How to Configure the Cluster Networking Components and Priority

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Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.

 

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3

This topic explains how to use Cluster Administrator or Cluster.exe to configure the cluster networking components and priority to support a Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 clustered mailbox server.

There are two procedures that you need to perform prior to installing the clustered mailbox server in the cluster:

  • Enable networks for cluster use   This procedure allows the cluster to make use of the networks to which it is attached.

  • Configure network priority order   This procedure makes sure that client connections to the cluster occur in a timely manner.

Before You Begin

You must have at least two network interfaces installed in each node. These procedures assume that only two networks are in use: a public network and a private network. If your cluster has two networks, you must configure one of them as a mixed (public) network and the other as a private network. If your cluster has more than two networks, you can configure the extra networks as needed.

Configuring cluster network priority is different from configuring the network connection order in Microsoft Windows. For detailed steps that explain how to configure the network connection order in Windows, see How to Configure Network Connections for Cluster Continuous Replication.

To perform the following procedures on a computer that is going to be configured for a clustered mailbox server, the account you use must be delegated the following:

  • Membership in the local Administrators group

For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Exchange Server 2007, see Permission Considerations.

Procedure

To use Cluster Administrator to enable networks for cluster use

  1. Open Cluster Administrator.

  2. In the console tree, double-click Cluster Configuration, and then click Networks.

  3. In the details pane, right-click the private network that you want to enable, and then click Properties.

  4. Select the Enable this network for cluster use check box. By default, all detected networks will be enabled for cluster use; therefore, it is likely that this check box will already be checked.

  5. In the This network performs the following role in the cluster field, select Internal cluster communications only (private network), and then click OK.

  6. In the details pane, right-click the public network that you want to enable, and then click Properties.

  7. Select the Enable this network for cluster use check box. By default, all detected networks will be enabled for cluster use; therefore, it is likely that this check box will already be checked.

  8. In the This network performs the following role in the cluster field, select All communications (mixed network), and then click OK.

    Note

    If you have additional networks connected to a server that you do not want to be used by the cluster, clear the Enable this network for cluster use check box for that network connection.

To use Cluster Administrator to configure cluster network priority order

  1. Open Cluster Administrator.

  2. In the console tree, right-click Cluster Name, and then click Properties.

  3. Click the Network Priority tab.

  4. In Networks used for internal cluster communications, select the private network. Increase its priority using the Move Up button until the private network is listed at the top of the priority list. Always make sure that private networks have higher priority than mixed or client-only networks.

  5. When you finish, click OK.

To use Cluster.exe to configure cluster network use

  1. Open a command prompt on the active node, and then run the following command for each private network in the failover cluster:

    Cluster <ClusterName> network "NameofPrivateNetwork" /prop Role=1

    Note

    If you have any networks that you do not want to be managed or used by the cluster, set the value for Role to 0.

  2. Verify that all private networks are configured for internal cluster communications only (private), and that all public networks are configured for all communications (mixed) by running the following commands and verifying that the role for private networks is set to 1 (0x1) and the role for public (mixed) networks is set to 3 (0x3):

    Cluster <ClusterName> network "NameofPrivateNetwork" /prop
Cluster <ClusterName> network "NameofPublicNetwork" /prop

    Repeat the above commands for each additional private and public network in the failover cluster.

To use Cluster.exe to configure cluster network priority

  • Open a command prompt on the active node and run the following command:

    Cluster <ClusterName> /setnetpri:NameofPrivateNetwork,NameofPublicNetwork

    The /setnetpri option is order-dependent. If you have multiple public or private networks, ensure that all private networks are at the top of the network priority by listing them first in the above command (for example, Priv1,Priv2,Pub1,Pub2).