Can you have a cluster with a single host?

[Protronics]

Hi

I'm setting up a new VMware infrastructure which includes a cluster with 2 hosts in one location and a single ESX host in a second location.  They'll all be managed by a single vSphere server.

There's the potential that the second site may gain an extra ESX host at some point in the future.  My question, therefore, is whether I should create a cluster for the second site and just have the single host in it for now, so its ready if we add a second host?  Is it possible to have a cluster with just one host, and what are the implications of this?

Thanks

Joe

[ChrisDearden]

I cant see it being any extra effort / problem to create the additinal cluster , so I'd let it be a cluster of 1 for now. its something I've dont in the windows side of things before , and is generally al ot easier to add an additional node to a single node cluster than it is to turn a standalone machine into a cluster.

[rManic]

At the moment ther is no use for cluster as it only one host .but in future it may help. it is a good practise to have host under cluster if more then one host.

[TomHowarth · Accepted solution]

Technically yes you can have a Cluster of a single node and if you are thinking of adding another node into the cluster later on it makes sense to set the first node up.

This both from a technical standpoint, but more importantly a BAU point of view.  The promotion to mulitnode cluster will be less intrusuve as there will be no extra software to add to the pre-existing primary node, therefore you Change Board will be less nervous about the peice of work, as it will not be changing the pre-existant node.

From a personal point of view my current client is running a number of single node clusters, in their environment.

[Tigerstolly]

Yep we have single node clusters in DR, so that the resource pools mirror what we have in prod.  I don't think you can have resource pools without clusters.

[Protronics]

Thanks for all the responses - good to know I wasn't being totally mad!  I've gone ahead and created the second cluster for th single server.

Joe