Using powershell, we can query the status of a given windows cluster and instances inside it. With Windows 2008, MS is offering this ability. You need to import the failoverclusters module to use the cmdlets available to manage windows cluster.
Import cluster module:
Import-module failoverclusters
Using this module you can do variety of things in cluster like adding and deleting disk, adding and deleting network interfaces, adding and deleting any other cluster resources, what not, you can do majority of operations with this powershell module.
Now I will give you a little example about how to connect to a cluster and get instances hosted on it.
Get-Cluster -Name cluster1.domain.com | Get-ClusterGroup
The above will connect to cluster1.domain.com and returns the status of groups/instances hosted on this cluster. You can also see preferred nodes, fail-over, fail-back settings for a given group, etc. I will try to post about them when I get a changes.
For your quick reference, I am posting the cluster cmdlets (source: technet)
| Add-ClusterDisk | Make a new disk available for use in a failover cluster. The disk (LUN) must be exposed to all nodes in the failover cluster, and should not be exposed to any other servers. |
| Add-ClusterFileServerRole | Create a clustered file server (resource group that includes one or more disks, on which you can create shared folders for users). |
| Add-ClusterGenericApplicationRole | Configure high availability for an application that was not originally designed to run in a failover cluster. |
| Add-ClusterGenericScriptRole | Configure an application controlled by a script that runs in Windows Script Host, within a failover cluster. |
| Add-ClusterGenericServiceRole | Configure high availability for a service that was not originally designed to run in a failover cluster. |
| Add-ClusterGroup | Add an empty resource group to the failover cluster configuration, in preparation for adding clustered resources to the group. |
| Add-ClusterNode | Add a node (server) to a failover cluster. Before adding the new node, you should run validation tests on the existing nodes together with the proposed new node. |
| Add-ClusterPrintServerRole | Create a clustered print server (a resource group that includes a printer and a disk for storing print job information and printer drivers). |
| Add-ClusterResource | Add a resource to a clustered service or application (resource group) in a failover cluster. |
| Add-ClusterResourceDependency | Add a resource to the list of resources that a particular resource depends on (using AND as the connector) within a failover cluster. Existing dependencies will remain in the list. |
| Add-ClusterResourceType | Add a resource type to a failover cluster, and specify information such as the dynamic-link library (DLL) to use with that resource type. |
| Add-ClusterServerRole | Add a group containing only a client access point and storage to the failover cluster configuration. |
| Add-ClusterSharedVolume | Make a volume available in Cluster Shared Volumes in a failover cluster. |
| Add-ClusterVirtualMachineRole | Create a clustered virtual machine, that is, a virtual machine that can be failed over if necessary to a different server in the failover cluster. |
| Block-ClusterAccess | Prevent the specified user or users from accessing a failover cluster. |
| Clear-ClusterDiskReservation | Clear the persistent reservation on a disk in a failover cluster. |
| Clear-ClusterNode | Clear the cluster configuration from a node that was evicted from a failover cluster. |
| Get-Cluster | Get information about one or more failover clusters in a given domain. |
| Get-ClusterAccess | Get information about permissions that control access to a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterAvailableDisk | Get information about the disks that can support failover clustering and are visible to all nodes, but are not yet part of the set of clustered disks. |
| Get-ClusterGroup | Get information about one or more clustered services or applications (resource groups) in a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterLog | Create a log file for all nodes (or a specific node) in a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterNetwork | Get information about one or more networks in a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterNetworkInterface | Get information about one or more network adapters in a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterNode | Get information about one or more nodes (servers) in a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterOwnerNode | For a resource in a failover cluster, get information about which nodes can own the resource. For a clustered service or application (a resource group), get information about the order of preference among owner nodes. |
| Get-ClusterParameter | Get detailed information about an object in a failover cluster, such as a cluster resource. This cmdlet is used to manage private properties for a cluster object. |
