Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Failover Cluster in Windows Server

Step 1: Confirm Prerequisites

Before you begin the creation of a failover cluster, ensure your systems meet the following requirements:

• Devices running an updated version of the Windows Operating System
• Two network interfaces: one for production traffic and another for cluster traffic
• An additional network interface for iSCSI traffic
• Both servers joined to an Active Directory domain
• Access to a shared storage device visible to both servers in disk management

Pro Tip: Double-check network configurations to avoid any connectivity issues during the clustering process.

Step 2: Install the Failover Clustering Feature

Once prerequisites have been verified, follow these steps to install the Failover Clustering Feature.

1. Open Server Manager and navigate to the Manage menu.
2. Select Tools > Add Roles and Features, then proceed to the Features tab.
3. Choose your destination server, select the server roles, and check the Failover Clustering box.
4. Click Install and follow any on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Alternatively, you may opt to use PowerShell. Here’s how:

1. Open PowerShell with administrative privileges.
2. Input: Install-WindowsFeature -Name Failover-Clustering -IncludeManagementTools and press Enter.
3. Restart your server to finalize the installation.

Pro Tip: Always run PowerShell commands in an elevated window to avoid permissions issues.

Step 3: Validate your Configuration

Using the Failover Cluster Manager, validate your newly installed configuration:

1. Open Server Manager and select Failover Cluster Manager under Tools.
2. In the Management section, click Validate Configuration.
3. Select your servers, then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the validation process.
4. If the validation results are positive, select the option to create the cluster now using the validated nodes and click Finish.

Pro Tip: Ensure network connectivity is stable before running the validation to achieve accurate results.

Step 4: Establish the Failover Cluster

You can create the cluster through the following steps if you skip the cluster creation option during validation:

1. Launch Server Manager and go to the Failover Cluster Manager under the Tools menu.
2. Click on Create Cluster and follow the provided prompts, repeating the validation step.
3. After the validation, enter the Access Point for Cluster Management and fill in necessary details.
4. Specify a name for your cluster in the Cluster Name Box and configure the network adapter settings.
5. Click Next and then Finish to complete the setup.

Alternatively, you can also use a PowerShell command to efficiently create your cluster with storage included:

New-Cluster -Name MyCluster -Node Node1, Node2 -StaticAddress 192.168.1.10

Pro Tip: Upon creating the cluster, inspect it under the Nodes and Storage sections in the Failover Cluster Manager for verification.

Step 5: Set up Quorum Settings

Once the cluster has been established, configure the quorum settings by accessing the cluster context menu:

1. Click on More Actions and choose Configure Cluster Quorum Settings.
2. Consider setting up a quorum witness for reliable cluster operation, selecting the path to your file share witness.
3. Complete the wizard to finalize the quorum configuration.

Pro Tip: Make sure shared storage is viable for use as a witness for effective data management.

What happens if a server fails in a failover cluster?

Can a failover cluster be created without Active Directory?