How to install the Windows failover clustering from the command line ?
First, you should make sure that the nodes, running Windows Server 2012 R2 that you are intending to add to the cluster are part of the same domain, and proceed to install the Failover-Cluster feature on them. This is very similar to conventional Cluster installs running on Windows Servers. To install the feature, you can use the Server Manager to complete the installation.
Server Manager can be used to install the Failover Clustering feature:
Introducing Server Manager in Windows Server 2012
http://blogs.technet.com/b/askcore/archive/2012/11/04/introducing-server-manager-in-windows-server-2012.aspx
We can alternatively use PowerShell (Admin) to install the Failover Clustering feature on the nodes.
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Failover-Clustering -IncludeManagementTools
An important point to note is that PowerShell Cmdlet ‘Add-WindowsFeature’ is being replaced by ‘Install-WindowsFeature’ in Windows Server 2012 R2. PowerShell does not install the management tools for the feature requested unless you specify ‘-IncludeManagementTools’ as part of your command.
BONUS READ:
The Cluster Command line tool (CLUSTER.EXE) has been deprecated; but, if you still want to install it, it is available under:
Remote Server Administration Tools –> Feature Administration Tools –> Failover Clustering Tools –> Failover Cluster Command Interface in the Server Manager
The PowerShell (Admin) equivalent to install it:
Install-WindowsFeature -Name RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface
Now that we have Failover Clustering feature installed on our nodes. Ensure that all connected hardware to the nodes passes the Cluster Validation tests. Let us now go on to create our cluster. You cannot create an AD detached clustering from Cluster Administrator and the only way to create the AD-Detached Cluster is by using PowerShell.
New-Cluster MyCluster -Node My2012R2-N1,My2012R2-N2 -StaticAddress 192.168.1.15 -NoStorage -AdministrativeAccessPoint DNS
NOTE:
In my example above, I am using static IP Addresses, so one would need to be specified. If you are using DHCP for addresses, the switch “-StaticAddress 192.168.1.15 ” would be excluded from the command.
Once we have executed the command, we would have a new cluster created with the name “MyCluster” with two nodes “My2012R2-N1” and “My2012R2-N2”. When you look Active Directory, there will not be a computer object created for the Cluster “MyCluster”; however, you would see the record as the Access Point in DNS.
