To run a disk maintenance tool such as Chkdsk on a disk or volume that is configured as part of a clustered service, application, or virtual machine, you must use maintenance mode. When maintenance mode is on, the disk maintenance tool can finish running without triggering a failover. If you have a disk witness, you cannot use maintenance mode for that disk.

Maintenance mode works somewhat differently on a volume in Cluster Shared Volumes than it does on other disks in cluster storage, as described in Additional considerations, later in this topic.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477.

To run a disk maintenance tool such as Chkdsk on a clustered disk

  1. In the Failover Cluster Manager snap-in, if the cluster is not displayed, in the console tree, right-click Failover Cluster Manager, click Manage a Cluster, and select or specify the cluster you want.

  2. If the console tree is collapsed, expand the tree under the cluster that uses the disk on which you want run a disk maintenance tool.

  3. In the console tree, click Storage.

  4. In the center pane, click the disk on which you want to run the disk maintenance tool.

  5. Under Actions, click More Actions, and then click the appropriate command:

    • If the disk you clicked is under Cluster Shared Volumes and contains multiple volumes, click Maintenance, and then click the command for the appropriate volume. If prompted, confirm your action.

    • If the disk you clicked is under Cluster Shared Volumes and contains one volume, click Maintenance, and then click Turn on maintenance mode for this volume. If prompted, confirm your action.

    • If the disk you clicked is not under Cluster Shared Volumes, click Turn on maintenance mode for this disk.

  6. Run the disk maintenance tool on the disk or volume.

    When maintenance mode is on, the disk maintenance tool can finish running without triggering a failover.

  7. When the disk maintenance tool finishes running, with the disk still selected, under Actions, click More Actions, and then click the appropriate command:

    • If the disk you clicked is under Cluster Shared Volumes and contains multiple volumes, click Maintenance, and then click the command for the appropriate volume.

    • If the disk you clicked is under Cluster Shared Volumes and contains one volume, click Maintenance, and then click Turn off maintenance mode for this volume.

    • If the disk you clicked is not under Cluster Shared Volumes, click Turn off maintenance mode for this disk.

Additional considerations

  • You can also perform the task described in this procedure by using Windows PowerShell. For more information about using Windows PowerShell for failover clusters, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=135119 and http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=135120.

  • To open the failover cluster snap-in, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Failover Cluster Manager. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Yes.

  • Maintenance mode works somewhat differently on a volume in Cluster Shared Volumes than it does on other disks in cluster storage:

    For Cluster Shared Volumes For disks not in Cluster Shared Volumes

    Changes the state of a volume.

    Changes the state of a disk (LUN).

    Takes dependent resources offline (which interrupts client access).

    Leaves dependent resources online.

    Removes access through the \ClusterStorage\volume path, still allowing the owner node to access the volume through its identifier (GUID). Also, suspends direct access from other nodes, allowing access only through the owner node.

    Leaves access to the disk unchanged.
  • Maintenance mode will remain on until one of the following occurs:

    • You turn it off.

    • The node on which the resource is running restarts or loses communication with other nodes (which causes failover of all resources on that node).

    • For a disk that is not in Cluster Shared Volumes, the disk resource goes offline or fails.

  • You can see whether a disk is in maintenance mode by looking at the status in the center pane when Storage is selected in the console tree.

Additional references

  • Pause or Resume a Node in a Failover Cluster
  • Start or Stop the Cluster Service on a Cluster Node