Cluster

Article
08/31/2016

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Creates a new cluster or configures an existing cluster.

For examples of how to use this command, see Examples.

Syntax

cluster [[/cluster:]<ClusterName>] /<option>

Parameters

<ClusterName> /create /ipaddr[ess]:<Static_IP_Address>[,<SubnetMask>,<NetworkConnectionName>] /pass[word]:<Password> /user:{<Domain>\<UserName> | <UserName>@<Domain>} [/node:<NodeName>] [/verb[ose]] [/unattend[ed]] [/min[imum]]

Creates a cluster. Descriptions of the optional parameters are provided in the table below.

<ClusterName> /add[nodes][:<NodeName1>[,<NodeName2>, ...]] [/pass[word]:<Password>] [/verb[ose]] [/unattend[ed]] [/min[imum]]

Adds one or more nodes to an existing cluster.

/ren[ame]:<ClusterName>

Renames a cluster.

/cluster:<ClusterName1>[,<ClusterName2>, ...] /changepass[word][:<NewPassword>[,<OldPassword>]] [/skipdc] [/force] [/test] [/quiet] [/verb[ose]] [/unattend[ed]] [/help]

For one or more clusters, changes the Cluster service account password on the domain controller and all the cluster nodes from OldPassword to NewPassword. If not supplied as part of the command, you will be prompted to provide the NewPassword or the OldPassword. You can specify a blank password by supplying two double quotes (""). If multiple clusters are specified in one operation, they must all use the same Cluster service account. Descriptions of the optional parameters are provided in the table below.

/ver[sion]

Displays the Cluster service version number.

/listnetpri[ority]

Lists the priority of all internal (private and mixed) networks.

/setnetpri[ority]:<NetworkName1>[,<NetworkName2>, ...]

Sets the priority order for all internal networks. If you use this option, you must supply all the internal networks in the cluster.

/quorum[resource][:<ResourceName>]

[/path:<Drive>:\<Path>\]

[/maxlogsize:<MaximumSize_in_Kilobytes>]

Changes the name or location of the quorum resource or the size of the quorum log. If you change the location of the quorum resource, do not omit the drive letter, the colon, or any backslashes. For example, for a quorum resource on drive f: in a folder called Quorumfolder, you must specify the location with /path:f:\Quorumfolder\ not /path:f:Quorumfolder.

If no options are supplied, this command will display the name of the quorum resource, the path, and maximum log size.

/reg[admin]ext:<AdminExtension_DLL>

[,<AdminExtension_DLL> ...]

Registers a Cluster Administrator extension DLL with the cluster.

/unreg[admin]ext:<AdminExtension_DLL>

[,<AdminExtension_DLL> ...]

Unregisters a Cluster Administrator extension DLL from the cluster.

/list:[<DomainName>]

Displays a list of clusters in the computer's domain or a specified domain. Do not use the cluster name with this command-line option.

/prop[erties] [<PropertyList>]

Views or sets cluster common properties.

/priv[properties] [<PropertyList>]

Views or sets cluster private properties.

/registerdns

Registers existing Network Name resources with a DNS server in a way that does not interrupt cluster availability.

/wiz[ard]

Starts the Cluster Configuration Wizard. This command must be used with either the /create or /add[nodes] commands.

Important
You cannot supply the subnet mask or network connection name when you use the /wiz[ard] command to create a cluster. The program will use the information from the network connection with the same subnet mask as the cluster to supply the subnet mask, and network connection name.

/setfail[urereactions][:<NodeName>[,<NodeName> ...]]

Resets the restart actions settings that the Services Microsoft Management Console snap-in uses for the Cluster service to the original values used at setup.

Displays help at the command prompt.

Remarks

Using the cluster command

The cluster name is optional except when using the /changepass[word] command. If you do not specify a cluster, Cluster.exe attempts to connect to the cluster running on the node that is running Cluster.exe.

