Add a Shared Node Using Windows Server 2008R2 or 2012
When using Windows Server 2008R2 or 2012, a 1×1 2-Node replicated cluster using DataKeeper Volumes can be extended to a 2×1 shared and replicated 3-Node cluster by using either of the following methods:
- WSFC GUI
- WSFC command line tool: “cluster /add /node:<standby node name>”
- powershell -command : “Add-ClusterNode -Name <host name>”
In Windows Server 2008R2 or 2012, DataKeeper shared disks will remain DataKeeper Volume Resources in the cluster when additional nodes with shared disks are added. This is because the shared disk is never accessible on every node in the cluster — only two systems in a 3-node cluster. It is very important that the DataKeeper Volume Resource not be converted to a WSFC Physical Disk Resource.
Add a Shared Node Using Windows Server 2008R2 “SP1”
Starting with WSFC 2008R2SP1, Microsoft has changed the behavior of the WSFC mmc GUI when adding nodes to a cluster. If the new node is hosting a disk that is shared by one or more other systems already in the cluster, the shared disk on the new node and the existing DataKeeper Volume Resource will automatically be converted to a WSFC Physical Disk Resource when the node is added to the cluster! The transformation process includes a volume letter change that will break the DataKeeper Volume Resource and the associated replication mirror. Clustered applications will likely be impacted.
When using Windows Server 2008R2SP1, do not use the WSFC GUI to add a node to the cluster if the new node is hosting a DataKeeper shared disk.
When using Windows Server 2008R2SP1, additional nodes with DataKeeper shared volumes can be safely added to a WSFC cluster using only the WSFC command line tool as follows:
- WSFC command line tool: “cluster /add /node:<standby node name>”
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