Quorum Servers Considerations

Enabling or configuring quorum service is a post-install configuration task.  Stratus recommends configuring two quorum service computers: a preferred quorum server and an alternate. For an overview of quorum servers, see Quorum Servers.

Quorum service software, if deployed, can be installed on any general-purpose computer or laptop running the Windows operating system with these requirements:

• OS: Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8; always powered on
• Disk space: 100 MB (minimum)
• NIC: at least one (1)
• Connectivity: Available to the everRun configuration via the management network

To install quorum server software:

1. Open the Downloads page at http://www.stratus.com/go/support/everrun: scroll down to the Software Downloads section and then, for Select Product & Version, select everRun and the appropriate version number.
2. Scroll down to the Drivers and Tools section and then click Quorum Service to download the quorum server software installer file to the quorum server.
3. On the quorum server, double click the installer file.

In addition, consider the following for quorum service best practices:

• Configure two quorum service computers with minimum common networking between the quorum computers and the hosts.
• As installed, protected VMs contact quorum service computers using UDP port 4557. Firewalls must permit everRun-protected VMs to contact quorum service computers using UDP port 4557. (If this port assignment conflicts with your local infrastructure, you can use different port numbers when you configure the quorum servers using the everRun Availability Console.)
• Quorum service computers should not reside on the same site as any host when deploying in a SplitSite. If both preferred and alternate quorum computers fail for a common reason, VMs will gracefully downgrade redundancy, and then continue to operate using one host, pending recovery of a quorum computer. However, if a host and the elected quorum computer fail for a common reason, the VMs running on the surviving server shut themselves down. For additional information about quorum servers and SplitSite configurations, see SplitSite Network Requirements and SplitSite Configurations.
• If the preferred and alternate quorum service computers must reside on a common site, power them from separate AC power sources (phases) or configure them on separate UPS devices.

Related Topics

Physical Machines and Virtual Machines

Configuring Quorum Servers

The everRun Availability Console

Using the everRun Availability Console