Cluster / SQL 2005 / SAN storage

Hi...I got some basic questions in regards to setup a lab environment
with two nodes cluster over Windows ent 2003, ent SQL 2005 and SAN
storage.
1) Would the following hardware be enough: SAN storage, fiber channel
switch, two intel servers, 4 HBA (2 for each servers) ?
2) what is the difference betwen fiber channel switch and fiber
channel routing?
3) what is different between fiber channel and iSCSI?
4) what is the zoning?
5) what is the steps to install the cluster windows server?
6) what is the steps to configure the SQL2005? do I need to install
SQL twice in each node, or I just need to install once in the vitual
server?
7) what is the draft diagram?
8) what is the private network, public network for SAN?
Thanks,
Yve

> 1) Would the following hardware be enough: SAN storage, fiber channel
> switch, two intel servers, 4 HBA (2 for each servers) ?
Best practice would be to have two FC switches to create two fabrics for
redundancy. Also as you mention 2 HBA's per node, you probably want "Multi
path software", contact your storage vendor to get more information.

> 2) what is the difference betwen fiber channel switch and fiber
> channel routing?
Switching is done within a fabric. In VERY large installations, routing
might be needed to "route" between various fabrics, most installations, even
with multiple fabrics, you would find switches only. If you only build a
cluster in a lab, you would not need routing.

> 3) what is different between fiber channel and iSCSI?
iSCSI runs over IP protocol, iSCSI is deemed to be more cost efficient,
however when building a SAN there are many questions on cost, speed,
performance, interoperability and reliability (.. .and so on).

> 4) what is the zoning?
In a Fibre Channel Fabric, Zoning determines which HBA can talk to which
port on the Storage.
(e.g. HBA-1 from Server-2 can communicate to Port-X on Storage-A) this
allows multiple Servers and multiple Storage units to be connected to a
Fabric, without "conflicting" traffic on your SAN)

> 5) what is the steps to install the cluster windows server?
Have a read of this first:
- http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/technologies/genclust.mspx
A good collection of cluster related articles can be found here:
- http://www.nw-america.com/

> 6) what is the steps to configure the SQL2005? do I need to install
> SQL twice in each node, or I just need to install once in the vitual
> server?
Have a read about this in the online books

> 7) what is the draft diagram?
I leave this to SQL guys to answer

> 8) what is the private network, public network for SAN?
- private network is the IP network between the Cluster Nodes for cluster
(only) communications
- public network is the IP network both nodes are connected to, and which
will be used for users to connect to your clustered SQL databases
- private/public networks have nothing to do with SAN, SAN is the network
(FC or iSCSI) which connects your nodes to the shared storage.

> Thanks,
> Yve
>
Hope this helps,
Rgds,
Edwin.