Cannot proceed because Microsoft Cluster Service is installed

[E.R.]

OS: Server 2003 EE
Issue: NLB won't load

Created a pair of servers in VMWare for cluster and NLB testing.

Launch Network Load Balancing Manager.
Cluster - New
When it tries to add either of the cloned server to the NLB cluster
the following error occurs


"Processing update 2 from "NLB Manager on $hostname"
Cannot proceed because Microsoft Cluster Service is installed"


Do I need to remove the MSCS somehow? How?

[Mike Rosado [MSFT]]

Hi E.R.

I'm by no means an expert in this subject matter of VMWare, but I'll try to
assist you to the best of my ability. You cannot have MSCS (Cluster
Services) and NLB on the same set of Cluster nodes.

235305 Interoperability between MSCS and NLB
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=235305

So you can use the following article to remove MSCS (Cluster Services), but
they cannot coexist on the same set of nodes.

282227 How to Uninstall the Cluster Service on a Windows Server 2003 Cluster
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=282227
--
Hope this helps,
Mike Rosado
Windows 2000 MCSE + MCDBA
Microsoft Enterprise Platform Support
Windows NT/2000/2003 Cluster Technologies

====================================================
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====================================================

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-----Original Message-----

Post by E.R.
OS: Server 2003 EE
Issue: NLB won't load
Created a pair of servers in VMWare for cluster and NLB testing.
Launch Network Load Balancing Manager.
Cluster - New
When it tries to add either of the cloned server to the NLB cluster
the following error occurs
"Processing update 2 from "NLB Manager on $hostname"
Cannot proceed because Microsoft Cluster Service is installed"
Do I need to remove the MSCS somehow? How?

[E.R.]

Post by Mike Rosado [MSFT]
Hi E.R.
I'm by no means an expert in this subject matter of VMWare, but I'll try to
assist you to the best of my ability. You cannot have MSCS (Cluster
Services) and NLB on the same set of Cluster nodes.
235305 Interoperability between MSCS and NLB
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=235305
So you can use the following article to remove MSCS (Cluster Services), but
they cannot coexist on the same set of nodes.
282227 How to Uninstall the Cluster Service on a Windows Server 2003 Cluster
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=282227

I should have noted that I'd found the article referenced and it
failed.

After some thought here is the backstory

Created ServerA and ServerB with Server 2003 EE.

Installed MSCS on ServerA and ServerB

Tested and fiddled some with ServerA and ServerB and the application

Received new request to test NLB with Server 2003 and another
application

Copied the VMWare files for ServerA to ServerC and ServerD

Renamed ServerC and ServerD so they had new IPs and hostnames and so
forth. At the time it seemed easier than creating a new install from
scratch.

So we have ServerA and ServerB in a MSCS. ServerC and ServerD need to
be in a NLB cluster, but are clones of ServerA and think they have
MSCS configured. I can't MAKE them 'forget' they have MSCS because
they seem to think they're not ServerA or B and the KB article's steps
on removing MSCS flat out doesn't work.

Early this a.m. I concluded the easiest, if not most elegant, way out
of this mess is to reinstall server 2003 EE on ServerC and ServerD and
get on with life. And that's what I'm doing.

~er

[Mike Rosado [MSFT]]

E.R.,

As I stated early on, I'm by no means an expert in this subject matter of
VMWare. But even though it's not most elegant of having to re-install the
OS on VMWare, I think in the long run you'll save a lot more time then
having to troubleshoot why the images are not working correctly.

Because in IMHO, evicting the nodes and using the /ForceCleanup switch
should have worked. Sorry I wasn't more helpful.
--
Regards,
Mike Rosado
Windows 2000 MCSE + MCDBA
Microsoft Enterprise Platform Support
Windows NT/2000/2003 Cluster Technologies

====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
====================================================

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
<http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm>

-----Original Message-----

Post by E.R.

Post by Mike Rosado [MSFT]
Hi E.R.
I'm by no means an expert in this subject matter of VMWare, but I'll try to
assist you to the best of my ability. You cannot have MSCS (Cluster
Services) and NLB on the same set of Cluster nodes.
235305 Interoperability between MSCS and NLB
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=235305
So you can use the following article to remove MSCS (Cluster Services), but
they cannot coexist on the same set of nodes.
282227 How to Uninstall the Cluster Service on a Windows Server 2003 Cluster
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=282227

I should have noted that I'd found the article referenced and it
failed.
After some thought here is the backstory
Created ServerA and ServerB with Server 2003 EE.
Installed MSCS on ServerA and ServerB
Tested and fiddled some with ServerA and ServerB and the application
Received new request to test NLB with Server 2003 and another
application
Copied the VMWare files for ServerA to ServerC and ServerD
Renamed ServerC and ServerD so they had new IPs and hostnames and so
forth. At the time it seemed easier than creating a new install from
scratch.
So we have ServerA and ServerB in a MSCS. ServerC and ServerD need to
be in a NLB cluster, but are clones of ServerA and think they have
MSCS configured. I can't MAKE them 'forget' they have MSCS because
they seem to think they're not ServerA or B and the KB article's steps
on removing MSCS flat out doesn't work.
Early this a.m. I concluded the easiest, if not most elegant, way out
of this mess is to reinstall server 2003 EE on ServerC and ServerD and
get on with life. And that's what I'm doing.
~er

[E.R.]

Post by Mike Rosado [MSFT]
E.R.,
As I stated early on, I'm by no means an expert in this subject matter of
VMWare. But even though it's not most elegant of having to re-install the
OS on VMWare, I think in the long run you'll save a lot more time then
having to troubleshoot why the images are not working correctly.
Because in IMHO, evicting the nodes and using the /ForceCleanup switch
should have worked. Sorry I wasn't more helpful.

FYI

I did build a new server in VMWare, then cloned _that_ to use as the
other failover cluster, at which time I discovered that the second
server would not join the failover cluster. Uninstalling and
reinstalling the NICs fixed that problem.

~er