Clustering a Physical Machine with a Virtual Machine
Details
How do I cluster a physical machine with a virtual machine?
Solution
ESX Server supports clustering a physical machine with a virtual machine, that is, an N+1 cluster. In some complex storage solutions, such as a fibre channel switched fabric, a particular storage unit might have a different identity (Target ID or raw disk ID) on each computer in the cluster. Although this is a valid storage configuration, it will cause a problem when adding a node to the cluster if you have MSCS. To avoid this error:
Verify that your storage configuration is set up correctly.
Disable the storage validation heuristics by using the Back button to return to the Select Computer page.
On the Select Computer page, click the Advanced button and select the Advanced (minimum) configuration option.
For clustering between virtual machines, use the same target ID on the virtual SCSI adapter in all cluster nodes.
For clustering between a virtual machine and a native Windows system:
Create the cluster using the Advanced (minimum) configuration option.
After the cluster has been created, verify that resources can be moved to and from the new node.
