Moving a "MSDTC Cluster Resource" from the "Main Cluster Group" to its own "MSDTC Cluster Group"

This post applies to Windows 2003 Clusters

1) First you should make a careful note of all the MSDTC security Settings within "Component Services" on the currently active cluster node. This can be found by right clicking the "My Computer" node of the DCOMCNFG tree and selecting "properties". On the tab list select "MSDTC" and then select the "Security Configuration" button.

2) Let us say for example, the MSDTC resource is currently within the Main cluster resource group and the MSDTC resource has a dependency on the main Quorum Drive Q:\ This means that the MSDTC log file is stored within a directory on this Q: drive.

3) All resources that use MSDTC should be brought offline whilst the cluster is being reconfigured e.g. The SQL group. This is not essential but is best practice.

4) Please ensure the MSDTC resource itself (which should be now set "not to effect the group") is brought offline, and for now please just delete the MSDTC resource in cluster administrator. On the Q:\ drive the directory Q:\MSDTC can also be deleted (this deletes the old msdtc log file, which will no longer be used -> Ensure first all outstanding transactions have been completed).

5) Following this you will find that no MSDTC.exe process is started on any of the cluster nodes. However the actual MSDTC service, which is installed on all of the nodes, is still physically there.

6) It is now time to correctly reinstall the MSDTC in its own resource group. The best way to do this is using method 1 from the article: https://support.microsoft.com/kb/301600. i.e. Create a new Cluster group with the 4 required resources:
-MSDTC Network Name
-MSDTC IP Address
-MSDTC Disk
-MSDTC Resource

7) Once completed, the MSDTC resource group should be brought online. A new MSDTC log file should have automatically been created on the drive being utilised by this new resource group.

8) On the active MSDTC node, check the MSDTC security setting are configured or changed to match those noted in step 1). If changes are required, MSDTC will prompt to be automatically restarted.

9) Finally, ensure all resources that were taken offline (e.g. SQL) are now brought back online.

 

Chris Forster