Understanding Cluster Validation Tests

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

With the Validate a Configuration Wizard, you can run tests to confirm that your hardware and hardware settings are compatible with failover clustering. You can run the complete set of configuration tests or a subset of the tests.

We recommend that you run the tests on your set of servers and storage devices before you configure them as a failover cluster (create a cluster from them). You can also run the tests after you create a cluster.

Note that the Failover Clustering feature must be installed on all the servers that you want to include in the tests.

Important

Microsoft supports a failover cluster solution only if the complete configuration (servers, network, and storage) can pass all tests in the Validate a Configuration wizard. In addition, all hardware components in the solution must be marked as "Certified for Windows Server 2008."

The Validate a Configuration Wizard includes four types of tests:

The report from the Validate a Configuration Wizard includes one of the following messages about each test:

  • The tested item meets requirements for a failover cluster.

  • The tested item might meet the requirements, but there is a warning about something that you should check.

  • The test item does not meet requirements.

  • The test could not be run (for example, if you are testing a single node by itself, certain tests do not run).

Additional references