| Get-ClusterQuorum | Get information about the quorum configuration of a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterResource | Get information about one or more resources in a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterResourceDependency | Get information about the dependencies that have been configured between clustered resources in a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterResourceDependencyReport | Generate a report that lists the dependencies between resources in a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterResourceType | Get information about one or more resource types in a failover cluster. |
| Get-ClusterSharedVolume | Get information about Cluster Shared Volumes in a failover cluster. |
| Grant-ClusterAccess | Grant access to a failover cluster, either full access or read-only access. |
| Move-ClusterGroup | Move a clustered service or application (a resource group) from one node to another in a failover cluster. |
| Move-ClusterResource | Move a clustered resource from one clustered service or application to another within a failover cluster. |
| Move-ClusterSharedVolume | Move a Cluster Shared Volume to ownership by a different node in a failover cluster. |
| Move-ClusterVirtualMachineRole | Move the ownership of a clustered virtual machine to a different node. |
| New-Cluster | Create a new failover cluster. Before you can create a cluster, you must connect the hardware (servers, networks, and storage), and run the validation tests. |
| Remove-Cluster | Destroy an existing failover cluster. The affected servers will no longer function together as a cluster. |
| Remove-ClusterAccess | Remove a user from the access list on the cluster. |
| Remove-ClusterGroup | Remove a clustered service or application (also called a resource group) from a failover cluster. |
| Remove-ClusterNode | Remove a node from a failover cluster. After the node is removed, it no longer functions as part of the cluster unless you add it back to the cluster. |
| Remove-ClusterResource | Remove a clustered resource from the failover cluster. |
| Remove-ClusterResourceDependency | Remove a dependency between two resources in a clustered service or application within a failover cluster. |
| Remove-ClusterResourceType | Remove a resource type from a failover cluster. |
| Remove-ClusterSharedVolume | Remove a volume from the Cluster Shared Volumes in a failover cluster, and place it in Available Storage in the cluster. |
| Repair-ClusterSharedVolume | Run repair tools on a Cluster Shared Volume locally on a cluster node. |
| Resume-ClusterNode | Resume activity on a failover cluster node after you have suspended it (that is, paused it). |
| Resume-ClusterResource | Turn off maintenance for a disk resource or Cluster Shared Volume within a failover cluster. |
| Set-ClusterLog | Set the size and level of detail for the cluster log. |
| Set-ClusterOwnerNode | For a resource in a failover cluster, specify which nodes can own the resource. For a clustered service or application (a resource group), specify information about the order of preference among owner nodes. |
| Set-ClusterParameter | Control specific properties of an object in a failover cluster, such as a resource, a group, or a network. |
| Set-ClusterQuorum | Configure quorum options for a failover cluster. |
| Set-ClusterResourceDependency | Specify the resources that a particular resource depends on within a failover cluster. Existing dependencies will be overwritten by the dependencies that you specify. |
| Start-Cluster | Start the Cluster service on all nodes of the cluster on which it is not yet started. |
| Start-ClusterGroup | Bring one or more clustered services and applications (also known as resource groups) online on a failover cluster. |
| Start-ClusterNode | Start the Cluster service on a node in a failover cluster. |
| Start-ClusterResource | Bring a resource online in a failover cluster. |
| Stop-Cluster | Stop the Cluster service on all nodes in a failover cluster, which will stop all services and applications configured in the cluster. |
| Stop-ClusterGroup | Take one or more clustered services and applications (also known as resource groups) offline on a failover cluster. |
| Stop-ClusterNode | Stop the Cluster service on a node in a failover cluster. |
| Stop-ClusterResource | Take a resource offline in a failover cluster. |
| Suspend-ClusterNode | Suspend activity on a failover cluster node, that is, pause the node. |
| Suspend-ClusterResource | Turn on maintenance for a disk resource or Cluster Shared Volume so that you can run a disk maintenance tool without triggering failover. |
| Test-Cluster | Run validation tests for failover cluster hardware and settings. Tests can be run both before and after a cluster is set up. |
| Test-ClusterResourceFailure | Simulate a failure of a cluster resource. |
| Update-ClusterIPResource | Renew or release the DHCP lease for an IP address resource in a failover cluster. |
| Update-ClusterVirtualMachineConfiguration | Refresh the configuration of a clustered virtual machine within a failover cluster. |