Step 7: Configure the Head Node on the First Server

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Applies To: Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

Now that you have installed HPC Pack 2008 R2 on a server in the failover cluster, you must specify the network configuration and other settings on that server. This section describes how to specify these settings.

Configure the head node on the first server

HPC Cluster Manager starts with a view of the To-do List, which is described in detail in the Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 Design and Deployment Guide in Step 3: Configure the Head Node (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=198319). When Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 is running on a failover cluster, there are a few differences in the To-do List, which are outlined in this topic.

Run the HPC Pack Network Configuration Wizard

The first step in the To-do List is to run the Network Configuration Wizard, which defines the physical network topology for the cluster and configures network services such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Routing and Remote Access service (RRAS), and the firewall. In the context of a failover cluster, the Network Configuration Wizard needs to be run only once. The items in the following list summarize the changes to each part of the Network Configuration Wizard when it is run in the context of a failover cluster.

  • Identifying physical networks: The Network Configuration Wizard prompts you to identity which networks will be the Enterprise, Application, and Private networks. You identify each network from a list of network adapters that were discovered on the head node. After the networks are identified, they do not need to be redefined for the other server in the failover cluster. In fact, if you run the Network Configuration Wizard on the other server in the failover cluster (not required), the network adapters on the server that is currently acting as the head node will still be used to identify the network.

  • Configuring DHCP: In the context of a failover cluster, some of the options usually offered by the Network Configuration Wizard in HPC Pack 2008 R2 are disabled. This is because the failover cluster requires the IP address configuration to be defined before the HPC cluster is installed and configured.

    If you are using the configuration that is recommended in this guide (which does not include creating a clustered instance of DHCP in the failover cluster), you can enter network settings, and the wizard will configure DHCP services on both servers in the failover cluster. When the wizard configures DHCP services, it uses exclusions to allocate one half of the scope to each service.

    However, if the wizard detects that the failover cluster has a clustered instance of DHCP (not recommended), the wizard does not allow DHCP settings to be changed within the wizard. The DHCP, Domain Name System (DNS), and Gateway settings are displayed, but they cannot be changed.

  • Enabling network address translation: Several of the cluster topologies isolate the compute nodes from the public network, and all traffic to and from the public network passes through the head node. If you use one of these topologies, during Setup for HPC Pack 2008 R2, the Network Configuration Wizard enables network address translation (NAT) while configuring the head node, unless you have another server on the private or MPI networks that provide NAT or DHCP services.

    Enabling NAT on the head node enables the compute nodes to access resources on the public network. In the context of a failover cluster, NAT works correctly regardless of which server in the failover cluster is functioning as the head node at any given time. If you choose a cluster topology that connects the public network to each compute node, NAT on the head node is not required.

  • Configuring the firewall: The firewall configuration is the same in the context of a failover cluster as it is on a single server. It is summarized here for completeness. When you configure the networks on the head node, the firewall is enabled or disabled for each of the networks in the topology. When you configure the firewall, you have several options:

    • Accept the default firewall configuration for Windows HPC Server 2008 R2: ON for the public network and OFF for the private network.

    • Leave the current firewall settings unchanged if the firewall settings are configured or controlled externally (for instance, by applied Group Policy settings).

    • Configure the firewall for each of the cluster networks to meet your security and policy requirements.

    By default, ports are open for all Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 head node services. If you have applications that require access to the cluster on certain ports, you must open those ports in the firewall.

    Enabling a firewall might adversely impact the performance of IP over InfiniBand, but it will have minimal impact on performance when Winsock Direct or NetworkDirect is enabled because enabling the firewall has no effect on remote direct memory access (RDMA) packets.

Configure the cluster networking topology and specify HPC users

Use the following procedure to help you perform the Configure your network task and begin the other tasks in the To-do List.

To configure the cluster networking topology and specify HPC users

  1. In HPC Cluster Manager, in the To-do List, click Configure your network.

  2. From the wizard navigation pane, select Network Topology Selection if it is not already selected. As described in “Network infrastructure requirements” in Requirements for Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 in Failover Clusters, you should have already decided on one of the network topologies before setting up Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 in the context of a failover cluster. The physical networks that you used to connect the HPC cluster nodes must match the configuration you select. If they do not, a warning will display, and the wizard will not continue the installation process until you choose a topology that is compatible with the physical networks of your cluster. After choosing a topology, click Next.

  3. On the Enterprise Network Adapter Selection page, for Network adapter, select the network adapter that you want to bind to the public network.

  4. On the Private Network Adapter Selection page (if shown), for Network adapter, select the network adapter that you want to bind to the private network.

  5. On the Private Network Configuration page, the following settings are displayed, although some of them cannot be changed:

    • The static IP address for the head node on the private network is displayed, but it cannot be changed.

    • If you are using the configuration that is recommended in this guide (which does not include creating a clustered instance of DHCP in the failover cluster), the wizard offers defaults for these settings and allows you to change them. The first address after the address that is used by the head node is the starting address of the DHCP scope. The wizard will create exclusions for the DHCP scope so that DHCP on each server in the failover cluster will control half of the scope.

      However, if the wizard detects that the failover cluster has a clustered instance of DHCP (not recommended) the wizard does not allow DHCP settings to be changed within the wizard. In addition, the DNS and Gateway settings are displayed, but they cannot be changed.

    • The NAT configurations that are suggested by the Network Configuration Wizard can be changed or accepted.

    After you configure the settings, click Next.

  6. On the Application Network Adapter Selection page (if shown), for Network adapter, select the network adapter that you want to bind to the application network.

  7. On the Application Network Configuration page (if shown), either accept the DHCP and NAT configurations that are suggested by the Network Configuration Wizard, or change the settings. Then click Next.

  8. On the Firewall Setup page, choose whether to automatically apply firewall settings to one or more networks. (We recommend choosing this option and applying firewall settings to at least the enterprise network.) Alternatively, select Do not manage firewall settings.

  9. When the Review page appears, verify all settings.

    1. If you are satisfied with the values that you have entered, click Configure.

    2. If you want to change any setting, in the left pane, select the corresponding wizard page. Configure the settings, return to the Review page, and then click Configure to apply your settings.

  10. The Configuration Summary page displays a summary of the configuration values that you have entered. Click Finish to close the wizard.

  11. Complete the remaining required tasks in the To-do List. For more information about the To-do List, see the Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 Design and Deployment Guide, especially Step 3: Configure the Head Node (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=198319).

  12. In the To-do List, under Optional deployment tasks, click Add or remove users.

  13. Use the Select Users or Groups dialog box to select or specify the domain group of HPC users that was created earlier in Active Directory.

    Important

    In HPC Cluster Manager, when you specifically add accounts to the lists of administrators and users for the HPC cluster, add only domain group accounts, not individual user accounts. Any account that you add will become a permanent member of the HPC cluster role (User or Administrator) that you add it to. Control the membership of these roles by adding only Active Directory group accounts, and then control the membership of those groups through AD DS.

After all the required To-do List tasks are completed, all the navigation panes are accessible. In Node Management, you will see two head nodes—the head node you just configured and the second server. The second server will display as a head node in the Unknown state, because HPC Pack 2008 R2 is not yet installed on it.

HPC Cluster Manager, first server

Additional references

Step 8: Install and Configure HPC Pack 2008 R2 on the Other Server that Will Run Head Node Services