Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007
Topic Last Modified: 2007-10-31

This topic explains how to create a new Windows Server 2003 failover cluster for a Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 clustered mailbox server (CMS) in a single copy cluster (SCC) by using the New Server Cluster wizard or by using Cluster.exe.

When creating a Windows Server 2003 failover cluster for use by a CMS in an SCC, you must provide all initial cluster configuration information. This topic contains two procedures:

Before You Begin

These procedures can be performed locally on the physical node or remotely; however, we recommend that you perform these procedures on the node that will be the first node in the cluster.

We recommend that you check with your hardware vendor for any specific instructions they may have for building a shared storage failover cluster using Windows Server 2003.

To perform the following procedures, the account you use must be delegated membership in the local Administrators group on the computer. For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Exchange 2007, see Permission Considerations.

Note:
We recommend using the account that will be used during the Exchange installation, if it has sufficient authority, to eliminate the potential of forgetting to change accounts after the installation is complete.

Procedure

To use the New Server Cluster wizard to create a new failover cluster

  1. Open a Command Prompt window, and run the following command:

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    cluster /create /wizard

  2. The New Server Cluster wizard appears. Verify that you have the necessary information to continue with the configuration, and then click Next.

  3. In the Domain field, select the name of the domain in which the cluster will be created. In the Cluster name field, enter a unique name for the cluster that is 15 characters or less in length, and then click Next.

    Note:
    If the Domain Access Denied page appears, it typically means that you are logged on locally with an account that is not a domain account with local administrative permissions. In this event, the wizard will prompt you to specify an account. This is not the Cluster service account. If you have the appropriate credentials, the Domain Access Denied page will not appear.

  4. On the Select Computer page, verify or type the name of the computer that you plan to use.

    Note:
    The computer name is not case-sensitive.

  5. On the Analyzing Configuration page, the wizard analyzes the domain and the node for possible hardware or software issues that can cause installation problems. Review any warnings or error messages that appear. Click Details to obtain more information about each warning or error message.

    Note:
    The bulleted list at the top of the screen evolves into a tree of status information as the analysis is completed. The tree can be expanded to view specific status. Items with a check icon can be ignored. Items with yellow triangle icons are warnings. Items with red icons are blocking errors and must be corrected.

  6. After all checks complete successfully, click Next. If there are any errors, take steps to resolve them before continuing with the installation.

  7. On the IP Address page, type the unique, valid cluster IP address, and then click Next. The wizard automatically associates the cluster IP address with the public network by using the subnet mask to select the correct network. The cluster IP address should be used for administrative purposes only and not for client connections.

  8. On the Cluster Service Account page, type the user name and password of the Cluster service account. In the Domain field, select the domain name, and then click Next. The wizard verifies the user account and password.

  9. On the Proposed Cluster Configuration page, click Quorum. Select a shared disk to host the quorum from the drop-down box. Click OK, and then click Next.

  10. On the Creating the Cluster page, review any warning or error messages that appear while the cluster is being created. Click to expand each warning or error message for more information. To continue, click Next.

  11. Click Finish to complete the cluster configuration.

To use the Add Nodes wizard to add one or more additional nodes to a failover cluster

  1. Open a Command Prompt window, and then run the following command.

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    cluster /add /wizard

  2. After the Add Nodes wizard appears, click Next.

  3. In the Domain list, click the domain where the failover cluster is located, verify the cluster name in the Cluster name box, and then click Next.

  4. In the Computer name field, type the name of the node (or nodes) that you want to add, click Add, and then click Next.

    Note:
    If you need to add multiple nodes to the cluster, we recommend that you add them all in this step. Simply include all the nodes in the list.

  5. After the Add Nodes wizard has analyzed the cluster configuration successfully, click Next.

  6. In the Password field on the Cluster Service Account page, type the password for the Cluster service account. Make sure that the correct domain for this account appears in the Domain list, and then click Next.

  7. On the Proposed Cluster Configuration page, view the configuration details to verify that the cluster IP address, networking, and quorum information are correct, and then click Next.

  8. After the failover cluster is configured successfully, click Next, and then click Finish.

    After all nodes have been added to the cluster, the cluster networks must be configured. For detailed steps about how to configure the cluster networks, see How to Configure Cluster Networking Components and Priority.

To use Cluster.exe to create a new failover cluster

  1. Open a Command Prompt window, and run the following command:.

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    Cluster /cluster:<ClusterName> /create /node:<NodeName> /ipaddress:<ClusterIPAddress> /user:<ClusterServiceAccount> /password:<ClusterServiceAccountPassword> /unattend /quorum:"DiskResourceforQuorum"

    In the preceding command, the format for the /quorum option is "Disk X:" where X is the drive letter assigned to the disk that you will use for the quorum. Do not include the brackets (<>) in the command, but be sure to include the quotation marks and the colon for the /quorum option, as shown in the following example.

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    /quorum:"Disk Q:"

  2. During cluster formation, the first detected disk with more than 500 megabytes (MB) of available free space that is NTFS formatted will be automatically added to the default Cluster Group, even if it is not the same disk that is specified with the /quorum option. Only the first detected disk that meets these two criteria will be added. Other disks will not be added even if they meet these criteria. Before proceeding with the next step, you should verify that the Cluster Group contains the correct physical disk. To determine which disk was added to the Cluster Group during cluster formation, run the following command:

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    Cluster res

    If the quorum disk is not in the Cluster Group, you can move it to the group by running the following command:

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    Cluster res "Disk X:" /move:"Cluster Group"

    where X is the drive letter for the quorum disk.

  3. After you have verified that the quorum disk is in the Cluster Group, you can add additional nodes to the cluster by running the following command:

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    Cluster <ClusterName> /add:<NodeName> /password:<ClusterServiceAccountPassword> /unattend

    To add multiple nodes in this step, separate node names with a comma, as shown in the following example:

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    /add:NodeName,NodeName

    After all nodes have been added to the cluster, the cluster networks must be configured. For detailed steps about how to configure the cluster networks, see How to Configure Cluster Networking Components and Priority.