"Access Denied" Error Message After You Configure a Windows Server 2003 Cluster

After you configure a Windows Server 2003 or a Windows 2000 Advanced Server cluster when you are logged on as a local administrator, you may receive an "Access Denied" error message when Cluster Administrator (CluAdmin.exe) starts automatically at the end of Setup and tries to connect to the cluster.

This behavior occurs because the local Administrator account uses a "blank" password. Network connectivity with blank passwords is not permitted for Administrator accounts in a domain environment.

To resolve this behavior, use either of the following methods. The first method is the recommended solution.

Method 1

Create a password for the local Administrator account. The local Administrator account password does not have to be the same on all nodes in the cluster.

Method 2

In Cluster Administrator, type a period (.) in the Cluster or server name box, and then click OK. This causes Cluster Administrator to connect to the local Cluster Service account instead of trying to connect to the Cluster Name over the network to reach the cluster.

Note This resolution does not affect the configuration or functionality of the cluster. The solution only resolves the behavior when Cluster Administrator connects to the Cluster Name.

This behavior is by design.