HP F100 Private or Public Interconnect, Interconnect Adapters, Redundant Interconnects

10 HP ProLiant Cluster F100 Installation Guide

Because clients desiring the full advantage of the cluster will now connect to the cluster rather than to a specific server, configuring client connections will differ from those for a stand-alone server. Clients will connect to virtual servers, which are cluster groups that contain their own IP addresses.

Private or Public Interconnect

There are two types of interconnect paths:

•Private interconnect

•Public interconnect

For more information on recommended interconnect strategies, refer to the white paper, Best Practices Checklist—Increasing Network Fault Tolerance in a Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003, Enterprise Edition High Availability Server Cluster, available from the ProLiant High Availability website (http://www.hp.com/servers/proliant/highavailability).

Interconnect Adapters

Ethernet adapters and switches are supported as interconnects in ProLiant clusters. Either a 10-Mb/s, 100-Mb/s, or 1000-Mb/s Ethernet adapter can be used.

Ethernet adapters can be connected together using an Ethernet crossover cable or a private Ethernet hub. Both of these options provide a dedicated interconnect.

Implementing a direct Ethernet connection minimizes potential single points of failure.

NOTE: An Ethernet crossover cable is provided in the HP ProLiant

Cluster Starter kit.

Redundant Interconnects

To reduce potential disruptions of intracluster communication, use a redundant path over which communication can continue if the primary path is disrupted.