Dell Microsoft Azure Stack HCI Cluster Deployment

Screenshot below depicts the environment of a two node HCI Cluster on a switched network.  The PowerShell information below was adapted for this configuration but is still useful with modification for Clusters with more nodes and a switchless network topology.



 
Script example below and installation process is found on Pages 12 - 21 of the downloadable .PDF version "Microsoft HCI Solutions from Dell Technologies" Deployment Guide.
Script runs steps after the Cluster Nodes have had operating systems installed, added to an active directory domain, and future Cluster network has been put into place.


Configuration Items:

• Windows Feature Install: Hyper-V, Failover-Clustering, Data-Center-Bridging, BitLocker, FS-FileServer, RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell, FS-Data-Deduplication
• Driver Update Check:  Check Support Matrix
• Rename Cluster Nodes
• Cluster Test, validation
• Create S2D Cluster
• Enable Storage Spaces Direct
• Set host "Management" network priority for live migration
• Page file settings: Allow for Memory Dump space
• Configure cluster witness
• Spaces port timeout configuration

Script example below should be adapted for the environment where the HCI Cluster is being deployed.  Server names, Cluster name, cluster share name, and IP information must be modified to meet the installation environment parameters.
When copying the script text below to the intended deployment script make sure not to wrap PowerShell text.

#Windows Feature Install:

Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V, Failover-Clustering, Data-Center-Bridging, BitLocker, FS-FileServer, RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell, FS-Data-Deduplication -IncludeAllSubFeature
-IncludeManagementTools -verbose

#Retrieve list of driver versions:

Get-PnpDevice | Select-Object Name, @{l='DriverVersion';e={(Get-PnpDeviceProperty -InstanceId $_.InstanceId -KeyName 'DEVPKEY_Device_DriverVersion').Data}} -Unique |
Where-Object {($_.Name -like "*HBA*") -or ($_.Name -like "*mellanox*") -or ($_.Name -like "*Qlogic*") -or ($_.Name -like "*X710*") -or ($_.Name -like "*intel*") -or ($_.Name -like "*Broadcom*") -or ($_.Name -like "*marvell*") }

#Assign Cluster node name:

Rename-Computer -NewName CN01 -Restart

#Cluster Test

Test-Cluster -Node CN01, CN02 –Include 'Storage Spaces Direct', 'Inventory', 'Network', 'System Configuration'

#Find status of Storage Pool disks

Get-PhysicalDisk

#Creating new S2D cluster:

New-Cluster -Name S2DSystem -Node CN01, CN02 -StaticAddress 192.168.10.33 -NoStorage -IgnoreNetwork 172.16.103.0/24, 172.16.104.0/24 -Verbose

#Enabling Storage Spaces Direct:

Enable-ClusterS2D -Verbose

##Capturing results of previous commands

Get-ClusterS2D
Get-StoragePool
Get-StorageSubSystem -FriendlyName *Cluster* | Get-StorageHealthReport

#Configure host management network at lower priority for live migration:

$clusterResourceType = Get-ClusterResourceType -Name 'Virtual Machine'
$hostNetworkID = Get-ClusterNetwork | Where-Object { $_.Address -eq ‘192.168.10.0’ } |
Select-Object -ExpandProperty ID
$otherNetworkID = (Get-ClusterNetwork).Where({$_.ID -ne $hostnetworkID}).ID
$newMigrationOrder = ($otherNetworkID + $hostNetworkID) -join ';'
Set-ClusterParameter -InputObject $clusterResourceType -Name MigrationNetworkOrder -Value
$newMigrationOrder
Set-VmHost -VirtualMachine MigrationPerformanceOption SMB

#Page files settings to ensure memory dump can be captured:

$blockCacheMB = (Get-Cluster).BlockCacheSize

$blockCacheMB = (Get-Cluster).BlockCacheSize
$pageFilePath = "C:\pagefile.sys"
$initialSize = [Math]::Round(51200 + $blockCacheMB)
$maximumSize = [Math]::Round(51200 + $blockCacheMB)
$system = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_ComputerSystem -EnableAllPrivileges
if ($system.AutomaticManagedPagefile) {
$system.AutomaticManagedPagefile = $false
$system.Put()
}
$currentPageFile = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_PageFileSetting
if ($currentPageFile.Name -eq $pageFilePath)
{
$currentPageFile.InitialSize = $InitialSize
$currentPageFile.MaximumSize = $MaximumSize
$currentPageFile.Put()
}else{
$currentPageFile.Delete()
Set-WmiInstance -Class Win32_PageFileSetting -Arguments @{Name=$pageFilePath;
InitialSize = $initialSize; MaximumSize = $maximumSize}
}
#Configure cluster witness. Active Directory Cluster Name Object must be given write access on file #share before running this step:
Set-ClusterQuorum -NodeAndFileShareMajority \\VDC01\ClusterQuorum

#Disable SMB Signing; disabled by default with normal Windows Server installation

Set-SmbServerConfiguration -RequireSecuritySignature $FALSE -force

#Spaces port timeout configuration change:

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\spaceport \Parameters -Name HwTimeout -Value 0x00002710 -Verbose Restart-Computer -Force