Windows 2016 Domainless Cluster

  • I'm trying to build a cluster without a domain (a so-called Workgroup Cluster) using the instructions found here: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/clustering/2015/08/17/workgroup-and-multi-domain-clusters-in-windows-server-2016/

    I am building entirely within Azure. I spun up two virtual machines based on the Marketplace Template (Windows Server 2016 Datacenter), one called mjellinek-sql0 and the other mjellinek-sql1.

    There is no NSG. I've disabled Windows Firewall on both nodes and applied all updates.

    I set the primary DNS suffix based on what was returned by IPCONFIG. I did this on both nodes (the same value). I also installed Failover Clustering on both nodes.

    When I run the PowerShell cmdlet New-Cluster -Name SQLCLUSTER -Node mjellinek-sql0, mjellinek-sql1 -AdministrativeAccessPoint DNS; I get back the non-specific error "RPC Server is not available". I tried using the Cluster Wizard, it passes validation, but setting up the cluster fails with the same error. I've checked the Report in C:\Windows\Clustering\Reports and it documents the same error with no additional detail.

    Any pointers?

  • I tried setting this up locally, and had to use fixed IP addresses and records in the hosts file, which seemed a particularly unpleasant hack. See also Klaus Aschenbrenner's article on this[/url], although that was using a preview version of Windows 2016...

    Thomas Rushton
    blog: https://thelonedba.wordpress.com

  • marcjell (11/8/2016)


    I'm trying to build a cluster without a domain (a so-called Workgroup Cluster) using the instructions found here: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/clustering/2015/08/17/workgroup-and-multi-domain-clusters-in-windows-server-2016/

    I am building entirely within Azure. I spun up two virtual machines based on the Marketplace Template (Windows Server 2016 Datacenter), one called mjellinek-sql0 and the other mjellinek-sql1.

    There is no NSG. I've disabled Windows Firewall on both nodes and applied all updates.

    I set the primary DNS suffix based on what was returned by IPCONFIG. I did this on both nodes (the same value). I also installed Failover Clustering on both nodes.

    When I run the PowerShell cmdlet New-Cluster -Name SQLCLUSTER -Node mjellinek-sql0, mjellinek-sql1 -AdministrativeAccessPoint DNS; I get back the non-specific error "RPC Server is not available". I tried using the Cluster Wizard, it passes validation, but setting up the cluster fails with the same error. I've checked the Report in C:\Windows\Clustering\Reports and it documents the same error with no additional detail.

    Any pointers?

    In Azure, although you have disabled the windows firewall I believe you'll still need to create some azure firewall rules to route the traffic between the nodes

    ThomasRushton (11/8/2016)


    I tried setting this up locally, and had to use fixed IP addresses and records in the hosts file, which seemed a particularly unpleasant hack.

    Not a hack, it's required if you have no domain and no primary DNS suffix, all name resolution is carried out locally and is handled by the Hosts file on the local machine

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

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