Build a Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Cluster Using PowerShell

I’ve previously posted a short and basic script that would build a Hyper-V Failover Cluster, but I’ve updated that script since for use in demos.  You can find my new script below.

What does it do?

1. A new cluster is built with no attached storage.  My latest incarnation of my demos uses a Scale-Out File Server for the storage.
2. It renames the cluster networks. Note that I’ve used converged fabrics via a virtual switch.
3. Runs a function called Add-VMsToCluster which will scan all the cluster nodes for VMs to make them highly available
4. Add-VMsToCluster will run a workflow which will in turn add VMs to the cluster in parallel (up to 5 at a time – a POSH subsystem restriction that Jeff Wouters helped me identify) rather than one at a time (which would be slower)

Things missing from the script:

• There’s no error checking
• Damned if I can find out how to set the Live Migration network for a cluster.  Don’t bother sending me your POSH cmdlets for configuring Live Migration networks for non-clustered hosts; that has no effect on clustered hosts.

Here’s the script:

####

# Written by Aidan Finn, @joe_elway, https://aidanfinn.com
# Author of Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Installation And Configuration Guide
#
# Copyright
###########
# You may use and modify this script free of charge and without permission.
# You may not reproduce or share this script. Please forward people to this
# this page instead.
#
# Waiver
########
# You are solely responsible for testing and using this script and any
# results/problems. There is no support for this script.

Workflow Invoke-AddVMToCluster
{
Param (
[parameter(Mandatory=$true)][String[]] $VMList,
[parameter(Mandatory=$true)][String[]] $ClusterName
)

[string]$TheCluster = $ClusterName

ForEach -Parallel ($VM in $VMList)
    {
    Add-ClusterVirtualMachineRole -VMName $VM -Cluster $TheCluster
    }
# End of workflow
}

Function Add-VMsToCluster ($ClusterName)
{
$ClusterNodes = Get-ClusterNode -Cluster $ClusterName

ForEach ($AddNode in $ClusterNodes)
    {
    $VMList = Get-VM -Name * -ComputerName $AddNode
    If ($VMList -ne $null)
        {
        Invoke-AddVMToCluster -VMList $VMList.Name $ClusterName
        }
    }
# End of function
}

# The script starts here
CLS
Write-Host "Creating the cluster"
New-Cluster -Name demo-hvc1 -StaticAddress 192.168.1.61 -Node demo-host1, demo-host2 -NoStorage

Write-Host "Waiting 10 seconds for the cluster to initialise"
Start-Sleep -s 10

# This cluster is using storage provided by a Scale-Out File Server instead of traditional SAN
Write-Host "Configuring quorum to use file share witness"
Set-ClusterQuorum -NodeAndFileShareMajority \demo-sofs1HVC1-Witness

Write-Host "Renaming the cluster networks"
(Get-ClusterNetwork | where-object {$_.Address -eq "172.16.1.0"}).Name = "vEthernet (Host-Cluster)"
(Get-ClusterNetwork | where-object {$_.Address -eq "172.16.2.0"}).Name = "vEthernet (Host-LiveMigration)"
(Get-ClusterNetwork | where-object {$_.Address -eq "192.168.1.0"}).Name = "vEthernet (Host-Parent)"

Write-Host "Adding any existing VMs to the cluster"
Add-VMsToCluster "demo-hvc1"

####

This information has been brought to you by Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Installation and Configuration Guide (available on pre-order on Amazon) where you’ll find lots of PowerShell like in this script: