Failover Cluster APIs
Purpose
For failover clusters, Microsoft provides two APIs: the Failover Cluster API and the Cluster Automation Server. These Failover Cluster APIs let programmers develop management tools and high-availability resources for failover clusters.
Where applicable
The Failover Cluster APIs encompass three general development paths.
- Creating new types of cluster resources. By creating resource DLLs and extension DLLs, developers can define new cluster resource types to manage any kind of resource, from a legacy application to a device.
- Creating cluster-aware applications that interact with the failover cluster environment to accomplish cluster-wide tasks (such as a cluster-aware setup application) or to maximize availability.
- Creating cluster management applications that allow administrators to monitor and control failover clusters. The Cluster Automation Server extends this functionality to scripting languages, allowing web-based cluster management tools and interfaces.
Developer audience
The Failover Cluster APIs are best suited to developers familiar with network administration and client/server programming. Familiarity with the general concept of clustering and the Cluster Administrator user interface is also recommended. Additional prerequisites depend on the type of programming that will be performed:
- The Failover Cluster API offers a rich set of C/C++ libraries and headers for developing all kinds of cluster-aware applications, resource DLLs, and cluster administrator extension DLLs. To use the C/C++ libraries and headers requires familiarity with Unicode, RPC, COM and COM-based interface extensions, the registry, and writing DLLs.
- The Cluster Automation Server provides a set of scriptable objects that can be used to monitor and administer failover clusters. Using the Cluster Automation Server requires familiarity with COM and Automation, scripting, and proficiency in a scripting language such as Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) or JScript.
Run-time requirements
Failover clustering is available on the following platforms:
- Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise and Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter
- Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and Windows Server 2008 Datacenter
- Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition and Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
To develop code using the Failover Cluster APIs, the following software must be installed:
- Microsoft Visual C++ version 6.0 or later with the Unicode MFC libraries.
- The MIDL compiler version 3.00.44 or later.
- The Active Template Library (ATL) version 2.0 or later.
- Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 or later is required to use VBScript or Visual Basic with the Cluster Automation Server.
In this section
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
Guide to the documentation. |
|
Direct links to task-specific topics. |
|
Summary of changes to the API. |
|
Descriptions of the software components, objects, and properties that implement and provide interfaces for failover clusters. |
|
Programmer's guide to the API. |
|
Programmer's guide to the Cluster Automation Server. |
|
List of and jumps to example programs. |
|
Descriptions of the C/C++ functions and other programming interfaces exposed in the Failover Cluster API. |
|
Descriptions of the Cluster Automation Server objects, properties, and methods. |
|
Interfaces for implementing customized setup, upgrade, and uninstall procedures for your cluster-aware applications. |
|
WMI classes you can use to access cluster objects, properties, and events. |
Related topics
Send comments about this topic to Microsoft
Build date: 10/15/2013