If the name of your cluster is also a cluster command or its abbreviation, such as "cluster" or "c", use /cluster: to explicitly specify the cluster name. For a list of all the cluster commands, see Related Topics.
Using command-line options with cluster /create

Unless you are invoking the Cluster Configuration Wizard (by using the /wiz[ard] option), you must supply a name and static IP address for the cluster and the user name for the Cluster service account. If you do not use the /unattend[ed] option, you must also supply the password for the user account used to run the Cluster service on the first node. If possible, the program will use the information from the network connection with the same subnet mask as the node to supply the subnet mask, and network connection name. The cluster will be created in the same domain to which the first server belongs. See the table below for details on the other optional parameters.
Using the cluster command for unattended setup.

You can create and configure a cluster during an unattended setup by including the cluster.exe command in your unattended setup process.
Using the /prop[erties] [<PropertyList>] command-line option

See Property lists for more information.
Using the /priv[properties] [<PropertyList>] command-line option

See Property lists for more information.

Using the /setfail[urereactions][:<NodeName>[,<NodeName> ...]] command-line option

This option resets the Cluster service restart settings for one or more nodes to the following values:

Service Restart Option	Setting
First failure	Restart the service
Second failure	Restart the service
Subsequent failure	Restart the service
Reset fail count after N days	0 days
Restart service after N minutes	1 minute

Command options for creating a cluster

Option	Description
[/node:<NodeName>]	The name of the server to be configured as the first cluster node. The command will use the name of the current computer if you do not supply a node name.
[/min[imum]]	This option creates a cluster using the Advanced (minimum) Configuration option. Use this option when creating clusters with complex storage configurations. For more information, see Storage configuration options.
[/verb[ose]]	This option writes all event messages to the cluster log. Use this option for troubleshooting cluster configuration issues.
/unattend[ed]	If you use this option, you will not be prompted for passwords not supplied at the command prompt.

Command options for changing the Cluster service account password

Option	Description
[/skipdc]	This option will change the Cluster service account password only on the cluster nodes. It will not change the password on the domain controller. Use this option to complete a previous password update that was only partially completed. For example, use this option if you previously issued a cluster /changepass command for multiple clusters and the Cluster service account password was not updated on all the clusters, for whatever reason. Note that if you use this option, you do not have to supply OldPassword.
[/force]	This option will force execution of the password change command on the available nodes in a cluster even if some of the cluster nodes are not available (that is, some nodes are in the Down, Joining, or Unknown states).
[/test]	This option will open a connection to the specified cluster(s), verify that an appropriate domain controller is available, check the version of the operating system installed on each node, and verify that all the cluster nodes are online and use the same Cluster service account.
[/quiet]	This option will result in no output, unless an error occurs.
[/verb[ose]]	This option outputs detailed information about the cluster nodes (for example, node names and Cluster service account names) to the screen. Use this option for troubleshooting password change issues.
/unattend[ed]	If you use this option, you will not be prompted for passwords not supplied at the command prompt.
[/help]	This option displays help for the cluster /changepass command only.

Cluster common property names

The following table describes the common cluster property names, their uses, and valid settings:

