Installing Cluster Service On Win2k Advanced Server (Part III)

To successfully install Cluster Service, you should have a thorough understanding of certain elements. This includes: hardware, security rights, software, configuration, automated deployment, installation verification, and points of failure.

Before configuring Cluster Service to run, specific software needs to be set up. The software requirements include the following:

• Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

• Servers must be configured as members server or domain controllers
• Name resolution (DNS, WINS, or HOSTS)

Because Cluster Service runs on either Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, either platform needs to be installed on the computers that will become cluster nodes.

Once the operating system has been installed, the computers should be configured as member servers or domain controllers. Regardless of which role you choose, the cluster nodes must be members of the same domain. Keep in mind that if you choose to configure the nodes as member server within an existing domain, the availability of the nodes becomes dependent on the availability of a domain controller and the nodes become dependent on external sources for authentication. This creates a single point of failure. If you choose the make the nodes member servers, make sure there is more than one domain controller available.

Alternatively, you can configure the cluster nodes are domain controllers. This eliminates the need for the nodes to be authenticated by external sources. The cluster nodes can be configured as domain controllers in an existing domain or a separate domain. If the nodes are nodes are to be domain controllers in their own domain, make sure it is a domain in the existing forest. This allows you to take advantage of two-way transitive trust relationships.

Once the server roles and domain membership has been determined, you will also need to provide name resolution. In order for clients to locate resources on the network, including resources in a server cluster, there must be some form of name resolution. Name resolution is also used during the configuration of Cluster Service when the second node joins the cluster. The cluster nodes must be configured to use DNS, WINS, or a HOSTS file, so that names can be mapped to IP address.

To successfully install Cluster Service, you should have a thorough understanding of certain elements. This includes: hardware, security rights, software, configuration, automated deployment, installation verification, and points of failure.

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