How to configure Failover Clustering for

Hyper-V hosts on HP ProLiant c-Class server

blades with All-in-One SB600c storage blade
Executive summary............................................................................................................................... 2
System requirements............................................................................................................................. 2
Hardware requirements .................................................................................................................... 2
Software requirements ...................................................................................................................... 3
Hyper-V hosts cluster configuration process overview ............................................................................... 3
Step 1: Configure iSCSI disks and iSCSI Target on SB600c...................................................................... 5
Create virtual disks........................................................................................................................... 6
Create iSCSI Target........................................................................................................................ 12
Add the existing disk to the iSCSI Target........................................................................................... 19
Step 2: Install Windows Server 2008 and HP ProLiant supporting software on BladeSystem server blades ... 21
Step 3: Configure ProLiant ROM BIOS and install Hyper-V server role...................................................... 22
Step 4: Configure iSCSI Initiator and connect to iSCSI LUN disk on server blades ..................................... 23
Configure iSCSI Initiator ................................................................................................................. 23
Configure the iSCSI disk volumes ..................................................................................................... 29
Step 5: Install and configure Windows Failover Clustering feature........................................................... 38
Install Windows Failover Clustering feature ....................................................................................... 38
Run Failover Clustering validation test............................................................................................... 40
Create and configure a cluster......................................................................................................... 44
Step 6: Configure iSCSI disk on SB600c for VM storage and add disk to the cluster ................................. 48
Step 7: Create and add VM to the cluster............................................................................................. 53
Create a VM ................................................................................................................................. 53
Add VM to the cluster ..................................................................................................................... 57
Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 61
For more information.......................................................................................................................... 62

Executive summary
Hyper-V is a Microsoft hypervisor-based server virtualization product for 64-bit Microsoft
Windows Server 2008. Hyper-V helps IT customers consolidate servers, improve server utilization,
reduce energy consumption and lower total cost of ownership (TCO). In a Hyper-V based
infrastructure, virtual machines (VMs) are running on top of the physical host server. The physical host
server could be a single point of failure if it loses power or has a hardware failure. With a host server
failure, all VMs running on the host server will be out of service. To solve this problem, it is possible to
create a simple failover cluster with two cluster nodes and one witness disk.
In a step-by-step approach, this document describes how to use Microsoft Windows Server 2008
Failover Clustering feature, in conjunction with HP BladeSystem c-Class ProLiant server blades and an
HP StorageWorks All-in-One SB600c (SB600c) storage blade, to provide high availability to the
Hyper-V host servers or parent partitions.
Details on how to install Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V on HP ProLiant servers can be found in
the HP documents Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 on HP ProLiant servers and
Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V on HP ProLiant servers at
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00710606/c00710606.pdf
and
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01516156/c01516156.pdf?ju
mpid=reg_R1002_USEN.
Target audience: The intended audience for this document includes, but is not limited to, solutions
architects, technical consultants and readers who are interested in obtaining information on Windows
Server 2008 and are interested in Hyper-V and Windows Failover Clustering. The document is also
intended for users needing a quick guide to installing Failover Clustering for Hyper-V host on server
blades with an SB600c storage blade.

System requirements
Hardware requirements
The hardware infrastructure is based on HP ProLiant c-Class server blades and an HP StorageWorks
All-in-One SB600c storage blade.
Two ProLiant BL465c G5 server blades with identical hardware configurations are deployed as
cluster nodes. Customers can create a similar cluster on ProLiant BL260c G5, BL460c, BL465c G5,
BL480c, BL495c G5, BL680c G5 or BL685c G5 server blades as well. The recommended server
configuration is dual quad-core processors or greater with a minimum of 8GB memory
(recommended 12 GB memory) and at least 70GB disk space.
The SB600c storage blade is an in-the-enclosure storage solution that provides iSCSI shared
storage service over IP networks.
HP BladeSystem c-Class c3000 or c7000 enclosure
Note
Microsoft Hyper-V and Windows Failover Clustering are not limited to
c-Class server blades. ProLiant servers with x64 Intel Virtualization
Technology (Intel VT) or AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) hardware-assisted
virtualization also support Hyper-V and Failover Clustering.