Common property names	Use
AdminExtensions	Describes one or more class identifiers (CLSIDs) of Cluster Administrator extension for the cluster object.
DefaultNetworkRole	Specifies the default role to assign to networks.
Description	Specifies administrative description of the cluster.
Security	Describes the Windows Server 2003-compatible security descriptor.
Security Descriptor	Describes Windows NT-SP4 and the Windows Server 2003 family-compatible security descriptor.
Groups\AdminExtensions	Describes one or more class identifiers (CLSIDs) of Cluster Administrator extensions for the groups.
NetworkInterfaces\AdminExtensions	Describes one or more class identifiers (CLSIDs) of Cluster Administrator extensions for the netinterfaces.
Networks\AdminExtensions	Describes one or more class identifiers (CLSIDs) of Cluster Administrator extensions for the networks.
Nodes\AdminExtensions	Describes one or more class identifiers (CLSIDs) of Cluster Administrator extensions for the nodes.
Resources\AdminExtensions	Describes one or more class identifiers (CLSIDs) of Cluster Administrator extensions for the resources.
ResourceTypes\AdminExtensions	Describes one or more class identifiers (CLSIDs) of Cluster Administrator extensions for the resource types.
EnableEventLogReplication	Specifies if Event Log Replication is enabled or disabled cluster wide. (True (1) means enabled; False (0) means disabled.)
QuorumArbitrationTimeMin QuorumArbitrationTimeMax	Determines the minimum and maximum time, in seconds, a node is allowed to spend arbitrating for the quorum resource before giving up. The range of values allowed is 0 to 3600 seconds for QuorumArbitrationTimeMin and 1 to 3600 seconds for QuorumArbitrationTimeMax. For a single quorum device server cluster, the default values are 7 seconds for QuorumArbitrationTimeMin and 60 seconds for QuorumArbitrationTimeMax. For a majority node set server cluster, the default values are 7 seconds for QuorumArbitrationTimeMin and 180 seconds for QuorumArbitrationTimeMax.
DisableGroupPreferredOwnerRandomization	If you do not specify a preferred owner list for resource groups, the Cluster service randomizes the list it uses internally to decide which node to fail over the groups to. That is, by default, this property is set to FALSE (0). If you want to disable this randomization and instead follow the internal ordered list of nodes for failover, set the DisableGroupPreferredOwnerRandomization property to be TRUE (or 1).
EnableEventDeltaGeneration	When a set of events in the Event Log is replicated across cluster nodes, this property generates a delta event in the Event Log to indicate the time difference between nodes. True (1), the default, means enabled; False (0) means disabled.
ClusSvcHeartbeatTimeout	Used by the Cluster Network driver, ClusNet.sys, to monitor the health of the Cluster service.
HangRecoveryAction	Describes the recovery action taken if ClusNet.sys detects a failure in the Cluster service.
EnableResourceDllDeadlockDetection ResourceDllDeadlockTimeout ResourceDllDeadlockThreshold ResourceDllDeadlockPeriod	Used by the Cluster service to monitor if the entry points to the Resource DLLs are deadlocked (a condition that occurs when two processes are each waiting for the other to complete before proceeding).

Using cluster private property names

To view the private properties for a cluster, use the /priv[properties] parameter without any options. For example, to see the private properties for the cluster OpsClust, type the following at a command prompt:

cluster opsclust /priv

The following table describes a cluster private property for cryptographic checkpoints. This private property is useful in two scenarios:

If there is a third-party resource or application that uses a third-party cryptographic provider that is not supplied by Microsoft. For more information, see A third-party resource fails to come online in a mixed-version cluster or while upgrading a cluster.
If you have security concerns about the cryptographic checkpoint data that is written to the quorum when you import resource data to a cluster node before bringing the resource online.

You can use this private property to change the encryption levels for any of the cryptographic providers (supplied by third-party developers or by Microsoft) that are used by the Cluster service.

"<CSP>"

Sets the encryption levels (key lengths) for a cryptographic key that is used to export (encrypt) and import (decrypt) resource data (cluster and cluster application cryptographic checkpoints). The imported and exported resource data is saved to the quorum. The cryptographic key is generated by a cryptographic provider that uses the RC2 block encryption method.

Usage:

"<CSP>"=<key_length>,<effective_key_length>:MULTISTR

"<CSP>" is the name of the cryptographic provider. For example, one of the standard cryptographic providers supplied with the Windows Server 2003 family is "Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider v1.0." For more information, see CLUSCTL_RESOURCE_ADD_CRYPTO_CHECKPOINT in the Microsoft Platform Software Development Kit (SDK).

<key_length> is the RC2 key length, in bits.

<effective_key_length> is the RC2 effective key length, in bits

For example, to change the RC2 key length for a third-party cryptographic provider named "Database CSP v2.0" in cluster opsclust to 128 bits, type:

cluster opsclust /priv "Database CSP v2.0"=128,40:MULTISTR

For this property to take effect, the resource DLL must add the cryptographic checkpoint for the property. This is because the cryptographic key is exported and saved to the quorum when the checkpoint is added for the very first time; prior to the resource coming online the key is imported from the file saved in the quorum. Review the documentation for your cryptographic provider to obtain the correct procedure for adding the cryptographic checkpoint.

Review the documentation for your cryptographic provider to obtain valid values for the following RC2 encryption algorithm parameters: <key_length> and <effective_key_length>.