Cluster Service May Not Start if DC Is Unavailable

• Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 - Microsoft Cluster Server

SYMPTOMS

If you install Microsoft Cluster Server on a non-domain controller, the cluster service may not start and may yield the following events in the system event log:

   EVENT:       7013
   SOURCE:      Service Control Manager
   DESCRIPTION: Logon attempt with current password failed with the
                following error: There are currently no logon servers
                available to service the logon request.

   EVENT:       7000
   SOURCE:      Service Control Manager
   DESCRIPTION: The Cluster Service failed to start due to the following
                error: The service did not start due to a logon failure.

CAUSE

The cluster service could not start because the domain account that it uses could not be validated. This situation may occur if domain controllers are unavailable and the cluster nodes are only members of the domain -- not domain controllers. Clusters in a domain with only one domain controller have a much higher potential for this type of failure.

RESOLUTION

To reduce the potential for cluster startup failure, do one of the following:

• Install Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition on each cluster node as a domain controller, prior to installing Microsoft Cluster Server.

  -or-

• Install additional domain controllers within the domain and make sure they are available to the cluster at all times.