Design your network for clusters

Before you configure your networks for clustering, you need to plan carefully and do some initial pre-cluster configuration involving TCP/IP.

It is important that you read these topics before configuring your cluster. They will tell you when or how to:

• Set up IP addresses
• Set TCP/IP configuration attributes
• Avoid a cluster partition

For information about setting up redundant communications paths and whether you need to have a dedicated network for clustering, see Dedicate a network for clusters.

• Set up IP addresses
  Because cluster resource services uses only IP to communicate with other cluster nodes, all cluster nodes must be IP-reachable.
• Set TCP/IP configuration attributes
  To enable cluster resource services, certain attribute settings are required in the TCP/IP configuration of your network.
• Tips: Cluster communications
  Consider these tips when you set up your communications paths.
• Avoid a cluster partition
  The typical network-related cluster partition can best be avoided by configuring redundant communications paths between all nodes in the cluster.
• Dedicate a network for clusters
  During normal operations, base clustering communication traffic will be minimal. It is, however, highly recommended that you have redundant communication paths configured for each node in a cluster.