nodes. If additional ports are needed, HP recommends

 

using a high-port count switch.

Minimum Number of Switches

You will need to have at least one 24-port copper switch

 

in the database cluster.

Trunking Between Switches

Trunking between switches can be used to increase

(multiple connections)

bandwidth and cluster throughput. Trunking is also a way

 

to eliminate a possible single point of failure. The number

 

of trunked cables between nodes is only limited by port

 

availability.

Maximum Cable Lengths

The longest supported cable is 10 meters. This constrains

 

the maximum distance between servers and switches or

 

between servers in node-to-node configurations.

Minimum Host Memory Required

Each AB286C Host Channel Adapter card requires a

per HCA

minimum of 512 MB host memory in supported servers.

Non-Supported Features

The following are non-supported HP Fabric Clustering System features:

High Availability (HA): Not Supported

No High Availability features are provided with the HP Fabric Clustering System product. Transparent Local Failover: Not Supported

Link and/or adapter failure is terminal for applications running on the HP server node. Dynamic Resource Utilization (DRU): Not Supported

Addition of new HP Fabric resources (node, cable or switch) to a cluster running an HP Fabric application is not supported.

Load Balancing: Not Supported

The HP Fabric Clustering System product has no support capability to balance the load across all available resources in the cluster, including nodes, adapter cards, links, and multiple links between switches.

Supported Configurations

Multiple configurations are supported to match the performance, cost and scaling requirements of each installation.

In the section, “Configuration Parameters” (page 51), the maximum limits for HP Fabric hardware configurations were outlined. This section discusses the configurations that HP supports. These recommended configurations offer an optimal mix of performance and availability for a variety of operating environments.

There are many variables that can impact performance. If you are considering a configuration that is beyond the scope of the following HP supported configurations, contact your HP representative.

Sample Configurations using the AB286A/C or AD313A HCA

Configurations up to 24 End Nodes

For simple configurations with up to 24 end nodes, a single 376227-B21 24-port 4x Fabric Copper Switch may be sufficient (see Figure 5-1).

52 Configuration