Server Requirements

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Q. How many servers can be clustered?

A. The number of servers in a Server cluster is dependent on the Windows product and the Windows release. The following table lists the server sizes:

Q. Is it necessary that the servers in a Server cluster be identical?

A. The cluster hardware compatibility test does not require that all the servers in a qualified cluster be identical. As cluster sizes increase and therefore the investment in hardware increases, it is likely that different types of servers will appear in a single cluster.

The qualification process and the listing process are being improved to allow heterogeneous solutions to be more easily defined and qualified. This is particularly important to OEMs where server families change relatively often and therefore the additional qualification passes required increases dramatically with the current process. The server itself has never been an issue during qualification, it is typically the HBA or other piece of the storage subsystem, and therefore there is no real reason to mandate exact servers in a given qualified solution.

Q. Can 32-bit servers and 64-bit servers be mixed in the same Server cluster?

A. No, a single Server cluster must contain all 32-bit servers or all 64-bit servers.

Q. Can I use any of my servers to make a Server cluster?

A. All qualified solutions appear on the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility list (HCL) (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=67738). Only cluster solutions listed on the HCL are supported by Microsoft. You can use any servers that are listed as part of a configuration to build a complete solution.