Active Directory with clustering file server

[Guest]

Hi,

We are planning to make a cluster with 2 servers connected to a external array of disk. We want to create a cluster for the users with the files and applcations.

Is there any objections or specifications who says that Active Directory cannot be install on a cluster server ? We planned to install Active Directory on those 2 servers.

It is not recommend to install Active Directory on a cluster ??
By the way do you have any link to build a cluster for my needs ??

Thank you

Sebastien

 

[Simon Geary]

Installing AD on cluster members is not generally going to be a problem.
Just bear in mind that you will have extra overhead from authentication etc.
than if you were just running a cluster by itself. From a security and
performance perspective the suggestion is always to have dedicated domain
controllers that do not run any other services but of course this is not
always possible for money reasons.
An optimum solution can be to install the cluster as a domainlet which is a
dedicated domain without a GC. Everything you need to know about clustering
can be found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/clustering/default.mspx

Hi,

We are planning to make a cluster with 2 servers connected to a external

array of disk. We want to create a cluster for the users with the files and
applcations.

Is there any objections or specifications who says that Active Directory

cannot be install on a cluster server ? We planned to install Active
Directory on those 2 servers.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the answer, but I have another question about domainlet. Can I simply use the current domain and simply promote my server to this domain or I must create a domainlet ?

How domainlet could be a best solution and why ?

Thank you

Sebastien

 

[Simon Geary]

A domainlet must be a separate AD domain, it cannot have anything to do with
your existing AD.

The cluster service account must be a domain account and therefore the
cluster nodes need access to AD. If you have a problem with AD this means
your cluster may also fail so the idea is to give the nodes access to a
domain without any of the associated authentication overhead. However, if
you have a robust AD installation with multiple DC's and redundancy you may
not consider this necessary. Have a read of this page for more information.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/administration/cluster/domainlets.asp

Thanks for the answer, but I have another question about domainlet. Can I

simply use the current domain and simply promote my server to this domain or
I must create a domainlet ?

 

[Guest]

Thanks a lot !!!

Sebastien

A domainlet must be a separate AD domain, it cannot have anything to do with
your existing AD.

The cluster service account must be a domain account and therefore the
cluster nodes need access to AD. If you have a problem with AD this means
your cluster may also fail so the idea is to give the nodes access to a
domain without any of the associated authentication overhead. However, if
you have a robust AD installation with multiple DC's and redundancy you may
not consider this necessary. Have a read of this page for more information.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/administration/cluster/domainlets.asp


simply use the current domain and simply promote my server to this domain or
I must create a domainlet ?