Reference Guide

Understanding Your Failover Cluster 53
Figure 4-4. Example of a Four-Node Failover Ring Configuration
Failover and Failback Capabilities
Failover
When an application or cluster resource fails, MSCS detects the failure and
attempts to restart the resource. If the restart fails, MSCS takes the
application offline, moves the application and its resources to another node,
and restarts the application on the other node.
See "Setting Advanced Resource Properties" for more information.
Cluster resources are placed in a group so that MSCS can move the resources
as a combined unit, ensuring that the failover and/or failback procedures
transfer all resources.
After failover, Cluster Administrator resets the following recovery policies:
• Application dependencies
• Application restart on the same node
• Workload rebalancing (or failback) when a failed node is repaired and
brought back online
Failback
Failback returns the resources back to their original node. When the system
administrator repairs and restarts the failed node, MSCS takes the running
application and its resources offline, moves them from the failover cluster
node to the original node, and then restarts the application.
application A
application C
application Bapplication D