Software requirements
Server blades in the test environment have the following software installed:
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Datacenter (x64)
Only Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and Datacenter (both 32-bit and 64-bit) support the
Windows Failover Clustering feature. Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Datacenter (x64) cluster
supports up to the 16 cluster nodes with Fibre Channel, iSCSI or SAS shared storage disk
configurations.
Hyper-V Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB950050). This update can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=F3AB3D4B-63C8-4424-A738BADED34D24ED&displaylang=en. Hyper-V requires 64-bit Windows Server 2008.
HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool v1.30 or later CD-ROM. This firmware CD-ROM can be
found at
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&
prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=1842750&prodNameId=3288156&swEnvOID=4024&swLa
ng=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-37156367a830406295923e5423
HP SmartStart CD x64 version 8.10. This CD-ROM can be found at
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&
prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=1842750&prodNameId=3288156&swEnvOID=4024&swLa
ng=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-a12b434edd8941f58e4e608c94
HP ProLiant Support Pack for Windows Server 2008 x64 Editions version 8.11 (A). This support
pack can be found at
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&
prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=1842750&prodNameId=3288156&swEnvOID=4024&swLa
ng=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-60db08ae0a914c359406c839e8

Hyper-V hosts cluster configuration process overview

Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering provides high availability for the Hyper-V hosts. The
enhanced Windows Failover Clustering has four possible configurations: Node Majority, Node and
Disk Majority, Node and File Share Majority, and No Majority (Disk Only). In the following sections,
a two-node host server cluster (even number of nodes) is created using a StorageWorks SB600c iSCSI
shared storage disk as the witness disk. The witness disk stores cluster configuration information only.
Node and Disk Majority is selected for this cluster quorum configuration and can sustain failure of
one node with the witness disk online. This cluster is based on an active-passive configuration where
one server node is an active node hosting VMs, and the other node is a passive node. All VM
configuration files and virtual hard disks (VHD) are stored on the second shared storage disk owned
by an active cluster node, in addition to the witness disk. If the active server node fails due to
hardware or software failure, the passive node takes over the cluster and controls the cluster resources
such as the shared disks and applications. The passive server node becomes the active server node
and automatically brings VMs online (See Figure 1). In this cluster configuration, iSCSI protocol is
used by the StorageWorks SB600c storage device to send and receive SCSI commands through the
IP network with Windows disk management technology (iSCSI Target) to provide iSCSI shared
storage service to the iSCSI Initiator.
Note
In the above configuration, multiple HP GbE2c Ethernet switches are
dedicated to different network traffic to improve the Hyper-V cluster
performance (see Figure 1). Also, the shared storage disks in the above
configuration could potentially be single points of failure.

Figure 1. Hyper-V Host Failover Clustering

The following sections provide detailed installation and configuration steps:

Step 1: Configure iSCSI disks and iSCSI Target on SB600c.
Step 2: Install Windows Server 2008 and HP ProLiant supporting software on BladeSystem server
blades.
Step 3: Configure ProLiant ROM BIOS and install Hyper-V server role.
Step 4: Configure iSCSI Initiator and connect to iSCSI LUN disk on server blades.
Step 5: Install and configure Windows Failover Clustering feature.
Step 6: Configure iSCSI disk on SB600c for VM storage and add disk to the cluster.
Step 7: Create and add VM to the cluster.
Note
This document shows details for Steps 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Step 1: Configure iSCSI disks and iSCSI Target on SB600c

Before installing Windows Failover Clustering, you need to create the iSCSI shared storage disks and
make them available to the server blades. The two server blades are cluster nodes described later in
this document. In this configuration, you need two disks shared between these two server blades: one
is the witness disk or quorum disk, and the other is the disk that stores all VM configuration files and
VHD files. The quorum disk keeps only cluster configuration information and can not be used to store
other information such as VHD files. In cluster Node and Disk Majority configuration, both cluster host
server nodes (server blades) and the quorum disk get a vote. In step 1, you only make the quorum
disk available to the server blades, so the cluster installation locates the correct quorum disk. You will
add the shared VM storage disk in a later step.
On SB600c, launch HP All-in-One Storage System Management console. In the left panel, click
Storage Management, and in the middle panel, click Microsoft iSCSI Target.

Figure 2. Launch Microsoft iSCSI Target on SB600c

Create virtual disks

In the iSCSI Target console left panel, right click Devices, and click Create Virtual Disk to launch the
Create Virtual Disk Wizard. Click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 3. Create virtual disk

On the StorageWorks SB600c storage device, each iSCSI virtual disk is a virtual disk file (VHD). Give
a VHD file name and specify which folder will hold this VHD file on the SB600c drives. In this case,
you create a virtual disk that stores all VM configuration and VHD files, enter E:\V-Cluster.vhd, and
click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 4. Create a new virtual disk file.

Enter the virtual disk size and click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 5. Enter the virtual disk size

Enter the virtual disk description, and click the Next> button. On the next Access (add iSCSI Target)
page, click the Next> button again to skip. Then click the Finish button to complete.

