22-25 April 2026 
How to Reduce Passive Node Counts in Windows Clusters with DxEnterprise HA
Proposed session for SQLBits 2026TL; DR
DxEnterprise slashes Windows cluster costs by decoupling apps from OS nodes via vHost tech — enabling workload consolidation, fewer passive nodes, and full HA without app changes. See live demos on reduced licensing, patching, and failover — ideal for architects optimizing HA efficiency without lock-in
Session Details
In traditional Windows failover clusters, passive nodes are often required to maintain high availability — even when those nodes sit idle, consuming licenses, compute, management, and patching overhead. This session explores how DxEnterprise introduces an additional abstraction layer between applications and the underlying OS, enabling more efficient resource utilization while enhancing availability and resilience.
We’ll demonstrate how DxEnterprise’s vHost technology allows multiple application workloads to share a common Windows OS instance — while maintaining isolation, mobility, and failover capabilities. Crucially, this abstraction decouples the need for 1:1 application-to-node mappings, reducing the number of passive nodes required in a cluster configuration.
Attendees will see:
* The architecture of DxEnterprise’s abstraction layer and its interaction with Windows clustering
* How vHosts enable workload consolidation without modifying applications
* Real-time demos showing reduced passive node counts in active/standby and multi-node scenarios
* Operational considerations for licensing, patching, and failover behavior
This session is designed for infrastructure architects and Windows administrators looking to optimize cluster efficiency, reduce licensing overhead, and simplify high-availability deployments — all through architectural innovation, not vendor lock-in.
We’ll demonstrate how DxEnterprise’s vHost technology allows multiple application workloads to share a common Windows OS instance — while maintaining isolation, mobility, and failover capabilities. Crucially, this abstraction decouples the need for 1:1 application-to-node mappings, reducing the number of passive nodes required in a cluster configuration.
Attendees will see:
* The architecture of DxEnterprise’s abstraction layer and its interaction with Windows clustering
* How vHosts enable workload consolidation without modifying applications
* Real-time demos showing reduced passive node counts in active/standby and multi-node scenarios
* Operational considerations for licensing, patching, and failover behavior
This session is designed for infrastructure architects and Windows administrators looking to optimize cluster efficiency, reduce licensing overhead, and simplify high-availability deployments — all through architectural innovation, not vendor lock-in.
3 things you'll get out of this session
* Understand how DxEnterprise’s abstraction layer decouples applications from Windows OS instances, enabling consolidation of workloads and reducing the need for dedicated passive nodes in HA clusters.
* See how vHost technology maintains application isolation and failover resilience while allowing multiple apps to share a single licensed OS — without requiring code changes or re-architecting.
* Evaluate real-world reductions in passive node counts, licensing costs, and operational overhead through live demos and architectural walkthroughs — empowering you to optimize your Windows HA deployments.