Building a Hyper-V Cluster – Building The Hyper-V Cluster – Part 4/5

In this video we validate our cluster node configuration and then create the cluster. Once the cluster is formed, we update the names of various cluster components to match their function. Finally we set up a CSV on the cluster.

In Server 2012R2 the cluster validation well help to ensure that the nodes in the cluster are configured identically and correctly. By passing the cluster validation and using hardware certified for 2012R2, we are ensuring our cluster will be in a supported configuration.

When we form the cluster we only need two items, the name and IP of the cluster. The name we specify will be used to create a computer account in active directory. If the using running the new-cluster command does not have rights to create computer accounts in AD the account may be prestaged. If this is done, the account should be disabled and the user should have full permission on the account.

PowerShell Command

Test-Cluster -node 2k12r2-node1,2k12r2-node2
New-Cluster -Name HVC1 -node 2k12r2-node1,2k12r2-node2 -staticAddress 192.168.0.100

#Update Cluster Network Names to Match Function
(Get-ClusterNetwork| ?{$_.Address -eq "192.168.1.0"}).name = "Managment"
(Get-ClusterNetwork| ?{$_.Address -eq "10.0.1.0"}).name = "iSCSI"
(Get-ClusterNetwork| ?{$_.Address -eq "10.0.2.0"}).name = "Cluster1"
(Get-ClusterNetwork| ?{$_.Address -eq "10.0.3.0"}).name = "Cluster2"

#Update Cluster Disk Names to Match Function
(Get-ClusterGroup -Name "Cluster group"| Get-ClusterResource |?{$_.ResourceType -eq "Physical Disk"}).name = "Witness"
(Get-ClusterGroup "available storage"| Get-ClusterResource).name = "CSV1"

#Configure the CSV
Get-ClusterResource -Name "CSV1"| Add-ClusterSharedVolume
Rename-Item -name C:\ClusterStorage\Volume1 -NewName C:\ClusterStorage\CSV1

Cluster Network Roles

In our example we did not need to change anything other than the cluster network’s name. This is because the excellent work the Windows Failover Clustering team has done on the cluster creation wizard. Automatically each cluster network will be configured with the correct cluster role and metric. These setting can be used to fine tune cluster network behavior, but in most cases are best left in default configuration.
We can use Get-ClusterNetwork to inspect the values for role and metric:
PS C:\> Get-ClusterNetwork -Cluster HVC0 | Format-Table Name, role, Metric, AutoMetric -AutoSize
Name Role Metric AutoMetric
—- —- —— ———-
Cluster1 1 30384 True
Cluster2 1 39841 True
iSCSI 0 79842 True
Management 3 79841 True

We will connect to the cluster network name using the role 3 network. The cluster networks are role 1 and will be used for cluster communications. iSCSI communication was detected on the storage network so it was created as a role 1 network, blocked for use by the cluster.

We will do a deep dive on cluster networks in another video.

Check out the other post in this series!