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E2E Deployment and Operations Guide with Switchless Networking (Windows)
About using this guide Deployment Introduction Solution Overview Solution Deployment
Solution Deployment
Solution deployment introduction
Deployment prerequisites
Change operating system to iDRAC pass-through IPs Install OpenManage Integration with Microsoft Windows Admin Center
Predeployment configuration
Configuring network switches Configuring iDRAC and BIOS Configure QLogic NICs Configure Intel E810 or E823 NICs
Cabling instructions
Three-node, single-link full mesh switchless interconnect Two-node, back-to-back connected architecture Three-node, dual-link full mesh switchless interconnect
Operating system deployment
Manual operating system deployment Factory-installed operating system deployment Configure host networking
Install roles and features
Change the hostname
Joining cluster nodes to an Active Directory domain
Verifying and updating firmware and software compliance
Configuring firewall settings
Network integration overview Switchless Architecture Additional guidance for all configurations Deploying and Configuring a Host Cluster Persistent Memory for Windows Server HCI Day 1 operations Managing and monitoring clusters with Windows Admin Center Dell OpenManage Integration with Windows Admin Center Updates and maintenance Secure connect gateway

Cabling instructions

Home > Integrated Products > Microsoft HCI Solutions from Dell Technologies > Guides 22H2 and earlier > E2E Deployment and Operations Guide with Switchless Networking (Windows) > Cabling instructions

Cabling instructions

  • Follow these cabling best practices when deploying a full mesh switchless interconnect. The Dell factory populates PCIe network adapters consistently, but the slot enumeration sequence depends on platform and riser configuration. PCIe slot identification is labeled on the chassis, and Port 1 and Port 2 are physically labeled on the PCIe NIC adapter bracket.

    Note: PCIe riser orientation may change the port orientation on each network adapter. Therefore, some network adapters may have a physically reversed orientation depending on which PCIe slot the network adapter is installed. Be certain to check the orientation of Port 1 and Port 2 on each network adapter, as shown in the following figure.

    Figure 2. Port orientation
    Image showing PCIe slots

    Use the following procedure when cabling the switchless storage cluster nodes for single-link or dual-link full mesh storage interconnect:

    1. Starting with Node 1, cable the PCIe network adapter in the lowest slot number (Port 1) to the same adapter slot (Port 1) on Node 2.
    2. Continue cabling a single-link on Node 1 to every other cluster node. Cable the adapter ports on Node 1 in ascending order (for example, Slot 3 Port 1, Slot 3 Port 2, Slot 4 Port 1) to the adapter in the lowest slot that is in the lowest port of each incremental cluster node or nodes.
    3. For Node 2, cable the next available adapter port to the next available adapter port on Node 3.
    4. For a dual-link full mesh interconnect, repeat steps 2 to 3 beginning with the next available adapter port on each cluster node.
    5. Apply labels to each end of each cable with rack unit (RackU), slot, and port identification to ensure that the cables are correctly connected in case a server chassis needs to be uncabled.
      The figures in the next sections illustrate the AX-740xd platform to display the networks required for storage network traffic. Different platforms and riser configurations use different PCIe slots and orientations. However, the cabling guidance remains consistent with the best practices that are listed above.