Ensure that the PowerStore systems are cabled correctly by referencing the PowerStore Quick Start Guide on dell.com/powerstoredocs. Each node in every appliance that is a part of a PowerStore cluster must communicate to other nodes through the bonded ports (see the following figure). The network that allows the nodes to communicate to each other is an internal network named the Intra-Cluster Management (ICM) and Intra-Cluster Data (ICD) networks. In multi-appliance PowerStore clusters, the ICM and ICD networks communicate through the top-of-rack switch network with untagged VLAN network packets that have auto-generated IPv6 addresses. All appliances in the cluster should be in the same rack or multiple racks in the same data center. If PowerStore appliances span multiple switches, ensure that the untagged network (or native VLAN) is configured on the switch ports and are shared across the switches. Deploying a cluster in different buildings but on the same campus, also known as stretched clusters, is not supported. For single-appliance clusters, starting in PowerStoreOS 1.0.2, the ICM network communicates through the backplane within the appliance instead of through the top-of-rack switch. In PowerStoreOS 3.0 single-appliance clusters, both the ICM and ICD networks communicate through the backplane of the appliance. By moving these networks away from the top-of-rack switch, single-appliance PowerStore T/Q systems can be deployed with minimal top-of-rack switch configuration.

Figure 2.   Back view of a PowerStore appliance