What to consider when planning a cluster relocation

Moving an EMC Isilon cluster to a new location, whether it’s in your current building or several miles away, can be complicated. If you’re considering a physical move of your cluster, contact your Isilon account representative to have EMC Professional Services help you with the entire process, from planning to reinstalling your cluster at the new location.

This article highlights three important factors to consider before planning your move.

TimeframeMoving

An EMC Project Manager will be assigned to manage your cluster relocation project. Once the project is underway, it’s recommended that you allow at least a four-week window in which to plan and perform your move. Four weeks before the move, you should work with your Project Manager to confirm moving dates, document the serial numbers of all nodes and InfiniBand switches, and determine the shipping packing materials that you might need.

If you want to make configuration changes to the cluster or use new IP addresses at the new location, start planning for how you want the cluster to be reconfigured. An EMC Solutions Architect can assist with this discussion about planning a cluster relocation, and gather the necessary information. Two weeks before the move, you should perform a cluster maintenance check and back up your data. After the move is complete, EMC engineers to reinstall and validate your cluster you should factor in time for.

Site preparation

To help plan for the cluster relocation, read the Isilon Site Preparation and Planning Guide, available through the EMC Online Support site. This guide will help you prepare the destination site for the cluster, and provides guidelines about the following site requirements:

  • Power
  • Square footage
  • Level floors
  • Temperature and humidity
  • Network capacity
  • Cabling
  • IP addresses and cluster configuration
  • Rack space

If you have the original Isilon shipping boxes, they can be used for the cluster relocation. Otherwise, two weeks before the move, your account representative will order Isilon-approved shipping boxes for the move. At this time, you should confirm that the new location will be ready to accept the cluster shipment and has the space and infrastructure necessary for unpacking and reinstalling your cluster.

Data backup and cluster health validation

It is critical to back up your data to a secure location before the move. It is also important to validate your cluster’s health to address any issues before the move. You can open a Service Request (SR) for EMC Isilon Technical Support to review your logs and validate your cluster’s health before the move. Alternatively, a Solutions Architect or Project Manager can assist you with opening the SR.

Both of these steps should be done during a two-week maintenance window preceding the move.

For more information

Professional Services has the expertise to ensure that your cluster move goes as smoothly as possible. If you have questions about the EMC Isilon Cluster Relocation service, please contact your Isilon account representative.

About the Author: Kirsten Gantenbein