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Using Cluster Shared Volumes in a Failover Cluster in Windows Server 2008 R2

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Updated: January 21, 2010

Applies To: Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2

Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) is a feature that simplifies the configuration and management of Hyper-V virtual machines in failover clusters. With CSV, on a failover cluster that runs Hyper-V, multiple virtual machines can use the same LUN (disk) yet fail over (or move from node to node) independently of one another. CSV provides increased flexibility for volumes in clustered storage—for example, it allows you to keep system files separate from data to optimize disk performance, even if the system files and the data are contained within virtual hard disk (VHD) files. If you choose to use live migration for your clustered virtual machines, CSV can also provide performance improvements for the live migration process.

CSV is available in versions of Windows Server® 2008 R2 and of Microsoft® Hyper-V™ Server 2008 R2 that include failover clustering.

Note

In Windows Server 2008 R2, the Cluster Shared Volumes feature included in failover clustering is only supported for use with the Hyper-V server role. For more information, see Cluster Shared Volumes Support for Hyper-V (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=137158).

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