Configuring Failover Clusters with Windows Storage Server 2008

Storage appliances can be configured with a wide variety of hardware, and can be used as individual servers or combined into a high-availability solution using the failover cluster functionality in Windows. Windows Storage Server 2008 clusters can host highly available file services or iSCSI block storage using the optional iSCSI Software Target.

This paper will guide you through the process of configuring the networks, domains, clustering features and includes performance recommendations for a pair of Windows Storage Server 2008 appliances hosting both a file server and/or an iSCSI target in a high availability failover cluster.

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https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=176a89cd-1250-4670-8ff0-87b1c4c711af

Table of Contents:

Failover Cluster Prerequisites
    Establish a Network Naming Convention   
    TCP/IP Network Configuration   
    Public Network   
    Storage Network   
    Heartbeat Network   
Procedures
    Prepare the Failover Cluster
    Create a Domain User Account
    Add Nodes to an Active Directory Domain
    Expose Storage to Cluster Nodes
    Install the Failover Cluster Feature
    Run Cluster Validation
    Create and Configure the Failover Cluster
    Create a Cluster
    Set Cluster Network Properties and Apply Naming Convention
Create a Highly Available File Server
    Mapping User Folders to the Highly Available File Server Share
Create a Highly Available iSCSI Target
    Configuring Windows Firewall for Microsoft iSCSI Software Target
    Installing the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target
    Create the Failover iSCSI Target Resource Group
    Create an iSCSI Target in the Microsoft iSCSI Target MMC
    Create and Configure Virtual Disks
    Connect Initiators
Microsoft iSCSI Software Target Performance Recommendations
Testing Your Failover Cluster Configuration

Happy Holidays,
Scott M. Johnson
Windows Storage Server