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This step-by-step guide provides instructions for installing Cluster service on serversrunning the Windows
®
2000 Advanced Server and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server operating systems. The guide describes the process of installing Cluster service on cluster nodes. It is not intended to explain how to install cluster applications. Rather, it guidesyou through the process of installing a typical, two-node cluster itself.A server cluster is a group of independent servers running Cluster service and workingcollectively as a single system. Server clusters provide high-availability, scalability, andmanageability for resources and applications by grouping multiple servers runningWindows
®
2000 Advanced Server or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server.The purpose of server clusters is to preserve client access to applications and resourcesduring failures and planned outages. If one of the servers in the cluster is unavailable dueto failure or maintenance, resources and applications move to another available cluster node.For clustered systems, the term
high availability
is used rather than
 fault-tolerant 
, as faulttolerant technology offers a higher level of resilience and recovery. Fault-tolerant serverstypically use a high degree of hardware redundancy plus specialized software to providenear-instantaneous recovery from any single hardware or software fault. These solutionscost significantly more than a clustering solution because organizations must pay for redundant hardware that waits idly for a fault. Fault-tolerant servers are used for applications that support high-value, high-rate transactions such as check clearinghouses,Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), or stock exchanges.While Cluster service does not guarantee non-stop operation, it provides availabilitysufficient for most mission-critical applications. Cluster service can monitor applicationsand resources, automatically recognizing and recovering from many failure conditions.This provides greater flexibility in managing the workload within a cluster, and improvesoverall availability of the system.Cluster service benefits include:
High Availability
. With Cluster service, ownership of resources such as disk drivesand IP addresses is automatically transferred from a failed server to a surviving server.When a system or application in the cluster fails, the cluster software restarts thefailed application on a surviving server, or disperses the work from the failed node tothe remaining nodes. As a result, users experience only a momentary pause in service.
Failback
. Cluster service automatically re-balances the workload in a cluster when afailed server comes back online.
Manageability
. You can use the Cluster Administrator to manage a cluster as a singlesystem and to manage applications as if they were running on a single server. You canmove applications to different servers within the cluster by dragging and droppingcluster objects. You can move data to different servers in the same way. This can beused to manually balance server workloads and to unload servers for plannedmaintenance. You can also monitor the status of the cluster, all nodes and resourcesfrom anywhere on the network.
Scalability
. Cluster services can grow to meet rising demands. When the overall loadfor a cluster-aware application exceeds the capabilities of the cluster, additional nodes
 
can be added.
This article provides instructions for installing Cluster service on servers runningWindows 2000 Advanced Server and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. It describes the process of installing the Cluster service on cluster nodes. It is not intended to explain howto install cluster applications, but rather to guide you through the process of installing atypical, two-node cluster itself.
Checklists for Cluster ServerInstallation
This checklist assists you in preparing for installation. Step-by-step instructions beginafter the checklist.
Software Requirements
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows 2000 Datacenter Serverinstalled on all computers in the cluster.
A name resolution method such as Domain Naming System (DNS), Windows InternetNaming System (WINS), HOSTS, etc.
Terminal Server to allow remote cluster administration is recommended.
Hardware Requirements
The hardware for a Cluster service node must meet the hardware requirements forWindows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. Theserequirements can be found at theProduct Compatibility Search page.
Cluster hardware must be on the Cluster Service Hardware Compatibility List (HCL).The latest version of the Cluster Service HCL can be found by going tothe WindowsHardware Compatibility Listand then searching on
Cluster 
.
Two HCL-approved computers, each with the following:
A boot disk with Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows 2000 DatacenterServer installed. The boot disk cannot be on the shared storage bus describedbelow.
Boot disks and shared disks must be on separate SCSI channels (SCSI PathID);separate adapters (SCSI PortNumber) are not required. Thus, you can use a singlemulti-channel SCSI or Fibre Channel adapter for both boot and shared disks.
Two PCI network adapters on each machine in the cluster.
An HCL-approved external disk storage unit that connects to all computers. Thiswill be used as the clustered disk. A redundant array of independent disks (RAID)is recommended.
Storage cables to attach the shared storage device to all computers. Refer to themanufacturers’ instructions for configuring storage devices. If an SCSI bus isused, seeAppendixfor additional information.
All hardware should be identical, slot for slot, card for card, for all nodes. This willmake configuration easier and eliminate potential compatibility problems.
Network Requirements
 
A unique NetBIOS cluster name.
Five unique, static IP addresses: two for the network adapters on the private network,two for the network adapters on the public network, and one for the cluster itself.
A domain user account for Cluster service (all nodes must be members of the samedomain).
Each node should have two network adapters—one for connection to the publicnetwork and the other for the node-to-node private cluster network. If you use onlyone network adapter for both connections, your configuration is unsupported. Aseparate private network adapter is required for HCL certification.
Shared Disk Requirements:
All shared disks, including the quorum disk, must be physically attached to a sharedbus.
Verify that disks attached to the shared bus can be seen from all nodes. This can bechecked at the host adapter setup level. Please refer to the manufacturer’sdocumentation for adapter-specific instructions.
SCSI devices must be assigned unique SCSI identification numbers and properlyterminated, as per manufacturer’s instructions. SeeAppendixfor information aboutinstalling and terminating SCSI devices.
All shared disks must be configured as basic (not dynamic).
All partitions on the disks must be formatted as NTFS.
While not required, the use of fault-tolerant RAID configurations is stronglyrecommended for all disks. The key concept here is fault-tolerant raid configurations— not stripe sets without parity.
Cluster Installation
Installation Overview
During the installation process, some nodes will be shut down and some nodes will berebooted. These steps are necessary to guarantee that the data on disks that are attached tothe shared storage bus is not lost or corrupted. This can happen when multiple nodes tryto simultaneously write to the same disk that is not yet protected by the cluster software.Use Table 1 below to determine which nodes and storage devices should be powered onduring each step.The steps in this guide are for a two-node cluster. However, if you are installing a cluster with more than two nodes, you can use the
Node 2
column to determine the required stateof other nodes.
Table 1. Power Sequencing for Cluster Installation
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