In this blog, I will configure iSCSI SAN which is a feature in Windows 2012, after setting up iSCSI SAN I will create a 2 Node Failover clustering in Windows 2012 accessing the shared iSCSI SAN.
Server 2012 Failover Clustering iSCSI
Environment Details.
Server2012-DC
Ethernet0 10.0.0.20
iSCSI (Server2012)
Ethernet0 10.0.0.100
Server-1 (Node1)
Ethernet0 10.0.0.20
Ethernet1 192.168.0.10
Server-1 (Node2)
Ethernet0 10.0.0.20
Ethernet1 192.168.0.20
CLUSTER IP ADDRESS – 10.0.0.110
First, we’d like to put in and Configure target iSCSI server in Windows Server 2012 (iSCSI – Server2012)
How to install and Configure iSCSI SAN in Server 2012 Click Here
How to Add Failover Manager Feature and iSCSI virtual disk to first Node (Server-1).
1- Open Server Manage, left side select dashboard and click on ADD Roles and Features.
![server manager dashboard 2012](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-manager-dashboard-6.jpg)
2- Click Next.
![add roles and features wizard](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/add-role-and-feature-wizard-5.jpg)
3- Click Role-based or feature-based installation and then click Next.
![role based or feature based installation](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/add-role-based-or-feature-based-15.jpg)
4- Select a server from the server pool and click on next.
![server 2012 server selection](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-2012-server-selection-9.jpg)
5- Click the Application Serve role and click next.
![server roles application sever](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-roles-application-server-2.jpg)
6- Select the Failover clustering box.
![install failover clustering feature server 2012](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/install-failover-cluster-features-server-2012-4.jpg)
7- Click Add features.
![server 2012 add required features](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-2012-add-features-8.jpg)
8- After enabling the failover clustering feature, click next.
![install failover clustering features](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/install-failover-cluster-features-4.jpg)
9- Application Server feature, click next.
![server roles application server 2012](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-roles-application-server-2012-2.jpg)
10- Click Next.
![server roles distributed transactions](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-roles-distributed-transaction-1.jpg)
11- Click Install.
![server 2012 confirm installation](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-2012-confirm-installation-7.jpg)
12- Successfully enable the failover cluster feature, click Close.
![server 2012 installation selections](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-2012-installation-selections-10.jpg)
Adding the Virtual Disk.
13- Open Server Manager, click Tools and Click iSCSI initiator.
![server manager dashboard 2012](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-manager-dashboard-7.jpg)
14- Type the IP address or Name of the Target iSCSI server (my iSCSI target server IP is 10.0.0.100) and click Quick Connect.
![iscsi initiator properties](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/iscsi-initiator-properties-1.jpg)
15- Click on all the inactive disks and click connect.
![iscsi initiator properties quick connect](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/iscsi-initiator-properties-quick-connect.jpg)
16- After all the disk is connected, click Done.
![iscsi initiator properties connect](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/iscsi-initiator-properties-connect.jpg)
17- Click OK.
![iscsi initiator properties discovered targets](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/iscsi-initiator-properties-discovered-targets.jpg)
Adding Failover Manager Feature and iSCSI virtual disk to 2 Node (Server-2).
Follow all the steps (from 1 to 17) the same as 1 Node (Server-1).
18- After successfully added the disk and connected.
![server manager local server](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-manager-local-server.jpg)
Initializing the Disk and Formatting
Note: If you are working on a Failover cluster the following steps need to be performed only on a Single Node of the cluster.
The following steps are performed on the 1 Node (Server-1).
19- In Server Manager click Tools and click Computer Management.
![server manager tools 2012](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-manager-server-2012-1.jpg)
20- Click on Disk Management.
In Computer Management You will see 2 disk’s which we added using iSCSI initiator as Unknown and offline status.
![disk management](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-management.jpg)
21- Right-click on each disk and select Online.
![disk management online](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-management-online.jpg)
22- Right-click on disk and click Initialize Disk.
![disk management initialize disk](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-management-initialize-disk.jpg)
23- Select both the disks and click ok.
![disk to gpt or mbr](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-to-gpt-or-mbr.jpg)
24- Now both the Disk are online and Unallocated.
![disk management](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-management-1.jpg)
25- Right-click on the unallocated disk and select New Simple Volume.
