Maximum number of supported nodes in a cluster

This article describes the maximum number of supported nodes that are permitted in a cluster.

The server clusters feature of Windows Clustering supports a certain maximum number of servers in a cluster. Servers in a cluster are also called nodes. The maximum number of nodes varies depending on the version of the operating system. Microsoft does not recommend that you run a cluster with mixed operating system versions on the nodes. For example, Microsoft does not recommend that you run a cluster with one node running Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and the other node running Microsoft Windows Server 2003. This configuration should only occur during a rolling upgrade.

Microsoft only supports mixed-mode clusters that are one operating system version apart. For example, you can run a Windows NT 4.0 node and a Windows 2000 node in the same cluster, or you can run a Windows 2000 node and a Windows Server 2003 node in the same cluster. Microsoft does not support running a Windows NT 4.0 node and a Windows Server 2003 node in the same cluster.

The following table outlines the maximum number of nodes that are supported in a cluster and the required shared disk configuration. If you are running a mixed-mode cluster, the maximum number of supported nodes is that of the most restrictive node. For example, if you have a three-node Windows Server 2003 cluster (whose maximum number of nodes is eight), and you add a single Windows 2000 Datacenter Server node, the maximum number of nodes is reduced to four.