How to configure and Manage the Quorum in Failover Clustering

disk and share quorum members (configuring failover clustering)

This blog, we will configure a basic 2-node cluster (Share Quorum Failover Cluster Configuring), where we have two servers (SRV2019-1 and SRV2019-2) running Windows Server 2019 and a Windows Server 2019 Domain controller (SRV2019-DC). It also assumes that SRV2019-1 and SRV2019-2 will communicate with each other over two network connections; I have labeled Primary and Cluster.

Add the Failover Clustering feature on both of the servers you need to add to the cluster.

Open the Server Manager Dashboard and choose Add roles and features.

1- User the Following PowerShell command to enable failover clustering and management Toole Node1 (SRV2019-1)

Install-WindowsFeature -Name Failover-Clustering –IncludeManagementTools

enable failover cluster powershell command

Adding the Failover Clustering Feature in Node2 (SRV2019-2).

2- Open server manager, dashboard and then click Add roles and features.

server manager dashboard 2019

3- Click Next.

server 2019 add roles and features wizard

4- Select the role-based or feature-based installation option and then click on next.

add roles based or feature based

5- Select a server from the server pool on which you want to enable the failover cluster feature and then click next.

server 2019 server selection

6- Server Roles page so click next.

server roles and features

7- On the Features, page selects the Failover Clustering box.

install failover cluster features server 2019

8- Click Add feature the feature required for the Cluster.

server 2019 add feature

9- After adding Failover Clustering features so click next.

install failover cluster features

10- Click Install to start the installation.

server 2019 confirm installation

11- Failover cluster installation completed and then click Close.

server 2019 installation selection

After enabling the Failover Cluster on both servers (SRV2019-1 and SRV2019-2), on your SRV2019-1

Share Quorum Failover Cluster Validate Configuring

12- Open server manager, select tools and then select Failover Cluster Manager.

server manager 2019

13- After opening Failover Cluster Manager under the action menu click on Validate Configuration.

failover cluster manager 2019

14- Validate a Configuration Wizard open and then click next.

validation configuration wizard

15- Select Servers or Cluster options and click the Browse button.

validation select servers or cluster

16- Select the servers you want to cluster so, in my setup I selected (SRV2019-1 and SRV2019-2).

enter the object name to select

17- After selecting Servers, click on next.

validation select servers or cluster

18- Select Run all tests (recommended) and then click next.

cluster validation testing options

19- Cluster validate confirmation so click next.

cluster validation confirmation

20- Now default Running Process.

cluster validating

21- Summary options, so click View Report.

cluster validation summary

22- Click close and then click Finish.

failover cluster validation report

Failover Cluster Configuration

23- Once Validation completed, Select Create Cluster.

failover cluster manager 2019

24- Click Next.

create cluster wizard

25- Click the Browse button.

create cluster select servers 2019

26- Type both node names and click check names and then click ok.

enter the object names to select

27- After selecting nodes so click next.

create cluster select servers 2019

28- Type your cluster name in the cluster name box (XTCLUSTER) and pick an IP address that will be associated with this name in DNS. This name is to manage your cluster Once you create this access point a new computer object will be created in AD with this name and a DNS A record will be created with this name and IP address and click next.

access point for administering the cluster

29- On the confirmation screen you’ll see the name of the cluster and two nodes and IP address you chose and uncheck Add all eligible storage to the cluster and then click on next.

create cluster wizard confirmation

30- You have successfully completed the create cluster wizard, now click View Report to check out any warnings.

create cluster wizard summary

31- There may be some warnings. In my case, the warnings are probably related to the quorum configuration.

create cluster wizard view report

We have no shared storage; we’ll not be employing a Node and Disk Majority quorum as suggested. Instead, we’ll use and Node and File Share Majority quorum.

A File Share Witness (Share Quorum Failover Cluster Configuring) must be configured on a server that’s not a part of the cluster. A file share witness may be a basic file share that the cluster computer name (XTCLUSTER in my step) has read/write access. I’m getting to create a file share on my SRV2019-DC and provides XTCLUSTER read/write access thereto.

Share Disk Configuration

32- Open server manager in SRV2019-DC, Left side select file and storage services and select shares under volume click tasks and then click New Share.

file and storage sevices

33- Select share profile (SMB share quick) and then click next.

smb share quick

34- Share Location, select by volume and then click Next.

smb share location select volume

35- Type a share name, share descriptions and then click next.

smb file share specify share name

36- Under other settings, uncheck Allow caching of share and click Next.

smb file configure share settings

37- In Permissions options select customize permissions.

smb file share customize permissions

38- Advanced Security Settings for FSW, click Add button.

advanced security settings

39- Click on select a principal.

permission enter for share

40- Select Object Types.

enter the object name or select

41- Check Computers under object types and click next.

enter the object name type

42- Type your cluster name in my case (XTCLUSTER) click check names and click ok.

enter the object name to

43- Under Basic permissions, check Modify box and click ok.

permission entry basic

44- Select the Share tab and click the Add button.

advanced security settings

45- Click Select a principal.

permission entry basic

46- Select Object Types.

enter the object name to

47- Check the computers box and click ok.

enter the object name types

48- Type your Cluster name, click check names and click ok.

enter the object name to

49- Under Permissions, check change and click ok

permission entry for share

50- Click Apply and click ok.

advanced security settings share

51- Click Next.

specify permissions to control access

52- Read the confirmation summary and click Create.

smb file share confirmation

53- The share was successfully created, click Close.

smb share successfully created

54- Now the file share created on SRV2019-DC, Go back to your SRV2019-1 right-click XTCLUSTER.xpertstec.local and Select More Actions and select configure cluster quorum settings.

Configure Cluster Quorum Settings

failover cluster manager 2019

55- Configure Cluster Quorum Wizard windows will pop up, click next.

configure cluster quorum wizard

56- Select the quorum witness option and click on next.

configure cluster quorum witness

57- Select configure a file share witness options and click on next.

select quorum witness

58- Click the Browse button.

quorum file share witness

59- Type FWS name and click the Browse button.

quorum browse for file share

60- Type quorum shared server name, click check names, click ok and ok again.

enter the object name to

61- Click Next.

configure fileover cluster quorum

62- Click Next.

configure failover cluster quorum settings

63- Review the cluster summary and click Finish.

configure cluster quorum summary

64- Now Current Host Server Node1 is SRV2019-1.

failover cluster manager

65- After testing Current Host Server Node2 is SRV2019-2.

failover cluster manager 2019

For more details click here

Comments

4 responses to “How to configure and Manage the Quorum in Failover Clustering”

  1. oprolevorter Avatar

    Very interesting subject , regards for putting up.

    1. Jamil Parvez Avatar

      Operolevorter
      Thanks a lot

  2. oprolevorter Avatar

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    1. Jamil Parvez Avatar

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