Setting up hardware consists of connecting cluster nodes to other hardware required to run a Red Hat Cluster. The amount and type of hardware varies according to the purpose and availability requirements of the cluster. Typically, an enterprise-level cluster requires the following type of hardware (refer to Figure 1.1, “Red Hat Cluster Hardware Overview”). For considerations about hardware and other cluster configuration concerns, refer to Section 1.5, “Configuration Considerations” or check with an authorized Red Hat representative.
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Cluster nodes — Computers that are capable of running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 software, with at least 1GB of RAM.
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Ethernet switch or hub for public network — This is required for client access to the cluster.
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Ethernet switch or hub for private network — This is required for communication among the cluster nodes and other cluster hardware such as network power switches and Fibre Channel switches.
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Network power switch — A network power switch is recommended to perform fencing in an enterprise-level cluster.
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Fibre Channel switch — A Fibre Channel switch provides access to Fibre Channel storage. Other options are available for storage according to the type of storage interface; for example, iSCSI or GNBD. A Fibre Channel switch can be configured to perform fencing.
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Storage — Some type of storage is required for a cluster. The type required depends on the purpose of the cluster.
