INFO: Use the "-localquorum" Switch to Install a Single-Node MSCS Cluster

If you specify the "-localquorum" parameter when starting the Microsoft Cluster Server setup program you can obtain a Local Quorum Cluster.

The preceding procedure foregoes the need of having a shared SCSI disk and thus you can install a Cluster on a regular workstation running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server Enterprise Edition or Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Data Center. This setup is ideal for developing and testing custom resource DLL's and Cluster-aware programs. However, you are unable to test failover capabilities nor properly test a resource that has a dependency on a disk resource. Additionally, you are only able to install Cluster Service on one node (computer) when using this switch. It is not possible to form a multi-node cluster when the cluster has been set up using this switch.
A Local Quorum is primarily used for testing cluster resources without the expense of cluster hardware. In certain situations, you can use a single node cluster with a local quorum in production. If you do not have any "Physical Disk" or third-party storage resources and only have a Local Quorum as the storage device, you can run in production to take advantage of the multiple network name and IP address' functionality. If a Physical Disk or third-party storage resource is installed or created, the cluster must be listed on the Cluster HCL.

To install a Windows NT 4.0 Local Quorum Cluster:

1. Insert the Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition Component CD-ROM.
2. Run "setup -localquorum" from the \MSCS\Cluster\I386 (or alpha) directory. This starts the Microsoft Cluster Server Setup wizard.

To install a Windows 2000 Local Quorum Cluster:

1. From the Control Panel, click Add/Remove Programs.
2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. Click Cluster Service, and then click Next. Finish the setup.
4. The Cluster Configuration Wizard is displayed. Click Cancel to cancel out of the Wizard, and then click Next to acknowledge the informational message about the need to run the cluster configuration later on.
5. From %Systemroot%\Cluster, run "cluscfg -localquorum". This starts the Cluster Service Configuration wizard.

From this point follow the wizard's instructions just as if you were setting up a regular Cluster. The only difference is that you are not prompted to select the Quorum disk.