster installation and cluster
management issues.
Cluster overview
Up to eight server nodes can be connected to each other and deployed as a no single point of failure
(NSPOF) cluster. Utilizing a private network allows communication amongst themselves in order to
track the state of each cluster node. Each node sends out periodic messages to the other nodes; these
messages are called heartbeats. If a node stops sending heartbeats, the cluster service fails over any
resources that the node owns to another node. For example, if the node that owns the Quorum disk
is shut down for any reason, its heartbeat stops. The other nodes detect the lack of the heartbeat and
another node takes over ownership of the Quorum disk and the cluster.
Clustering servers greatly enhances the availability of file serving by enabling file shares to fail over
to additional storage systems if problems arise. Clients see only a brief interruption of service as the
file share resource transitions from one server node to the other.
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