[Linux-cluster] does fencing require a dedicated network ?

[Pierre Amadio]

Hi there !

A customer is planning to use our cluster suite (most probably with 2
nodes cluster running RHEL5 cluster suite).

The fencing mechanism will be some rsaII cards.

Right now, the rsaII cards are on a another  network than the one used
for heartbeat. The problem is, it is dedicated to an admin team wich
does not want the cluster suite solution to have access to this specific
network. The customer does not know yet if he will accept to create a
new network and put the rsaII cards (and only them) on it.

Would it be a problem as far as the cluster suite and the support
coverage is concerned if those devices were available on the same
network as the one used for heatbeat ?

I would be tempted to say yes to both, because i dont know how one node
could fence the other in case there was a communication problem between
the 2 node on the heartbeat.

The following article seems to states it can be done (even without any
quorum disk):
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/docs/DOC-16712

The article is still unverified though.

Is it ok to give the customer a green flag using a two node cluster
(without quorum disk) where heartbeat and fencing use the same network ?


-- 
Pierre Amadio <pamadio at redhat.com>            
Technical Account Manager                     mobile: +33 685 774 477
Red Hat France SARL, 1 rue du Général Leclerc, 92047 Paris La Défense
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