Default Behavior; Configuring The Switch For Microsoft Server Clustering - Dell Force10 S4810P Configuration Manual

High-density, 1ru 48-port 10gbe switch

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Default Behavior

When an ARP request is sent to a server cluster, either the active server or all of the servers send a reply,

depending on the cluster configuration. If the active server sends a reply , the Dell Force10 switch learns the

active server's MAC address. If all servers reply, the switch registers only the last received ARP reply, and

the switch learns one server's actual MAC address

Since the virtual MAC address is never learned, traffic is forwarded to only one server rather than the

entire cluster, and failover and balancing are not preserved

Figure 29-3. Server Clustering: Multiple ARP Replies

Microsoft Server Cluster: IP Cluster

Figure 29-4. Server Clustering: Failover and Balancing Not Preserved

Microsoft Server Cluster: IP Cluster

To preserve failover and balancing, the Dell Force10 switch must learn the cluster's virtual MAC address,

and it must forward traffic destined for the server cluster out all member ports in the VLAN connected to

the cluster. To ensure that this happens, you must configure the command

Force10 switch at the time that the Microsoft cluster is configured

29-3); the virtual MAC address is never

Source MAC: MAC S1

Destination MAC: MAC Client

Type: 0x0806

Ethernet Frame Header

Source IP: IP S1

Source MAC: MAC Cluster

vlan-flooding