If intra-cluster communication is required when a domain controller is unavailable, a cluster node may fail if the CachedLogonsCount Value Name has been set to a data value of zero (0).
NOTE: The default data value of CachedLogonsCount for Windows Server 2003 is 10.
In this scenario, you may experience any or all of the following behaviors:
- Nodes are arbitrarily removed from the cluster.
- The cluster log records access denied errors for node-to-node communication.
- Attempts to join a node produce RPC errors and timeouts.
- The cluster log may record '\[NM\] Received advice that node <node id> has failed with error 5" errors.
- The event log may record error 1726 - The remote procedure call failed.
This behavior occurs because a CachedLogonsCount data value of 0 prevents a node from using cached credentials when authentication is required and a domain controller is unavailable.
To prevent this behavior, make sure that a domain controller is available and set the CachedLogonsCount data value to the same non-zero value on ALL nodes, restarting each node.
NOTE: You can also use Group Policy to alter the CachedLogonsCount data value by using the following on ALL nodes:
1. On a cluster node, use Start / Run / gpedit.msc / OK to open the Group Policy Editor.
2. Expand Computer Configuration / Windows Settings / Security Settings / Local Policies / Security Options.
3. Double-click the Interactive Logon:Number of Previous Logons to Cache value and set the data value to a number greater than 0.
4. Press OK.
5. Restart the server.
