Configuring a Service or Application for High Availability

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

This topic provides an overview of the task of configuring specific services or applications for failover clustering by using the High Availability Wizard. Instructions for running the wizard are provided in Configure a Service or Application for High Availability.

Important

If you want to cluster a mail server or database server application, see the application's documentation for information about the correct way to install it in a cluster environment. Mail server and database server applications are complex, and they might require configuration steps that fall outside the scope of this failover clustering Help.

Applications and services listed in the High Availability Wizard

A variety of services and applications can work as "cluster-aware" applications, functioning in a coordinated way with cluster components.

Note

When configuring a service or application that is not cluster-aware, you can use generic options in the High Availability Wizard: Generic Service, Generic Application, or Generic Script. For information about using these options, see Understanding Generic Services and Applications that Can Be Configured in a Failover Cluster.

In the High Availability Wizard, you can choose from the generic options described in the previous note, or you can choose from the following services and applications:

  • DFS Namespace Server: Provides a virtual view of shared folders in an organization. When a user views the namespace, the folders appear to reside on a single hard disk. Users can navigate the namespace without needing to know the server names or shared folders that are hosting the data.

  • DHCP Server: Automatically provides client computers and other TCP/IP-based network devices with valid IP addresses.

  • Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC): Supports distributed applications that perform transactions. A transaction is a set of related tasks, such as updates to databases, that either succeed or fail as a unit.

  • File Server: Provides a central location on your network where you can store and share files with users.

  • Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) Server: Provides a directory of iSCSI targets.

  • Message Queuing: Enables distributed applications that are running at different times to communicate across heterogeneous networks and with computers that may be offline.

  • Other Server: Provides a client access point and storage only. Add an application after completing the wizard.

  • Print Server: Manages a queue of print jobs for a shared printer.

  • WINS Server: Enables users to access resources by a NetBIOS name instead of requiring them to use IP addresses that are difficult to recognize and remember.

The following topics describe the process of configuring a service or application for high availability in a failover cluster:

Additional references