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Dell VxRail Network Planning Guide
Introduction Planning Your Data Center Network for VxRail VxRail Cluster Types
Introduction
Cluster with vSAN storage
Dynamic cluster
vSAN stretched cluster
2-Node cluster
Satellite nodes
VxRail Feature-Driven Decision Points VxRail Hardware and Switch Selection Decision Points Prepare the Data Center for VxRail Implementation Planning the VxRail Cluster Implementation Planning for VxRail Satellite Nodes Configure the Network for VxRail Configure the Network for VxRail VxRail Network Considerations After Implementation VxRail Network Configuration Table VxRail Passwords VxRail Cluster Setup Checklist VxRail Open Ports Requirements Virtual Distributed Switch Port Group Default Settings Physical Network Switch Examples

2-Node cluster

2-Node cluster

  • VxRail supports a solution for small-scale deployments with reduced workload and availability requirements, such as those in a remote office setting. The solution is fixed to two VxRail nodes only, and like the stretched cluster solution, requires a witness for monitoring purposes.

    If you plan to deploy two-node VxRail clusters, note the following:

    • The minimum VxRail software version for the 2-Node cluster is 4.7.100.
    • The deployment is limited to a pair of VxRail nodes.
    • Verify that your workload requirements do not exceed the resource capacity of this small-scale solution.
    • You cannot expand to three or more nodes unless the cluster is running version 7.0.130 or later.
    • Only one top-of-rack switch is required.
    • Four Ethernet ports per node are required. Supported profiles:
    • Two 1 Gb and two 10 Gb
    • Four 10 Gb
    • Two 25 Gb
    • Two network topologies are supported for intercluster VxRail traffic:
    • All four network ports connect to the top-of-rack switch.
    • A pair of network cables connect to create two links between the physical nodes, and the other two network ports connect to the top-of-rack switch.
    • A customer-supplied external vCenter is required. The customer-supplied external vCenter cannot reside on the 2-Node cluster.
    • The Witness is a small virtual appliance that monitors the health of the 2-Node cluster. A Witness is required for the 2-Node cluster.
    • An ESXi instance is required at the Witness site.
    • Up to 64 2-Node clusters can share a witness, provided the VxRail version is 7.0.100 or later. There is a 1:1 ratio of Witness per 2-Node cluster for previous versions.
    • Witness can be deployed at the same site as the data nodes but not on the 2-Node cluster.
    • For instances where there are more than one 2-Node clusters deployed at the site, the Witness can reside on a 2-Node cluster it is not monitoring. This configuration requires a VMware RPQ.
    • The top-of-rack switch must be able to connect over the network with the Witness site.

    DiagramDescription automatically generated

    Figure 20.    2-Node cluster topology with direct connections between nodes

    Like the vSAN stretched cluster feature, the small-scale solution has strict networking guidelines, specifically for the WAN, that must be adhered to for the solution to work. For more information about the planning and preparation for a deployment of a 2-Node VxRail cluster, see the Dell vSAN 2-Node Cluster Planning and Preparation Guide.