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How to Create a Server Cluster File Share with Cluster.exe

Article ID: 284838 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q284838

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SUMMARY

This article describes how to create a server cluster file share with the Cluster.exe tool.

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The way in which you create file shares on a server cluster differs from the way in which you create them on a stand-alone server. For clustering purposes, you do not create the file shares through Windows Explorer. Instead, you create a "File Share" resource in Cluster Administrator. This file share resouce must depend on a Physical Disk, and Network Name resource. This establishes the start order and verifies that the NetBIOS and disk that the folder resides on are available before you bring the resource online. Cluster.exe is a tool useful for automation, or when you script a large number of resource creations.

You may find it easier to create file shares by using Cluster Administrator. For additional information, click the article number about how to use it below to view the article about how to use it in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

224967

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/224967/EN-US/ )

How to Create File Shares on a Cluster

If you are creating multiple File Share resources, you may want to use Dynamic File Shares as a better alternative (such as with home directories). For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256926

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256926/EN-US/ )

Implementing Home Folders on a Server Cluster

Here is a sample of a batch files that you could use to create a File Share resource in a group that already contains the Network Name, and Physical Disk resources. Below you will see an explanation of each line. The example below assumes that you have a group called "Disk Group 1" with a "Disk X:".

X:
MD ClusterFS
cluster. res "ClusterFS" /create /group:"Disk Group 1" /type:"File Share"
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv path="X:\ClusterFS"
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv Sharename=ClusFileShare
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv Remark="This is a File Share"
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /prop Description="This is a Clustered Share"
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv security=Domain\User,grant,c:security
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv ShareSubDirs=1
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /AddDep:"Disk X:"
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /AddDep:"Network Name"
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /On

Details

cluster . res "ClusterFS" /Create /Group:"Disk Group 1" /Type:"File Share"
This creates the File Share resource in the cluster group named "Disk Group 1". Note: You do not want to put anything into, or out of the default Cluster Group.
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv Path="X:\ClusterFS"
This sets the local path to the file share to X:\ClusterFS. Verify that the path exists, and that it is accessible.
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv ShareName=ClusFileShare
This sets the share name for the resource, and is the name that clients will use to connect to.
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv Remark="This is a File Share"
This sets the remarks for the file share. The remark is what the client will see when browsing the virtual server.
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /prop Description="This is a Clustered Share"
This gives the resource a description in Cluster Administrator. This name is only for identification in CluAdmin.
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv security=Domain\User,grant,c:security

This gives the user account "User" from domain "Domain" change share level rights to the File Share resource.

Access types are grant, deny, set, or revoke. An access mask is required for the types grant, deny, or set. Access masks are "R" for read, "C" for change, and "F" for full.

This can also be used to grant multiple users rights at the same time, here is the syntax for the security switch:
Security=Domain\User1,grant,C,Domain\User2,revoke,everyone,set,F:security
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /priv ShareSubDirs=1
This sets the file share to dynamic (which translates to "share all subdirectories"). You will need to omit this line if you are creating a standard file share.
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /AddDep:"Disk X:"
This makes the File Share resource dependent on the Physical Disk resource for disk X:\, on which the file share resides.
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /AddDep:"Network Name"
This makes the File Share resource dependent on a Network Name resource. This needs to be an already existing Network Name resource.
cluster . res "ClusterFS" /On
This brings the newly created File Share resource online.

Other Cluster.exe commands can be found by going into the Windows 2000 Command Reference help file, or by typing cluster.exe /? from a command prompt.

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