How to change the Quorum Disk Resource in MSCS

Author: NetworkAdminKB.com
Created: 2002-11-22
Modified: 2008-11-19

Solution:

Use the following procedure to change the Quorum disk resource in Microsoft Cluster Services.

1)      Backup the Cluster Configuration (system state) using NTBackup.exe

2)      Using your SAN add the New Quorum disk to the all nodes in the Cluster

3)      Log in to the Primary Cluster Node

a.       Using Computer Management go to Disk Management

                                                               i.      Configure the new disk as a Basic, not Dynamic.

                                                             ii.      Format the New Disk and assign a drive letter

4)      Log in to all other Cluster Nodes and assign the same drive letter

5)      Start the Cluster Administrator on the Primary Cluster Node

a.       Add the New Quorum drive to the Cluster Group as a new physical drive

                                                Add new quorum drive

b.      Bring the New Quorum drive online

c.       Change the Quorum drive to the new drive

                                                               i.      Right Click the Cluster Name in the top left corner of Cluster Administrator

                                                             ii.      Select Properties

                                                            iii.      Click the Quorum Tab

                                                           iv.      Select the New Quorum drive as the Quorum Resource

                                                             v.      Click Apply

                                                           vi.      Click OK

                                    Change quorum drive

d.      Take the Old Quorum drive off line

      

e.       Delete the Old Quorum drive from the Cluster Group

6)      Optional: Change the drive letter on the New Quorum drive to be the old drive letter.

a.       On the Primary Cluster Node start Computer Management and go to Disk Management

                                                               i.      Remove the Drive letter of the Old Quorum drive.

                                                             ii.      Change the drive letter on the New Quorum drive to be the old drive letter.

1.      Example: If Old Quorum drive was Q: then change the New Quorum drive to Q:

2.      Click Yes to continue with operation, the change will happen immediately

                                                            iii.      Repeat this step on each node of the cluster.

1.      Because the nodes haven’t been rebooted the newly assigned drive is still accessible via Disk Management.  Below are screen shots showing the before, during, and after change pictures.

b.      Restart all but the Primary Cluster Node to verify changes.

                                                               i.      After the reboot New Quorum disk will be labeled “unreadable”, and the Old Quorum disk will be shown.

c.       Using Cluster Administrator update the Disk Name to reflect the correct drive letter.

7)      Shut down all clustered servers

8)      Optional: Remove the Old Quorum Drive from all nodes of the cluster

9)      Start all clustered servers

 

More Information:

If you have problems you can restore the Cluster configuration from backup.  Please see Microsoft articles Q248998 and Q224999 for more information.

 

Another option is to try starting the cluster service with the “-debug –resetquorumlog” parameters.  This may reset the cluster database requiring you to reconfigure the cluster.

 

 

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Article ID: 12, Created On: 9/15/2011, Modified: 9/15/2011