Automating patching of operating systems in Microsoft Windows clusters
You can patch Windows clusters using Server Automation Fixlets. To automate the workflow, you combine the Fixlets in an Automation Plan. The Automation Plan that automates the workflow includes a Fixlet to pause the node that you are patching. Another Fixlet moves any groups on the node to another node. The Fixlets to patch the operating system are run next. The last Fixlet in the workflow resumes the node. The Fixlets to pause and resume the nodes are operating system-specific and the supported operating systems are described in the Fixlet descriptions. There are two procedures described in this topic, one to patch clusters on Windows 2003 and 2008 operating systems and another to patch clusters on Windows 2008 Release 2 and later operating systems.
Before you begin
About this task
The following procedure is designed for use with a cluster set up with a quorum configured for the following systems:
- DiskWitness only (2012 systems)
- NoMajority (Disk Only) (2008 systems)
- Standard Quorum (2003 systems)
Complete the following steps to patch a Windows cluster using the Server Automation Fixlets.
Procedure
- Pause the node or nodes in the cluster that you want to patch. Run Fixlet 112 Pause Node in the Cluster (Windows 2003) to pause the node on Windows 2003 and Fixlet 116 Pause Node in the Cluster (Windows 2008-2012) to pause the node on Windows 2008 and 2012. When running the Fixlet to pause the node, target each node that you want to pause.
- Move any groups on the node to another node. Use Fixlet 111 Move Groups from Node in the Cluster (Windows 2003) to move groups on Windows 2003 and use Fixlet 114 Move Groups from Node in the Cluster (Windows 2008-2012) to move groups on Windows 2008 and 2012.
- Patch or update the node as required. If you use a Baseline to patch the node, check if the Baseline contains an action script that causes the node to report a status of Pending Restart, for example, action requires restart. If the node returns a Pending Restart status, the system determines this as a wait state and does not complete the step. To correct this, you must include a restart Fixlet as part of the Baseline.
- Resume the node. To resume on Windows 2003, use Fixlets 113 Resume Node in the Cluster (Windows 2003). To resume on Windows 2008 or Windows 2012, use Fixlets 115 Resume Node in the Cluster (Windows 2008-2012).
- Repeat this process for the remaining nodes in the cluster.
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
- Before running any of the patching steps, the control scripts must be installed. Use Task 110-Install Windows Cluster Control Application to install the control scripts on each of the endpoints.
- Powershell must be installed on the node. Powershell is installed by default on all instances of Microsoft Server from 2008 Release 2 onwards, except for core installations. For core installations, use the following links to install Powershell:
About this task
Complete a procedure similar to the following to automate the patching process.