Automating patching of clusters on Windows® 2008 Release 2 and later operating systems

To patch clusters with Windows® 2008 Release 2 and later operating systems, there are two enhanced patching Tasks available. Using these Tasks in an Automation Plan to automate the workflow reduces the number of group moves through the patching cycle, while maintaining the clustered applications availability for the maximum possible time during patching. The cluster groups remain on the nodes they were on before the patching for the maximum possible time and each node is returned to its original state after it is patched, rather than at the end of the entire cluster patching process.

Before you begin

About this task

You use an automation plan to process the automation flow and patch the nodes in the cluster. You complete the patching in two phases, in the first phase, you patch the first node or group of nodes. You then repeat the process on the second node or group of nodes. The cluster remains operational at all times throughout the patching process.

Complete a procedure similar to the following to automate the patching process.

Procedure

  1. Create a new automation plan or copy a suitable sample automation plan.
  2. Add Task 138 Pre Patching Task For Non Hyper-V Clustered Microsoft Servers (Version 2008 R2 onwards) as the first step in the plan. When you are running the plan, you target the first node or group of nodes.
    This Task performs the following functions:
    1. Creates a file that lists all groups and virtual machines in the cluster, including what nodes they are on and the states of each resource in the cluster. If there are empty groups (groups with no resources) in the cluster, a second file is created detailing these groups.
    2. Pauses the node.
    3. Moves any groups on the node that have other available owners. If there are no other potential owners available to take a group, the task will fail. If a group is set up to be online only on the current node, the task takes this group offline (groups with only the target node as the possible owner of the group or at least one of the resources in the group).
    4. Moves groups that have other available owners. If no other owners are available to take groups, the Task fails. Any groups set up to be online only on the current node (only target set as possible owner of the group or at least one resource in the group) are the taken offline.
    5. Takes any empty groups offline.
    6. Checks to ensure the node is paused and has no active groups remaining and is a state suitable for patching the server operating system.
    Note: This Task does not move any groups that were offline before the Task was run.
  3. Add a second step to the plan, selecting the Fixlet, Task, or Baseline to patch the underlying operating system. When you are running the plan, you target the first node or group of nodes.
  4. Add a third step to the plan, selecting Server Automation Task ID 126 Restart Endpoint and Wait for Endpoint to Restart. When you are running the plan, you target the first node or group of nodes.
  5. Add a fourth step to the plan, selecting Server Automation Task ID 129 Post Patching task for Microsoft Server Clusters (Server 2008 R2 onwards including Hyper-V Clusters). When you are running the plan, you target the first node or group of nodes.
    This Task performs the following functions:
    1. Resumes the node.
    2. If the cluster detail file is found on the targeted endpoints, the Task checks this file and moves any virtual machines and groups back on to the node if they were moved off the node during patching. The Task then brings back online any empty groups or groups which had the target node as the only possible owner of the group before patching.
  6. Add four more steps to the plan, to repeat the automation flow completed in steps 2 to 5 for the remaining nodes in the cluster. For each of these steps, you must target the second node or group of nodes in the cluster.