Configure a Service or Application for High Availability

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

In a failover cluster, you can configure a service or application for high availability by running a wizard that creates the appropriate settings. For a list of the services and applications that you can select in the wizard and a description of the three generic options in the wizard (Generic Application, Generic Script, or Generic Service), see Using Generic Services and Applications in a Failover Cluster (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=129392).

To understand the procedures to perform before performing this procedure, view a checklist listed in Failover Cluster Deployment Guide.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. In addition, if your account is not a Domain Admins account, either the account or the group that the account is a member of must be delegated the Create Computer Objects permission in the domain. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To configure a service or application for high availability

  1. In the Failover Cluster Management snap-in, if the cluster you want to configure is not displayed, in the console tree, right-click Failover Cluster Management, click Manage a Cluster, and select or specify the cluster you want.

  2. If the console tree is collapsed, expand the tree under the cluster that you want to configure.

  3. Click Services and Applications and then, under Actions (on the right), click Configure a Service or Application.

  4. Follow the instructions in the wizard to specify the service or application that you want to configure for high availability, along with the following details:

    • A name for the clustered service or application. This name will be registered in DNS and associated with the IP address for this clustered service or application.

    • Any IP address information that is not automatically supplied by your DHCP settings—for example, a static IPv4 address for this clustered service or application.

    • The storage volume or volumes that the clustered service or application should use.

    • Specific information for the service or application that you are configuring. For example, for a Generic Application, you must specify the path for the application and any registry keys that the application requires (so that the registry keys can be replicated to all nodes in the cluster).

  5. After the wizard runs and the Summary page appears, if you want to view a report of the tasks that the wizard performed, click View Report.

Additional considerations

  • To open the failover cluster snap-in, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Failover Cluster Management. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.

  • If this is the first service or application that you are configuring for high availability, it might be appropriate to review your cluster network settings now. If the clustered servers are connected to a network that is not to be used for network communication in the cluster (for example, a network that is intended only for iSCSI or only for backup), then under Networks, right-click that network, click Properties, and then select Do not allow the cluster to use this network.

  • For information about modifying the settings for this service or application after the wizard finishes running, see other topics listed in Configuring and Verifying Services and Applications that Run on a Failover Cluster.

Additional references