Windows Server: Microsoft Azure Stack HCI Cluster Deployment

The 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.

 
The script example and the installation process are found in the Microsoft HCI Solutions from Dell Technologies Deployment Guide. The script runs steps after the Cluster Nodes operating systems installed, added to an active directory domain, and a Cluster network is 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

The 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, ensure 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 the 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 the 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 that 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 Server Message Block (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