This blog discusses a new feature in the upcoming release of Windows Server 2019. Currently, Windows Insiders receive current builds of Windows Server 2019. We urge you to become an Insider and play a part in making Windows Server 2019 the best that it can be. To do so, go to this link and sign up.
Cluster Sets is a new feature in Windows Server 2019 that was first introduced at Ignite 2017. Cluster Sets is the new cloud scale-out technology in this preview release that increases cluster node count in a single Software Defined Data Center (SDDC) cloud by orders of magnitude. A Cluster Set is a loosely-coupled grouping of multiple Failover Clusters: compute, storage or hyper-converged. The Cluster Sets technology enables virtual machine fluidity across member clusters within a cluster set and a unified storage namespace across the set in support of virtual machine fluidity. This will give you the benefit of hyperscale and continue to maintain great resiliency. So in more clearer words, you are pseudo clustering clusters together while not putting all your eggs in one basket. You can now have multiple baskets to maintain greater flexibility.
While preserving existing Failover Cluster management experiences on member clusters, a Cluster Set instance additionally offers key use cases, such as lifecycle management. The Windows Server Preview Scenario Evaluation Guide for Cluster Sets provides you the necessary background information along with step-by-step instructions to evaluate cluster sets technology using PowerShell.
Here is a video providing a brief overview of what Cluster Sets is and can do.
The evaluation guide to read more about Cluster Sets along with information on how to set it up is listed on the Microsoft Docs page where this, and numerous other Microsoft products are covered. The quick link to the Cluster Sets page is https://aka.ms/Cluster_Sets.
Finally, there is a GitHub lab scenario where you can set this up on your own and try it out that gives you additional instructions.
We hope that you try it out and provide feedback. Feedback can be done in two ways:
- The Feedback Hub on Windows 10
- Email Cluster Sets Feedback. This alias has been set up to provide feedback only.
Thanks,
John Marlin
Senior Program Manager
High Availability and Storage