Network Card Detection in Microsoft Cluster Server (201616)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition 4.0
This article was previously published under Q201616

SUMMARY

Microsoft Cluster Server has the ability to detect and use multiple network cards. The following article discusses the standard requirements for Microsoft Cluster Server to detect those cards.

MORE INFORMATION

Even though Windows Server Clusters successfully detect network cards in a computer, Cluster Server may not see them. The following requirements must be achieved for Cluster Server to use the network cards:

  • The network card must be bound to TCP/IP.
  • The network card must be of type Ethernet, token ring, or FDDI.
  • The network card must be on a different subnet than that of any other network cards in the computer. If two network cards are on the same subnet, Cluster Server will use only one of them.
NOTE: It is highly recommended that any additional cards installed in Microsoft Cluster Server be of type PCI. Furthermore, for hardware validation to be approved, the network cards do have to be of type PCI.

For additional information about the use of multiple network card use in Microsoft Cluster Server, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

175767 Expected Behavior of Multiple Adapters on Same Network

175141 Cluster Service Ignores Network Cards

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/20/2003
Keywords:kbinfo KB201616
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.