All vSphere WSFC configurations require certain hardware and software components.
The following table lists hardware and software requirements that apply to all vSphere WSFC configurations.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Virtual SCSI adapter | LSI Logic SAS for Windows Server 2012 and above. VMware Paravirtual for Windows Server 2012 and above. (recommended) |
| Operating system | Windows Server 2012 and above releases. For supported guest operating systems see Other Clustering Requirements and Recommendations. |
| Virtual NIC |
VMXNET3 is required. You must activate in-guest Windows Receive Side Scaling (RSS) on the virtual NIC.
Note: Drivers, improvements and updates to the VMXNET3 virtual NIC are delivered through VMware Tools. Upgrade to the latest version of VMware Tools on any VM using the VMXNET3 virtual NIC.
|
| I/O timeout | Set to 60 seconds or more. Modify The system might reset this I/O timeout value if you re-create a cluster. You must reset the value in that case. |
| Disk format | pRDM (physical compatibility mode) vVol disks can be thin or thick format VMFS VMDKs with vSphere 7.0 |
| Disk and networking setup | Add networking before disks. |
| Number of nodes | Windows Server 2012 and above: up to five-node clustering For supported guest operating systems see Other Clustering Requirements and Recommendations. |
| NTP server | Synchronize Windows Active Directory domain controllers and WSFC nodes with a common NTP server, and deactivate host-based time synchronization. See KB 1189 for more information. |
The following table lists requirements that apply to Clustered VMDK as a disk resource for a WSFC.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Windows Cluster Parameters | Set the Windows Cluster Parameter QuorumArbitrationTimeMax to 60 |
| Physical disk /Storage Array LUN |
|
| VMFS Datastore |
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