If you would like to read the other parts in this article series please go to:
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 1)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 2)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 3)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 4)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 5)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 6)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 7)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 8)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 9)
Throughout this article series, we have explained the process for deploying a Hyper-V cluster successfully via Virtual Machine Manager. In part 9 of this article series, we explained the process involved in deploying a new or an existing virtual machine to a Hyper-V cluster via VMM console.
Using Failover Cluster Manager, you can add a virtual machine as a cluster resource. You can add a new or an existing virtual machine in a Hyper-V cluster. Let’s take a look at the steps involved in making a virtual machine highly available via Failover Cluster Manager snap-in.
In the Failover Cluster Manager, right click on the “Roles” node under the failover cluster and then select one of the two options; “Configure Role” or “New Virtual Machine” under “Virtual Machines” action as shown in the figure 1.0 below
Figure 1.0: Right Click Actions on Roles node in Failover Cluster Manager
As you can see in the figure above, by clicking the “New Virtual Machine” action, Failover Cluster Manager allows you to deploy a new virtual machine in the Hyper-V cluster. In case you wish to add an existing virtual machine to the Hyper-V cluster, you will select “Configure Role” action which is explained in the later section of this article.
When you click on the “New Virtual Machine” action, the Failover Cluster Manager will present you the list of Hyper-V nodes in the cluster as shown in the figure 1.1 below.
Figure 1.1: Selecting Hyper-V node for New Virtual Machine
Before you can proceed, you need to select one of the Hyper-V nodes. Select the appropriate Hyper-V node where you want to deploy new virtual machine and then click Ok button to display the “New Virtual Machine Wizard” as shown in the figure 1.2 below.
Figure 1.2: New Virtual Machine Wizard in Failover Cluster Manager
You might have noticed that the New Virtual Machine Wizard looks similar to what you see when you create a new virtual machine via the Hyper-V manager. Hyper-V implements VMCLUSEX.DLL that is responsible for providing interfaces to configure and control virtual machine settings via the Failover Cluster Manager. Hyper-V also implements its own Resource DLL (HVCLUSRES.DLL) to achieve high availability of virtual machines in a failover cluster. The resource DLL (VMCLUSRES.DLL) contains the necessary instructions to bring virtual machine online, offline, etc.
You can find VMCLUSRES.DLL and VMCLUSEX.DLL files under the \Windows\System32 folder as shown in the screenshot below.
Figure 1.3
Tip:
In case you don’t see New Virtual Machine wizard interface or have any issues in creating a virtual machine via the Failover Cluster Manager, try registering VMCLUSRES.DLL and VMCLUSEX.DLL by issuing the commands listed below:
- Regsvr32.exe VMCLUSRES.DLL
- Regsvr32.exe VMCLUSEX.DLL
Since the steps for creating a new virtual machine is relatively simple and you might have done this before using the Hyper-V Manager, I will not walk you through all the configuration pages available on the New Virtual Machine Creation wizard.
After configuring virtual machine parameters, click on the “Finish” button on the Summary page to allow failover cluster to deploy new virtual machine as a cluster resource in the Hyper-V cluster. Once you click Finish button on the Summary page, failover cluster will show you a message indicating that the new virtual machine was successfully configured in the failover cluster as shown in the figure 1.4 below:
Figure 1.4: Failover Cluster Configuring High Availability for Virtual Machine
You can also confirm the creation of the virtual machine in the failover cluster by navigating to the “Roles” node as shown in the figure 1.5 below:
Figure 1.5: Confirming Virtual Machine Creation under Failover Cluster
While you can use the above steps to deploy a new virtual machine in a failover cluster, but in case you wish to add an existing virtual machine to a Hyper-V failover cluster, you need to right click on the “Roles” node and then select “Configure Role” as shown in the figure 1.6 below.
Figure 1.6: Adding Existing Virtual Machine in Failover Cluster
On the “Before You Begin” page, click next button to see the list of roles available as shown in the figure 1.7 below. In the list of roles, select “Virtual Machine” as a role and then click Next button.
Figure 1.7: Selecting a Role in Failover Cluster Manager
On the next screen, High Availability Wizard will show the list of virtual machines from the all Hyper-V nodes configured in the failover cluster. All you need to do is select the virtual machines you want to make highly available and then click the Next button as shown in the figure 1.8 below.
Figure 1.8: Selecting Existing Virtual Machines in Failover Cluster Manager
At this stage, failover cluster is ready to make selected virtual machines highly available. On the Confirmation page, click Next button to allow failover cluster to add selected virtual machines in the Hyper-V failover cluster. If you wish to verify the addition of existing virtual machines in the failover cluster, navigate to the “Roles” node and then see the list of virtual machines you just added in the failover cluster as shown in the figure 1.9 below:
Figure 1.9: Verifying creation of Virtual Machine Cluster Resources in Failover Cluster
The above steps walk you through the process involved to deploy new or existing virtual machines to Hyper-V failover cluster using the Failover Cluster Manager. In case you wish to add virtual machines to a Hyper-V failover cluster using command line, you can use Add-ClusterVirtualMachineRole failover cluster PowerShell cmdlet as shown in the below commands:
- Add-ClusterVirtualMachineRole –VirtualMachine Gen2VM
The above command adds Gen2VM as a cluster resource in Hyper-V failover cluster. In case you need to change the preferred owner of the virtual machine, use Set-ClusterOwnerNode PowerShell cmdlet as shown in the command below:
- Set-ClusterOwnerNode –Group Gen2VM –Owner Secondary
Conclusion
In this article, we explained the process involved when creating a virtual machine highly available using failover cluster manager. We also looked at Add-ClusterVirtualMachineRole PowerShell cmdlet that you can use to add virtual machines to a Hyper-V failover cluster from the command line.
As you can see, it takes quite a bit of work before you can deploy a Hyper-V cluster via Virtual Machine Manager. Virtual Machine Manager is a great product for allowing VMM administrators to manage Hyper-V, VMware and Xen virtualization hosts in an easier and more reliable way.
If you would like to read the other parts in this article series please go to:
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 1)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 2)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 3)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 4)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 5)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 6)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 7)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 8)
- How to Successfully Create a Hyper-V Cluster Using Virtual Machine Manager (Part 9)
