Step-By-Step Guide: Configuring Hyper-V and Failover Clustering for Windows Server 2008 R2 on the HP ProLiant DL980, rev 1

Requirements for Using Hyper-V and Failover Clustering

This section describes the hardware, software, accounts, and network infrastructure needed to use the

Hyper-V role on a failover cluster with two nodes.

Windows Server 2008 R2 introduced a new failover clustering feature called Cluster Shared

Volumes (CSV). With CSV, the configuration of clustered virtual machines is much simpler than before.

For information about requirements for using Hyper-V with Cluster Shared Volumes, see

Hyper-V: Using

Live Migration with Cluster Shared Volumes in Windows Server 2008 R2

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=164729).

Hardware Requirements for Hyper-V

Hyper-V requires an x64-based processor, hardware-assisted virtualization, and hardware-enforced Data

Execution Prevention (DEP). Specifically, you must enable the Intel XD bit (execute disable bit).

Hardware Requirements for a Two-Node Failover Cluster

See Appendix A (page 35) for a diagram of basic cluster network and fiber channel cabling.

You will need the following hardware for a two-node failover cluster:

• Servers: We recommend a set of matching computers that contains either the same or similar

features.

• Network adapters and network communication cable: Like other features in the failover

cluster solution, the network hardware must have the following certification marked: “Certified for

Windows Server 2008 R2”.

Note

If you plan to use HP ProLiant Network Teaming Software (NCU) to create

teaming in Hyper-V environment, follow the steps described in the document

below:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c016632

64/c01663264.pdf

Avoid having single points of failure in the network infrastructure that connects your cluster nodes. There

are multiple ways of accomplishing this. You can connect your cluster nodes by multiple, distinct

networks. Alternatively, you can connect your cluster nodes with one network that is constructed with

teamed network adapters, redundant switches, redundant routers, or similar hardware that removes

single points of failure.

Note

If you connect cluster nodes with a single network, the network will still pass

the redundancy requirement in the Validate a Configuration Wizard.

However, the report from the wizard will include a warning that the network

should not have single points of failure.

• Device controllers or appropriate adapters for the storage: All storage host bus adapters

(FC or SAS) that are dedicated to the cluster storage should be identical and use the same firmware

version.

Note that the cluster configuration covered in this guide uses FC San shared storage only.