Dell Broadcom NetXtreme Family of Adapters User Manual page 157

Teaming and Network Backup
Teaming and Clustering
Microsoft Cluster Software
High-Performance Computing Cluster
Microsoft Cluster Software
Dell Server cluster solutions integrate Microsoft Cluster Services (MSCS) with PowerVault SCSI or Dell/EMC Fibre-Channel
based storage, Dell servers, storage adapters, storage switches and network adapters to provide high-availability (HA)
solutions. HA clustering supports all adapters qualified on a supported Dell server.
If you are using Windows Server 2003, MSCS clusters support up to eight nodes. In each cluster node, it is strongly
recommended that customers install at least two network adapters (on-board adapters are acceptable). These interfaces serve
two purposes. One adapter is used exclusively for intra-cluster heartbeat communications. This is referred to as the private
adapter and usually resides on a separate private subnetwork. The other adapter is used for client communications and is
referred to as the public adapter.
Multiple adapters may be used for each of these purposes: private, intracluster communications and public, external client
communications. All Broadcom teaming modes are supported with Microsoft Cluster Software for the public adapter only.
Private network adapter teaming is not supported. Microsoft indicates that the use of teaming on the private interconnect of a
server cluster is not supported because of delays that could possibly occur in the transmission and receipt of heartbeat
packets between the nodes. For best results, when you want redundancy for the private interconnect, disable teaming and
use the available ports to form a second private interconnect. This achieves the same end result and provides dual, robust
communication paths for the nodes to communicate over.
For teaming in a clustered environment, customers are recommended to use the same brand of adapters.
Figure 7 shows a 2-node Fibre-Channel cluster with three network interfaces per cluster node: one private and two public. On
each node, the two public adapters are teamed, and the private adapter is not. Teaming is supported across the same switch
or across two switches. Figure 8
Figure 7. Clustering With Teaming Across One Switch
shows the same 2-node Fibre-Channel cluster in this configuration.