Choose whether cluster compute and storage should scale together

Source facts

Microsoft distinguishes storage separated from compute from hyperconverged Storage Spaces Direct. With separate SAN or NAS storage, cluster nodes reach storage across a network and compute and storage can grow independently. In the hyperconverged model, Storage Spaces Direct combines drives from the nodes into a shared pool and exposes Cluster Shared Volumes. Adding nodes increases compute resources and storage together. Microsoft documentation.

Applicability

Start with workload growth, storage growth, existing equipment, and ownership requirements. Check the applicable hardware and operating-system requirements for each proposed design before treating a diagram as an approved configuration.

DSE recommendation

Compare two concrete expansion scenarios: adding capacity without additional application compute, and adding compute without additional storage. Record which servers, fabric components, and owners participate in each option. Ask application and storage teams to agree on the expansion unit and the maintenance responsibilities it creates.

Verification

Review a representative workload placement and maintenance event against the selected architecture. Confirm where its data resides, which nodes can reach it, and how expansion would be performed under the approved design. Keep capacity assumptions and measured application requirements explicit so later growth does not rely on an undocumented architectural shortcut.

Official references

Microsoft Learn: Failover Clustering Storage Architectures in Windows Server. Source reviewed September 8, 2026.