Configuring VLANs as Private Interconnect Networks

Sun Cluster software supports the use of private interconnect networks over switch-based virtual local area networks (VLAN). In a switch-based VLAN environment, Sun Cluster software enables multiple clusters and nonclustered systems to share Ethernet transport junction (switch) in two different configurations.

The implementation of switch-based VLAN environments is vendor-specific. Because each switch manufacturer implements VLAN differently, the following guidelines address Sun Cluster software requirements about how to configure VLANs with cluster interconnects.

• You must understand your capacity needs before you set up a VLAN configuration. You must know the minimum bandwidth necessary for your interconnect and application traffic.

  For the best results, set the Quality of Service (QOS) level for each VLAN to accommodate basic cluster traffic plus the desired application traffic. Ensure that the bandwidth that is allocated to each VLAN extends from node to node.

  To determine the basic cluster traffic requirements, use the following equation. In this equation, n equals the number of nodes in the configuration, and s equals the number of switches per VLAN.

  n (s-1) x 10Mb

• Interconnect traffic must be placed in the highest-priority queue.

• All ports must be equally serviced, similar to a round robin or first-in, first-out model.

• You must verify that you have properly configured your VLANs to prevent path timeouts.

The first VLAN configuration enables nodes from multiple clusters to send interconnect traffic across one pair of Ethernet transport junctions. Sun Cluster software requires the use of at least two transport junctions to eliminate a single point of failure. The following figure is an example of the first VLAN configuration in a two-node cluster. VLAN configurations are not limited to two-node clusters.

Figure 3–7 First VLAN Configuration

The second VLAN configuration also uses the same transport junctions for the interconnect traffic of multiple clusters. However, the second VLAN configuration requires two pairs of transport junctions that are connected by links. This configuration enables VLANs to be supported in a campus cluster configuration with the same restrictions as other campus cluster configurations. The following figure illustrates the second VLAN configuration.

Figure 3–8 Second VLAN Configuration