Clusters

9 posts

Veeam Error: Hyper-V 2012 R2: Writer ‘Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer’ is failed at ‘VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_SNAPSHOT’

This one was like finding a needle in the haystack as the Veeam forums had no mention of the actual fix for the following error: Failed to create snapshot (Microsoft CSV Shadow Copy Provider) (mode: Hyper-V child partition snapshot) Details: Writer ‘Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer’ is failed at ‘VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_SNAPSHOT’. The […]

Cluster, Server, and Client Must Do for Troubleshooting: Enable Windows Firewall Logging

When we set up a greenfield Active Directory Forest and Domain we do the following in Group Policy: New Group Policy Object (GPO) Linked & Enforced at the domain Level: Default Domain Security Policy Enable Remote Desktop Inbound: Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Enable the Windows […]

Cluster Finesse – Rename Those Cluster Shared Volume Folders

We’re in a pickle and things are really stressful. Documentation is lacking so who wants to jump into a cluster troubleshooting situation when all we see is: C:\ClusterStorage\Volume1 C:\ClusterStorage\Volume2 ETC ETC In a busy cluster environment the number of CSV folders can be quite large. What we do is once […]

Azure Stack HCI/Storage Spaces Direct: Optimal Network Configuration

There are many ways one can go about setting up the networking for an Azure Stack HCI (ASHCI)/Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) cluster. TL;DR Our rule of thumb is to start with four 25GbE ports via two network adapters for multiple nodes requiring switches or even in smaller […]

Lessons Learned: Rack Enclosures: PDUs, PDU Cables, and Cable Ties

This is what one of our Proof-of-Concept (PoC) rack enclosures looked like before we were finished buttoning things up: Four Node Storage Spaces Direct Cluster with Mellanox 40GbE RoCE Fabric In the end, we did a decent job of wrapping and coiling the massive 40GbE cables and the 250V PDU […]

Azure Cloud Witness: Azure Advisor Security Warning for HTTP Storage Connections?

We’ve taken to deploying a Cloud Witness for almost all of our Windows Server based clusters whether Hyper-V, Storage Spaces Direct (S2D), or Scale-Out File Server. When logging on to the Azure Portal this morning we were prompted to check out a number of different areas by the Azure Advisor. […]

AMD’s Game Changer: EPYC Rome and S2D

A conversation on the S2D Slack channel brought about a realization that we are on the cusp of one of the bigger technology shifts in the CPU industry in a very long time. Since Intel incorporated Core into their Intel Xeon line many, many years ago where we saw a […]

Disaster Preparedness: KVM/IP + USB Flash = Recovery. Here’s a Guide

One of the lessons the school of hard knocks taught us was to be ready for anything. _Anything_ One client space had such a messed up HVAC system that the return air system, which is in the suspended ceiling, didn’t work because most of the vent runs up there were […]