![computer management disk unallocated](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/computer-management-disk-unallocated.jpg)
26- Click Next.
![new simple volume wizard](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/new-simple-volume-wizard.jpg)
27- Click Next.
![simple volume wizard size](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/simple-volume-wizard-size.jpg)
28- Assign a drive letter and click next.
![simple volume wizard drive letter](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/simple-volume-wizard-drive-letter.jpg)
29- Type a volume label and click next.
![simple volume wizard format partition](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/simple-volume-wizard-format-partition.jpg)
30- Click Finish.
![simple volume wizard finish](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/simple-volume-wizard-finish.jpg)
Follow the same steps (from 25 to 30) for the 2nd disk (QUORUM).
31- Now both the disks are online and healthy.
![disk management](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-management-2.jpg)
The next step is to log in to 2 Node (Server-2).
Open Computer Management and click Disk Management.
Note: Disks are offline and unallocated status.
32- Right-click and bring the disk online.
![disk management](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-management-3.jpg)
33- You will notice that disk are online with assigned drive letters and volume name.
![disk management](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-management-4.jpg)
34- Right-click on each disk and select offline on both the Nodes (Server-1 and Server-2)
![disk management](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-management-5.jpg)
35- Now both the disks are offline.
![disk management](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/disk-management-6.jpg)
FAILOVER Cluster MANAGER CONFIGURATION.
I am logged in on 1 Node (Server-1) with domain Administrative rights.
36- Open Server Manager > select tools and then click Failover Cluster Manager.
![server manager tools 2012 failover cluster manager](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/server-manager-server-2012-2.jpg)
37- Click Validate configuration.
![failover cluster manager 2012](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/failover-cluster-manager-2012-3.jpg)
38- Click Next.
![validation configuration wizard](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/validation-configuration-wizard-1.jpg)
39- Click the Browse button.
![validation select servers or cluster](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/validation-select-server-or-cluster-1.jpg)
40- Type node names, click check names and then click ok.
![enter the object names to select](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/enter-the-object-name-to-select-1.jpg)
41- After selecting both the servers, so click next.
![validation select servers or cluster](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/select-server-or-cluster-1.jpg)
42- Select Run all tests (Recommended) and then click next.
![failover cluster validation testing options](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cluster-validation-testing-options-1.jpg)
43- Click Next.
![failover cluster validation confirmation](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cluster-validation-confirmation-1.jpg)
Make sure all the Failover Cluster Validation testing completes with no errors.
44- leave the Checkbox selected to create the cluster now using the validated nodes and then click Finish it will start the cluster creation wizard.
![failover cluster validation summary](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cluster-validation-summary-1.jpg)
45- Click Next.
![create failover cluster wizard](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/create-cluster-wizard.jpg)
46- Click the Browse button.
![create failover cluster wizard select servers](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/create-cluster-wizard-select-servers.jpg)
47- Type server names, click check names and then click ok.
![enter the object names to select](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/enter-the-object-name-to-select-2.jpg)
48- Type a Cluster Name and IP address and then click next.
![access point for administering the failover cluster](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/access-point-for-administering-the-cluster-1.jpg)
49- Leave the Checkbox to add all storage to Cluster and then click next.
![create failover cluster wizard confirmation](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/create-cluster-wizard-confirmation-1.jpg)
50- Default Running Process.
![create failover cluster wizard creating](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/create-cluster-wizard-creating.jpg)
51- Failover cluster Successfully completed, so click Close.
![create failover cluster wizard summary](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/create-cluster-wizard-summary-1.jpg)
Quorum Settings.
52- When creating a cluster, depending on the number of Nodes it automatically picks the correct quorum settings and then disk.
![failover cluster manager](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2012-failover-cluster-manager.jpg)
53- If you need to change settings, right-click cluster, more action select configure cluster quorum settings.
![failover cluster manager](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/failover-cluster-manager.jpg)
We have successfully created the Failover Cluster, let’s test the Failover.
54- Active Node (Server-1) before Failover.
![failover cluster manager](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/failover-cluster-manager-2012-4.jpg)
55- Active Node (Server-2) after Failover.
We have successfully tested the Failover Cluster in Windows Server 2012.
![failover cluster manager](https://xpertstec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/failover-cluster-manager-server-2012.jpg)
For more details click here