question about quorum...

[wlandymore]

I am totally new to clustering and I would just like to know...

If you were going to setup a two node cluster in an active/passive configuration how is the quorum made?

In the diagrams I've seen it's like it's a seperate file server that hosts the quorum.

Is there a quorum on each server that is somehow shared between them so if changes are made with one, it is replicated to the passive servers quorum?

Can anyone clarify this?

 

[mrdenny]

The quarum is a drive that is a shared resources (typically the Q drive). You'll need to create a small give (we use a drive of 512 MB in size) and assign it to the nodes. When you setup the cluster Windows will ask you to identify the drive which you will be using as the quarum.

Nothing else should be stored on the quarum.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[wlandymore]

so what happens if the quorum fails?

Does that bring down the cluster? Doesn't that also create a single point of failure in the cluster which is supposed to be about removing those?

 

[mrdenny]

The cluster will continue to function if the Quorum drive fails or becomes corrupt, it just won't be able to fail over correctly. There is a utility out there on Microsoft's site somewhere to rebuild the quorum drive.

The Quorum drive is created on the SAN / shared storage so it's not vary likely to fail.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[wlandymore]

okay, just to clarify...

If I take a file server that is using RAID and then configure a drive on it and then setup a mapped drive from nodes 1 and 2 to the shared resource, will that be enough for the quorum?

Or should I go about this in another way to make it compliant for clustering?

 

[wlandymore]

I only ask because I was in the cluster administrator to create a new cluster and it scanned everything and returned a warning at the end that it couldn't find a resource for the cluster.
this was after I tried a primary partition on the box itself and then a mapped drive to another server.

 

[mrdenny]

You can't use a shared folder to make a windows cluster. You have to use shared attached storage. A shared SCSI array for a fiber array or a SAN. Mapped drives won't work.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[wlandymore]

I thought it would be possible with the type of computer that I was connecting this to.

I was hoping that the HP DL380 that we already have sitting there could be used for the shared array. It has 6 SCSI drives using RAID 1 and 5.

Is there no way that I can convert something like that into being the host for the quorum or do I need to buy extra hardware?

 

[mrdenny]

Nope you won't be able to use the DL 380 as a shared array. You'll need to purchase a shared array. HP has several options. Call your HP sales guy and ask them about the MSA line of storage units. You'll also need to purchase fiber cards for the two servers, and the fiber cables.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com