Figure 6. Enter the virtual disk description

The iSCSI Target right panel shows the newly created virtual disk without being accessed by any
iSCSI Target.

Figure 7. Virtual disk for VM storage

10

Repeat the above steps to create a 500MB quorum disk for the cluster. The virtual disk file name is
E:\V-Cluster-Quorum.vhd, and the virtual disk description is For Hyper-V Failover Clustering Quorum
Disk.

Figure 8. Virtual disk for cluster quorum disk

11

Create iSCSI Target

In order for server blades to connect to these iSCSI disks, you need to create an iSCSI Target to
associate with these disks. In the iSCSI Target console left panel, right click iSCSI Targets, click Create
iSCSI Target to launch the Create iSCSI Target Wizard. Click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 9. Create iSCSI Target

12

Specify the iSCSI Target name V-Cluster-Target and description Hyper-V Failover Cluster iSCSI Target
and click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 10. Specify iSCSI Target name and description

13

Click the Advanced button to launch Advanced Identifiers.

Figure 11. Advanced Identifier

14

Click the Add button to add iSCSI Initiator identifier.

Figure 12. Add iSCSI Initiator Identifier

15

From the Identifier Type drop-down list, click IP Address to add the iSCSI Initiators IP addresses (or
the planned iSCSI Initiators IP addresses).

Figure 13. Select IP Address

16

Enter the server node iSCSI IP address here for example, 12.0.0.211. Click the OK button to
complete.

Figure 14. Add iSCSI Identifier

17

Repeat the above step to add the second server blade iSCSI IP address 12.0.0.212. Click the OK
button and return to the previous iSCSI Initiators Identifiers page and click the Next> button. Then
click the Finish button to complete.

Figure 15. Add iSCSI Identifiers

18

Add the existing disk to the iSCSI Target

The newly created iSCSI Target needs to be associated with the quorum virtual disk. In the iSCSI
Target console left panel, expand iSCSI Targets; in the right panel, right click the newly created
V-Cluster-Target, and click Add Existing Virtual Disk to iSCSI Target.

Figure 16. Add virtual disk to iSCSI Target

19

Select the quorum virtual disk and click the OK button.

Figure 17. Select quorum virtual disk

20

In the iSCSI Target console left panel, under iSCSI Targets, click iSCSI Target V-Cluster-Target; the
newly added 500MB quorum virtual disk shows as LUN0.

Figure 18. Add Hyper-V virtual disk to the iSCSI Target

Step 2: Install Windows Server 2008 and HP ProLiant

supporting software on BladeSystem server blades
To install Windows Server 2008 on the two server blades, HP recommends the following procedures:
Run HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool v1.30 or later CD-ROM to update server blade
firmware first.
Run HP SmartStart CD x64 version 8.10 to configure server blade hardware configuration.
Install Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Datacenter (x64) 64-bit edition.
Run HP ProLiant Support Pack for Windows Server 2008 x64 Editions version 8.11 (A) to install the
latest drivers.
After installing Windows, join the two server blades to the domain.
Details on how to install Windows Server 2008 can be found in the HP document Implementing
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 on HP ProLiant servers at
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00710606/c00710606.pdf.

21

Step 3: Configure ProLiant ROM BIOS and install Hyper-V

server role
To install Hyper-V, HP recommends the following procedures:
On both server blades, enable server blade hardware-assisted virtualization. For details, see the
Enable support for hardware-assisted virtualization in the RBSU section in the HP document
Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V on HP ProLiant servers. This document
can be found at
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01516156/c01516156.pdf?j
umpid=reg_R1002_USEN
On both server blades, apply Hyper-V Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB950050)
by running Microsoft Windows Update (see Figure 19). This update can also be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=F3AB3D4B-63C8-4424-A738BADED34D24ED&displaylang=en
On both server blades, launch Server Manager, and install Hyper-V server role

Figure 19. Install Hyper-V Update

22

Step 4: Configure iSCSI Initiator and connect to iSCSI LUN

disk on server blades
Before creating the Windows Failover Clustering, the server blades need to connect to the iSCSI
Target through iSCSI Initiator and access the shared quorum disk. This quorum disk will store all
cluster information and is a cluster witness disk.

Configure iSCSI Initiator

On both server blades, click Start. Click Administrative Tools and select iSCSI Initiator. If Microsoft
iSCSI service is not running on the server blade, click the Yes button to start the service and set the
service to start automatically. This service is required by the iSCSI Initiator. Click the Yes button to
unblock the iSCSI service through Windows Firewall and launch iSCSI Initiator Property.

