A hotfix is available to let you configure a cluster node that does not have quorum votes in Windows Server 2008 and in Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) uses a majority of votes to establish a quorum for determining cluster membership. Votes are assigned to nodes in the cluster or to a witness that is either a disk or a file share witness. You can use the Configure Cluster Quorum Wizard to configure the clusters quorum model. When you configure a Node Majority, Node and Disk Majority, or Node and File Share Majority quorum model, all nodes in the cluster are each assigned one vote. WSFC does not let you select the cluster nodes that vote for determining quorum.

After you apply this hotfix, you can configure a cluster node that does not have quorum votes.

After you apply the following hotfix, you can select which nodes vote. This functionality improves multi-site clusters. For example, you may want one site to have more votes than other sites in a disaster recovery. Without the following hotfix, you have to plan the numbers physical servers that are deployed to distribute the number of votes that you want for each site.

By default, all nodes in the cluster have one vote. After you apply the following hotfix, administrators can change the vote functionality in the quorum model by configuring a node to have 0 votes.

This hotfix adds the following functionality:

• The NodeWeight common property for nodes
  
  This property can be configured by using either the Get-ClusterNode Windows PowerShell cmdlet or the Cluster.exe command. For example, you run the following command at a command prompt:
  
  Cluster.exe . node <NodeName> /prop NodeWeight=0
  
  
  To query the NodeWeight common property, you can use the following PowerShell cmdlet command:
  
  Get-ClusterNode “NodeName” | fl *
  
  
  To modify the NodeWeight property, you can use the following PowerShell cmdlet command:
  
  (Get-ClusterNode “NodeName”).NodeWeight = 0
  
  
  A new NodeWeight property is added to the MSCluster_Node WMI class to let you manage node weights by using WMI.
• The PreventQuorum (PQ) switch
  
  This switch starts the Cluster service (ClusSvc) and prevents a node from reaching quorum. The Cluster service can be started by using the PQ switch. For example, you can run the following command at a command prompt:
  
  NET START ClusSvc /PQ
  
  The PQ switch can be used to enforce the cluster owner and to maintain consistency in the Cluster database.
  
  For example, you have a partitioned 2-node cluster in which NodeA has one vote and NodeB has zero votes. By default, NodeB cannot reach quorum and cannot start the cluster. However, the Cluster database may be updated when the ForceQuorum switch is used to start NodeB even if it does not have quorum. Therefore, NodeB has a newer Cluster database, and NodeB can prevents NodeA from starting and from incorrectly overwriting the updated Cluster database by using its one vote to reach quorum. The PQ switch can be used to prevent NodeA from reaching quorum. Therefore, NodeA waits until it can communicate with the existing cluster and until it can join the existing cluster that has NodeB to obtain the updated Cluster database and to maintain consistency.
  
  The PQ switch performs the opposite action of the ForceQuorum switch. The ForceQuorum switch allows the Cluster service to form a cluster even if it has not received a majority of votes. The PQ switch does not allow the Cluster service to form a cluster even if it has received a majority of votes.

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, submit a request to Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, you must be running one of the following operating systems:

• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1)

Additionally, the Failover Cluster feature must be installed.

For more information about how to obtain a Windows Server 2008 service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about how to obtain a Windows Server 2008 R2 service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Registry information

To use the hotfix in this package, you do not have to make any changes to the registry.

Restart requirement

You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

You must stop the Cluster service before you install this hotfix package to avoid the computer from automatically restarting.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace a previously released hotfix.

File information

The global version of this hotfix installs files that have the attributes that are listed in the following tables. The dates and the times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The dates and the times for these files on your local computer are displayed in your local time together with your current daylight saving time (DST) bias. Additionally, the dates and the times may change when you perform certain operations on the files.

Windows Server 2008 file information notes

Important Windows Vista hotfixes and Windows Server 2008 hotfixes are included in the same packages. However, only "Windows Vista" is listed on the Hotfix Request page. To request the hotfix package that applies to one or both operating systems, select the hotfix that is listed under "Windows Vista" on the page. Always refer to the "Applies To" section in articles to determine the actual operating system that each hotfix applies to.

• The files that apply to a specific product, SR_Level (RTM, SPn), and service branch (LDR, GDR) can be identified by examining the file version numbers as shown in the following table.
  Collapse this tableExpand this table

  Version	Product	SR_Level	Service branch
  6.0.600 2 . 22xxx	Windows Server 2008	SP2	LDR

• The MANIFEST files (.manifest) and the MUM files (.mum) that are installed for each environment are listed separately in the "Additional file information for Windows Server 2008" section. MUM files and MANIFEST files, and the associated security catalog (.cat) files, are extremely important to maintain the state of the updated components. The security catalog files, for which the attributes are not listed, are signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008

For all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 R2 file information notes

Important Windows 7 hotfixes and Windows Server 2008 R2 hotfixes are included in the same packages. However, hotfixes on the Hotfix Request page are listed under both operating systems. To request the hotfix package that applies to one or both operating systems, select the hotfix that is listed under "Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2" on the page. Always refer to the "Applies To" section in articles to determine the actual operating system that each hotfix applies to.

• The files that apply to a specific product, SR_Level (RTM, SPn), and service branch (LDR, GDR) can be identified by examining the file version numbers as shown in the following table.
  Collapse this tableExpand this table

  Version	Product	SR_Level	Service branch
  6.1.760 0 . 16xxx	Windows Server 2008 R2	RTM	GDR
  6.1.760 0 . 20xxx	Windows Server 2008 R2	RTM	LDR
  6.1.760 1 . 17xxx	Windows Server 2008 R2	SP1	GDR
  6.1.760 1 . 21xxx	Windows Server 2008 R2	SP1	LDR

• The MANIFEST files (.manifest) and the MUM files (.mum) that are installed for each environment are listed separately in the "Additional file information for Windows Server 2008 R2" section. MUM and MANIFEST files, and the associated security catalog (.cat) files, are extremely important to maintain the state of the updated components. The security catalog files, for which the attributes are not listed, are signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2

For all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about how to configure the quorum in a failover cluster, visit the following TechNet website:
For more information about the MSCluster_Node class, visit the following MSDN website:

Additional file information

Additional file information for Windows Server 2008

Additional files for all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008

Additional files for all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008

Additional files for all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008

Additional file information for Windows Server 2008 R2

Additional files for all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2

Additional files for all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2