Use the following guidelines to ensure a successful clustered environment.
After the appliance is initially configured, you should lock the management interfaces, which makes them private network interfaces, to enable administration via either controller over the network (BUI or CLI) regardless of the cluster state. If interfaces are not locked and cluster takeover occurs,there is no way to access diagnostic information on the failed controller because interfaces are taken over by the other controller. A locked interface displays a lock icon next to its name in the BUI Configuration > Cluster screen. To lock interfaces, in the BUI, navigate to Configuration > Cluster. In the Resource list, choose the management interface for the controller and set it to a private, locked interface by clicking the unlock icon. The interface then displays a lock icon next to its name in the Resource list.
Important: If routes are needed, create a route on each interface that is assigned to a controller.
Each storage pool can be taken over, along with the network interfaces clients use to reach that storage pool, by the cluster peer when takeover occurs.
If you create two storage pools, each controller normally provides access to the pool assigned to it. If one of the controllers fails, the other controller provides clients with access to both pools.
If you create a single pool, the controller that is not assigned a pool provides service to clients only when its peer has failed.
Storage pools are assigned to controllers at the time of creation; the Storage configuration screen offers the option of creating a pool assigned to each controller independently.
If you create two pools, they do not have to be the same size. Any subdivision of storage is permitted.
After completing basic configuration, you can assign resources to each controller. Typically, you assign only network interfaces because storage pools are automatically assigned during the storage configuration step.
For more information, especially clustering considerations, see the Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance Administration Guide for the latest software release at http://docs.oracle.com/en/storage/.