Step 5: Test the Failover Cluster

You should ensure your failover environment is functioning properly after configuration. You can test the cluster by simulating a failover from the Cluster Administrator. The process to test the cluster is:

1. Transfer a file on Node 1 to ensure that you can connect to the server via the cluster and to ensure that logging is functioning properly.
2. Move services from Node 1 to Node 2 via the MSCS management console to simulate a service-level failover.
3. Transfer a file on Node 2 to ensure that you can connect to the server via the cluster and to ensure that logging is functioning properly.

To transfer a file on Node 1:

1. Ensure Node 1 is active. To ensure Node 1 is active, in the left pane of the Cluster Administrator window under the cluster, click Services and Applications > <generic service>, where <generic service> is the name of the Generic Service you created in Step 4 of the cluster configuration. Verify that the Status of each Server and Service is Online and that the Current Owner is Node 1.

   In Windows Server 2012, verify that Node 1 is active under Nodes.

2. Connect to the cluster with a file transfer client via the Client Access Point (CAP) IP address, then transfer a file (for example, node1active.log) to ensure the active node is functioning properly.

   If you cannot connect to the cluster, ensure that you can ping the cluster, CAP, and both node IP addresses from your client, that you properly configured IP addresses associated with the cluster, and that both nodes have the proper firewall exceptions.

3. Check the log file to ensure that logging is functioning properly.

The file in the screenshot was sent from Node 1.

If logging is not functioning properly, ensure that the registry key to the logging directory is set to the proper UNC path (see the Changing the log file path article in the Ipswitch Knowledge Base), that the Windows share has proper permissions if applicable (see Configuring Windows Share Permissions for Failover Clusters), and that you restarted the Ipswitch Logging Service after editing Ipswitch registry entries. Restart logging service on both nodes after you make any changes.

To move services from Node 1 to Node 2:

Windows Server 2008 R2:

1. Open MSCS from Administrative Tools > Failover Cluster Management. The Failover Cluster Management main window opens. In the left pane, you should see the Generic Service that you set up under Services and Applications.
2. Right-click the Generic Service and select Move this service or application to another node > 1 - Move to node <Node 2>, where <Node 2> is the name of Node 2 in the cluster. The Ipswitch services move from the active node (Node 1) to the passive node (Node 2). When finished, the Status of each Server and Service should be Online and the Current Owner should be Node 2.

Windows Server 2012:

1. Open MSCS from Administrative Tools > Failover Cluster Management. The Failover Cluster Management main window opens.
2. In the left pane, open the cluster and select Roles.
3. In the action pane, right-click Node 1 and select Move > Best Possible Node or Select Node. The Ipswitch services move from the active node (Node 1) to the passive node (Node 2,the node you selected). When finished, the Status of each Server and Service should be Online and the Owner Node should be Node 2.

To transfer a file on Node 2:

1. Connect to the cluster with a file transfer client again, then transfer any file (for example, node2active.log) to ensure the cluster is functioning properly.
2. Check the log file again to ensure that logging is functioning properly. You will see that you have connected to Node 2 through the cluster.

The file in the screenshot was sent from Node 2.

1. Move services back to Node 1 when finished.