Cluster Interconnect

You do not need to configure a cluster interconnect for a single-node cluster. However, if you anticipate eventually adding nodes to a single-node cluster configuration, you might want to configure the cluster interconnect for future use.

The cluster interconnects provide the hardware pathways for private-network communication between cluster nodes. Each interconnect consists of a cable that is connected in one of the following ways:

• Between two transport adapters

• Between a transport adapter and a transport junction

• Between two transport junctions

During Sun Cluster configuration, you specify configuration information for two cluster interconnects. You can configure additional private-network connections after the cluster is established by using the scsetup(1M) utility.

For guidelines about cluster interconnect hardware, see Interconnect Requirements and Restrictions in Sun Cluster 3.0-3.1 Hardware Administration Manual for Solaris OS.For general information about the cluster interconnect, see Cluster Interconnect in Sun Cluster Overview for Solaris OS and Sun Cluster Concepts Guide for Solaris OS.

Transport Adapters

For the transport adapters, such as ports on network interfaces, specify the transport adapter names and transport type. If your configuration is a two-node cluster, you also specify whether your interconnect is direct connected (adapter to adapter) or uses a transport junction.

Consider the following guidelines and restrictions:

• IPv6 - Sun Cluster software does not support IPv6 communications over the private interconnects.

• Local MAC address assignment - All private network adapters must use network interface cards (NICs) that support local MAC address assignment. Link-local IPv6 addresses, which are required on private network adapters to support IPv6 public network addresses, are derived from the local MAC addresses.

• Tagged VLAN adapters – Sun Cluster software supports tagged Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) to share an adapter between the private interconnect and the public network. To configure a tagged VLAN adapter for the private interconnect, specify the adapter name and its VLAN ID (VID) in one of the following ways:

  • Specify the usual adapter name, which is the device name plus the instance number or physical point of attachment (PPA). For example, the name of instance 2 of a Cassini Gigabit Ethernet adapter would be ce2. If the scinstall utility asks whether the adapter is part of a shared virtual LAN, answer yes and specify the adapter's VID number.

  • Specify the adapter by its VLAN virtual device name. This name is composed of the adapter name plus the VLAN instance number. The VLAN instance number is derived from the formula (1000*V)+N, where V is the VID number and N is the PPA.

    As an example, for VID 73 on adapter ce2, the VLAN instance number would be calculated as (1000*73)+2. You would therefore specify the adapter name as ce73002 to indicate that it is part of a shared virtual LAN.

  For more information about VLAN, see Configuring VLANs in Solaris 9 9/04 Sun Hardware Platform Guide.

• SBus SCI adapters – The SBus Scalable Coherent Interface (SCI) is not supported as a cluster interconnect. However, the SCI–PCI interface is supported.

• Logical network interfaces - Logical network interfaces are reserved for use by Sun Cluster software.

See the scconf_trans_adap_*(1M) family of man pages for information about a specific transport adapter.

Transport Junctions

If you use transport junctions, such as a network switch, specify a transport junction name for each interconnect. You can use the default name switchN, where N is a number that is automatically assigned during configuration, or create another name. The exception is the Sun Fire Link adapter, which requires the junction name sw-rsm N. The scinstall utility automatically uses this junction name after you specify a Sun Fire Link adapter (wrsmN).

Also specify the junction port name or accept the default name. The default port name is the same as the internal node ID number of the node that hosts the adapter end of the cable. However, you cannot use the default port name for certain adapter types, such as SCI-PCI.

Clusters with three or more nodes must use transport junctions. Direct connection between cluster nodes is supported only for two-node clusters.

If your two-node cluster is direct connected, you can still specify a transport junction for the interconnect.

If you specify a transport junction, you can more easily add another node to the cluster in the future.