Figure 20. Launch iSCSI Initiator

23

Click the Discovery tab and click the Add Portal button to add iSCSI Target portal.

Figure 21. Add iSCSI Target portal

24

Enter iSCSI Target IP address 12.0.0.101 and click the OK button to continue.

Figure 22. Enter iSCSI Target IP address

25

Click the Targets tab; in the Targets list, it shows the target name, and the status is Inactive. Click the
Log on button to continue.

Figure 23. Connect iSCSI Target

26

In the Log On to Target, make sure Automatically restore this connection when the computer starts is
checked, and click the OK button to continue. When restarting the blade server, this option ensures
that Windows will automatically connect the iSCSI Target.

Figure 24. Enable automatically restore connection

27

In the Targets list, the iSCSI Target status is changed from Inactive to Connected. Click the OK button
to continue and finish the iSCSI Initiator configuration.

Figure 25. Target is connected.

28

Configure the iSCSI disk volumes

Now you need to discover and format the iSCSI disks in Windows on the first server blade V-HOST1.
Click Server Manager to launch the console.

Figure 26. Launch Server Manager

29

In the left panel, expand Storage and click Disk Management.

In the bottom of the middle panel, the 500MB quorum disk shows as an offline disk 1. If this quorum
disk does not show in the middle panel, you can click More Actions in right panel and click Rescan
Disks to discover the iSCSI quorum disk.
Right click Disk 1 and click Online to bring this quorum disk online.
Repeat this step on the second server blade V-HOST2, but do not bring the disk online.

Figure 27. Bring iSCSI quorum disk online

30

The following steps only apply to the first server blade V-HOST1. Right click Disk 1 (iSCSI quorum
disk) again and click Initialize Disk.

Figure 28. Initialize disk

31

Check Disk 1, select MBR and click the OK button to continue.

Figure 29. Initialize disk

32

Select New Simple Volume. . In the New Simple Volume Wizard; click the Next> button to
continue.

Figure 30. Select New Simple Volume

33

Specify the size of the quorum disk volume and click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 31. Specify Volume Size

34

Assign a drive letter to the new iSCSI disk volume; for example, assign drive letter Q for quorum disk
volume. Click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 32. Assign a drive letter to the iSCSI disk volume

35

Assign a volume label to the iSCSI quorum disk. Click the Next> button to continue, and click the
Finish button on the next page.

Figure 33. Assign a volume label to the iSCSI quorum disk

36

The middle panel of Server Manager shows the newly configured Quorum disk volume.

Figure 34. New quorum disk

37

Step 5: Install and configure Windows Failover Clustering

feature
After the server blades are configured with quorum disks, you can start to install Failover Clustering.

Install Windows Failover Clustering feature

In this section, you will install the Windows Failover Clustering feature on both server blades,
V-HOST1 and V-HOST2.
Launch Server Manager; in the left panel, click Features. In the right panel, click Add Features.

Figure 35. Add features

38

In the Add Features Wizard, check Failover Clustering and click the Next> button to continue. On the
next page, click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 36. Select Failover Clustering feature

After installing the Failover Clustering feature on V-HOST1, repeat the same steps on V-HOST2.
Apply the Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB951308) on both server blades by
running Microsoft Windows Update. Restart the server blades after the installation of the update. This
Windows update provides Failover Cluster Management console more control and functionalities for
Hyper-V. This update also can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C614376D-477A-4BD9-85593C8B91F90998&displaylang=en.

39

Run Failover Clustering validation test

In this section, you only need to run the Windows Failover Clustering validation test on one of the
server blades, the V-HOST1.
Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and click Failover Cluster Management to launch the Failover
Cluster Management console.

Figure 37. Launch Failover Cluster Management console

40

In the Failover Cluster Management console, click Validate a Configuration to launch the Validate a
Configuration Wizard. Cluster validation test is not a must-run test but is highly recommended.

Figure 38. Click Validate a Configuration

41

In the Enter name input box, enter the server blades name, V-HOST1, click the Add button, enter
V-HOST2, and click the Add button. Click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 39. Add server names to the selected servers list

42

Select Run all tests (recommended) and click the Next> button to run the test. Click the Next> button to
start the test. After the test is finished, the Wizard shows if the test is successful or failed. Click the
Finish button.

Figure 40. Run test

43

Create and configure a cluster

In this section, you will create and configure a cluster.
On the first server blade, V-HOST1, in the Failover Clustering Management console middle panel,
click Create a Cluster to launch the Create Cluster Wizard.

