Recommended hotfixes and updates for Windows Server 2012 R2-based failover clusters

Summary

This article describes the hotfixes that are currently available for Windows Server 2012 R2-based failover clusters and highly recommended to be installed on each server of a failover clusters. Failover Cluster Management enables multiple servers to provide a high availability of server roles. Failover Cluster Management is frequently used for file services, virtual machines, database applications, and mail applications. 

Important The process for installing service packs and hotfixes for Windows Server 2012 R2 differs from the process for earlier versions of Windows Server. In Windows Server 2012 R2, you can use the Cluster-Aware Updating (CAU) feature. CAU automates the software-updating process on clustered servers and maintains availability. For more information, see Cluster-Aware Updating Overview. 

For information about how to manually drain cluster nodes for maintenance, see Draining Nodes for Planned Maintenance with Windows Server 2012.

More information

The following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles describe the currently available fixes that are highly recommended to be installed on all failover clusters. Most of the updates apply to computers that are running Windows Server 2012 R2. Some updates, such as KB 976424, may be needed on computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 if those operating systems are present in the environment. 

These updates are considered to be important to install to ensure the highest level of reliability.

Any Windows Server 2012 R2 Cluster

Date that update was added	Related Knowledge Base article	Title	Component	Why we recommend this update
May 25, 2016	3156418	May 2016 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2	Multiple	This rollup contains a fix (3155768) that resolves an issue in which the Windows Firewall Service may crash or freeze if firewall logging is enabled in Windows Server 2012 R2. As a result, in Windows Server 2012 R2 failover cluster server, Cluster Shared Volumes may go into a Paused State (Event ID 5120) with the error code c000020c - STATUS_CONNECTION_DISCONNECTED. Available on Windows update or for individual download from Microsoft Update Catalog. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.
March 23, 2016	3130944	DPM filter driver can't track changes on CSV or VM setting files can't be online in Windows Server 2012 R2	Clussvc.exe Csvfs.sys	This fix resolves an issue in which System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) filter driver can't track changed volumes or virtual machine (VM) setting files can't be online in Windows Server 2012 R2. Available on Windows update or for individual download from Microsoft Download Center. Includes fixes from 3123593, 3109973, 3090343and 3076953. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.
March 23, 2016	3137691	LBFO Dynamic Teaming mode may drop packets in Windows Server 2012 R2	mslbfoprovider.sys	This fix resolves an issue in which LBFO Dynamic Teaming mode may drop network packets in Windows Server 2012 R2. In failover cluster scenarios, cluster nodes may be removed from cluster membership due to heartbeat packets not reaching their destination. Available on Windows update or for individual download from Microsoft Download Center. To apply this update, you must first install the update2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.
March 23, 2016	3139896	Hyper-V guest may freeze when it is running failover cluster service together with shared VHDX in Windows Server 2012 R2	pvhdparser.sys	This fix resolves an issue in which a Hyper-V guest cluster node(s) may freeze when the virtual machine is running failover cluster service together with shared VHDX in Windows Server 2012 R2. Available on Windows update or for individual download from Microsoft Download Center. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.
March 23, 2016	3130939	Nonpaged pool memory leak occurs in a Windows Server 2012 R2-based failover cluster	Svhdxflt.sys	Resolves an issue where a cluster node experiences a memory leak in the svxp tag when using Shared VHDX. Available on Windows update or for individual download from Microsoft Download Center. Includes fix from 3068444. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.
January 25, 2016	3123538	All disks in a storage pool can't be brought online in a Windows Server 2012 R2-based cluster	Clusdisk Clusres	The failure of even a single drive in a Persistent Reservation test in a Windows Server 2012 R2-based failover cluster prevents a storage pool from bringing any disks online in the cluster. Available for individual download. To apply this update, you must first install the update2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.
October 28, 2015	3091057	Cluster validation fails in the "Validate Simultaneous Failover" test in a Windows Server 2012 R2-based failover cluster	Cprepsrv	Changes some timing of the "Validate Simultaneous failover" test to more accurately verify the storage compatibility with the failover cluster. Available for individual download.
December 18, 2014	3013769	December 2014 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2	Multiple	An update rollup package that resolves issues and includes performance and reliability improvements. Available from Windows Update and for individual download from Download Center. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.
November 18, 2014	3000850	November 2014 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2	Multiple	A cumulative update that includes the security updates and nonsecurity updates including Failover Clustering updates that were released between April 2014 and November 2014. Available from Windows Update and for individual download from Download Center. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.
April 8, 2014	2919355	Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 Update April, 2014	Multiple	A cumulative update that includes the security updates and nonsecurity updates including Failover Clustering updates that were released before March 2014. Available from Windows Update and for individual download from Download Center.
Dec. 18, 2013	976424	Error code when the kpasswd protocol fails after you perform an authoritative restore: "KDC_ERROR_S_PRINCIPAL_UNKNOWN"	KDCSVC	Enables you to add a Windows Server 2012 failover cluster. Install on every domain controller that is running Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Windows Server 2008 R2. Otherwise, Create Cluster may fail when you try to set the password for the cluster computer object, and you receive a "CreateClusterNameCOIfNotExists (6783): Unable to set password on <ClusterName$>" error message. This hotfix is included in Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Clusters

In addition to the updates listed above, the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles describe currently available fixes that are highly recommended to be installed on Hyper-V failover clusters. These updates target reliability improvements when backing up virtual machines on Hyper-V failover clusters.

Date that update was added	Related Knowledge Base article	Title	Component	Why we recommend this update
Sept 15, 2015	3090343	Cluster service stops during the VSS backup in a Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012-based Hyper-V cluster	Clussvc.exe	Resolves an issue when multiple VSS backups are in progress, the cluster service may crash because of inconsistent state in the CSV VSS provider. Then, all virtual machines go offline because of the CSV failure. Available for individual download. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2. This fix is included in 3123593.
Sept 15, 2015	3060678	Snapshots are not deleted after you perform a backup operation by using VSS in Windows Server 2012 R2	Volsnap.sys	Resolves an issue where unneeded snapshots may not be deleted after a backup is completed. This prevents future backups from failing due to a lack of free space consumed by snapshots. Available for individual download. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355on Windows Server 2012 R2.
Sept 15, 2015	3063283	"Update to improve the backup of Hyper-V Integrated components in Hyper-V Server 2012 R2	Hyper-V Integration Services	Increases the time-out to detect the volumes to shadow copy when the Guest OS has multiple volumes. Available for individual download. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.
July 22, 2015	3072380	Hyper-V cluster unnecessarily recovers the virtual machine resources in Windows Server 2012 R2	Rdvgpuinfo.dll Vmms.exe	Resolves an issue on a Hyper-V cluster where the heartbeat component times out during a long-running snapshot. The snapshot fails and the VM restarts. Available for individual download. To apply this update, you must first install the update 2919355 on Windows Server 2012 R2.

References

For more information about the recommended hotfixes and updates for Windows Server 2012-based Hyper-V servers and Windows Server 2012-based Failover Clusters, see:

Hyper-V: Update List for Windows Server 2012

2784261 Recommended hotfixes and updates for Windows Server 2012-based Failover Clusters

Properties

Article ID: 2920151 - Last Review: 05/26/2016 02:45:00 - Revision: 44.0

Applies to

• Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard

Keywords:

• KB2920151