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 How to Create a Windows Server 2008...
Exchange 2007
How to Create a Windows Server 2008 Failover Cluster for Cluster Continuous Replication

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Topic Last Modified: 2008-02-19

This topic explains how to create a new failover cluster in Windows Server 2008 for a Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) clustered mailbox server by using Cluster.exe or by using the Failover Cluster Management tool. When creating a new failover cluster for use by a clustered mailbox server, you must provide all initial cluster configuration information. This topic provides detailed steps about how to create a new failover cluster in Windows Server 2008 and add a second node to the new cluster.

Before you can create a failover cluster, the Failover Clustering feature must be installed on both nodes. For detailed steps to install the Failover Clustering feature and other prerequisites, see How to Install Exchange 2007 SP1 Prerequisites on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista.

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

To perform this procedure, the account you use must be delegated membership in the local Administrators group for the target server. For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Exchange 2007, see Permission Considerations.

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

    cluster /cluster:<ClusterName> /create /nodes:"<NodeName> <NodeName>" /ipaddress:<ClusterIPAddress>/SubnetMask

    For example, to create a new single-subnet failover cluster called EXCLUSTER with NODE1 and NODE2 as the nodes and a cluster IP address of 192.168.100.25, enter the following command.

    cluster /cluster:EXCLUSTER /create /nodes:"NODE1 NODE2" /ipaddress:192.168.100.25/255.255.255.0

    To create a new two-subnet failover cluster called EXCLUSTER with NODE1 and NODE2 and cluster IP addresses of 192.168.100.25 and 10.197.0.28, run the following command.

    cluster /cluster:EXCLUSTER /create /nodes:"NODE1 NODE2" /ipaddress:"192.168.100.25/255.255.255.0 10.197.0.28/255.255.252.0"

    Success or failure to create a cluster using the preceding command for a two-subnet failover cluster depends on the order of IP addresses passed to Cluster.exe. The first IP address listed in the /ipaddress option should be an IP address on the same subnet as the node on which the command is run.

    After the failover cluster has been formed and brought online, and after both nodes have been confirmed as fully functional members of the cluster, the next step is to configure the cluster networks. For detailed steps about how to do this, see How to Configure Cluster Networks for a Failover Cluster.

  1. Open the Failover Cluster Management tool.

  2. In the action pane, click Create a Cluster. The Create Cluster wizard starts.

  3. If this is the first time this wizard has been run, the Before You Begin page appears. There is an option to hide this page on subsequent uses of the wizard, so the first page to appear might instead be the Select Servers page. If the Before You Begin page is displayed, read the information on that page, and click Next to continue.

  4. On the Select Servers page, type the name of the first node in the Enter server name field, and click Add. Repeat this step for the second node. You can also use the Browse button to browse Active Directory for the computers you want to add. After both nodes have been added to the list of Selected Servers, click Next.

  5. In the Cluster Name field, type the name for the failover cluster. This is the name that you use to connect to and administer the cluster. In the Address field of the network area, type the appropriate IP addresses and subnet masks, and then click Next.

  6. The Confirmation page appears. Verify that the cluster configuration is correct, and click Next to create the cluster.

  7. After the cluster has been formed, the Summary page will appear. Click Finish to close the wizard.

    After the failover cluster is formed and brought online, and after both nodes are confirmed as fully functional members of the cluster, the next step is to configure the cluster networks. For detailed steps about how to do this, see How to Configure Cluster Networks for a Failover Cluster.

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