Figure 41. Create a cluster

44

Enter the server blade name, V-HOST1, and click the Add button. Do the same to add the second
server blade name, V-HOST2, to the selected servers list. Click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 42. Add server names

45

Enter the cluster name V-W2K8-Cluster and assign IP addresses 10.0.0.210 and 11.0.0.210 to the
cluster. Click the Next> button. On the next page, click the Next> button again to create the cluster.
When successfully finishing, click the Finish button.

Figure 43. Enter the cluster name and IP addresses

46

The Failover Cluster Management console shows one cluster with Node and Disk Majority (Cluster
Disk 1).

Figure 44. Finish the cluster configuration

47

Step 6: Configure iSCSI disk on SB600c for VM storage

and add disk to the cluster
This step shows how to add the second shared storage disk, which stores all Hyper-V VM
configuration files and VHD files on the cluster.
On the SB600c storage device, repeat the Add the existing disk to the iSCSI Target section in Step 1
and add the second disk to the iSCSI Target.

Figure 45. Add disk for Hyper-V VM

48

On the first server blade, V-HOST1, repeat the Configure the iSCSI disk volumes section in Step 4,
bring the second disk online; initialize and format the second disk and assign drive letter V for the
disk.

Figure 46. Configure the disk

49

Now you need to add disk V:\ to the cluster. On the Failover Cluster Management console left panel,
right click Storage and click Add a disk.

Figure 47. Add a disk to the cluster

50

Check Cluster Disk 2 from the available disks list, and click the OK button to add the second disk to
the cluster.

Figure 48. Add the disk

51

After adding the second disk to the cluster, click Storage in the Failover Cluster Management console
left panel; the Cluster Disk 2 (Volume V) shows in the Summary of Storage in the middle panel.

Figure 49. Second disk in the cluster

52

Step 7: Create and add VM to the cluster

This section describes how to create a VM and how to add the VM to the cluster.

Create a VM
On the first server blade, V-HOST1, launch the Hyper-V Manager by clicking Start, click
Administrative Tools and select Hyper-V Manager. In the left panel, right click the host name,
V-HOST1, and select New, and click Virtual Machine to launch the New Virtual Machine Wizard.

Figure 50. Create new virtual machine

53

Enter the VM name VM1 and check Store the virtual machine in a different location. In the location,
enter V:\. Hyper-V stores all VM1s configuration files on the shared storage disk V. Click the Next>
button to continue.

Figure 51. Create a VM

54

Click the Next> button to accept the default memory size 512MB. Click the Next> button to accept the
default value of Configure Networking. On the Connect Virtual Hard Disk, click Create a virtual hard
disk and enter V:\VM1\ as the virtual hard disk location. Click the Finish button to complete.

Figure 52. Create VM virtual disk (VHD)

55

In Hyper-V Manager, click V-HOST1 in the left panel; the newly created VM1 shows in the middle
panel and its status is Off.

Figure 53. VM status is off

56

Add VM to the cluster

You need to add VM1 to the cluster and make it highly available. In the Failover Cluster Management
left panel, click Service and Applications; in the right panel, click Configure a Service or Application
to launch the High Availability Wizard. Click the Next> button to continue.

Figure 54. Configure High Availability service or application

57

On the Select Service and Application page, highlight Virtual Machine and click the Next> button.

Figure 55. Select Virtual Machine

58

The Select Virtual Machine page shows all available VMs. Check the VMs needed to be added to the
cluster and click the Next> button.

Figure 56. Select VM

59

The Summary page shows whether adding the VM to the cluster was successful or failed. Click the
Finish button to complete.

Figure 57. Add VM to the cluster

60

In the Failover Cluster Management console middle panel, the VM shows Offline. Right click the VM
and click Bring this service or application online. Now you have the virtual machine running on top of
host cluster.

Figure 58. Bring VM online

Summary
In a Hyper-V environment, configuring High Availability for Hyper-V hosts is a challenge. This
document provides detailed guidance on how to create and configure a Hyper-V host level cluster
using HP BladeSystem ProLiant servers and the StorageWorks All-in-One SB600c storage device.

61

For more information

For more information about HP BladeSystem, go to
http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystem
For more information about HP StorageWorks All-in-One SB600c storage blade, go to
http://www.hp.com/go/sb600c
For more information about HP solutions, go to the HP ActiveAnswers website
http://www.hp.com/solutions/activeanswers/
For more information about Microsoft Hyper-V, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/hyperv.aspx
For more information about Hyper-V cluster, go to
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732181.aspx

To help us improve our documents, please provide feedback at www.hp.com/solutions/feedback

2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained

herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and
services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such
products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an
additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or
omissions contained herein.
Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
AMD Virtualization and AMD-V are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
4AA2-2983ENW, October 2008