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Setting Up a 3-Node Windows Server Failover Cluster

December 17, 2025 3 answers
Asked by TechWhiz99
I'm planning to set up a 3-node Windows Server 2025 failover cluster to manage virtual machines and file shares on hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) hardware. I've come across some conflicting info about the Scale-out File Server (SOFS) role; it seems it might not be necessary in a hyper-converged setup, yet some resources mention enabling it. Are there specific scenarios where SOFS is needed in this context? Additionally, for file sharing purposes, should I just use the general File Server role on the host instead of dedicating a VM for this task to minimize overhead? Thanks for any insights!
Failover Cluster file shares Hyperconverged S2D System Operations virtualization Windows Server

Answers

DataNinja42
In a hyper-converged setup, you typically use Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) rather than SOFS. SOFS is intended for scenarios where you have disaggregated clusters with Hyper-V on one cluster and storage on a separate dedicated cluster. With S2D, your disks are treated as clustered disks rather than SMB3 volumes. Regarding file shares, if you're using a Server Core installation, the File Server role is disabled by default. You'll need to enable it since it's crucial for S2D traffic and functionalities like VM backups and live migration, but you won't need to configure any shares.
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VirtualGuru77
Your hosts should ideally just function as hosts and not be domain-joined. It’s recommended to run your file servers as VMs instead. However, I learned from experience that Microsoft suggests joining hosts to the domain, as it’s generally better for management. Keeping them off the domain can pose security risks if your admin credentials are compromised.
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HyperByte14
You might want to check out Storage Spaces Direct for hyper-converged clusters. Make sure you've got at least a 10 Gb network for storage traffic. I set up a 4-node Hyper-V cluster this year with a 25 Gb network, and it was fantastic—achieving 250k IOPS with a mix of NVMe and SSD/HDD.
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