Step by Step Guide to Implementing a TWO NODE Failover Cluster – Part 02

As I have demonstrated how we prepare Cluster nodes for a two node failover cluster, in this post let’s have a look at how we can use Cluster Validation Tool to generate a report. I will be using Windows Server 2008 for this demonstration and before moving any further let’s have a look at what tests are performed using Cluster Validation Tool.

Cluster Validation tool is a wizard found on Failover Cluster Management Console. Following tests are carried out when you perform cluster Validation Tool

· Inventory Validation

· Network Validation

· Storage Validation

· System Configuration

We will look at what are exact components or sub-tests that takes place during validation testing in another post.

First we need to go to administrative tools and then open Failover Cluster Management Console

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After selecting Failover Cluster Management option, it will open Failover Cluster Management Console

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We can right click on Failover Cluster Management and then select “Validate a configuration” option to initiate Cluster validation wizard
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As you can see below, first screen provides us with a description relating to Cluster validation wizard.

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Next we need to add what are the NODEs which we need to validate.

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I will add my Cluster NODE01 and Cluster NODE02

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After I select both NODEs, it gets added to my Cluster validation wizard

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Next, we need to decide, whether are running all tests, or whether we are going to run a selective test. For this demonstration, I will be running all tests to validate NODE01 and NODE02

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Next we have a confirmation summary screen. We can review what are the tests which will be performed against NODE01 and NODE02

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After I select next, validation wizard will start validation my cluster configurationclip_image017

once this is completed, it’s possible for us to view a report

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We can open this report as a web page and we can see results.

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In my next post, we will create a cluster and let’s see how we can configure it

Nirmal Thewarathanthri

Nirmal Thewarathanthri