Using your existing data structure (a hash of array refs) and assuming that an alphabetic key sort gives the desired activation order (OK for cluster1-9 but breaks at cluster 10) this is quick and dirty:

my %config_files =
(    
    cluster1 => ['1h1', 'h2', 'h3', 'h4', 'h5', 'h6', '1h7'],
    cluster2 => ['2h1', 'h2', 'h3', 'h4', 'h5', 'h6', '2h7'],
    cluster3 => ['3h1', 'h2', 'h3', 'h4', 'h5', 'h6', '3h7'],
    cluster4 => ['4h1', 'h2', 'h3', 'h4', 'h5', 'h6', '4h7'],
    cluster5 => ['5h1', 'h2', 'h3', 'h4', 'h*5', 'h6', '5h7'],

);

my @order = sort keys %config_files;
print "Order will be @order\n";

for my $cluster (@order) {
    print "Cluster is $cluster\n";
    my @machines = @{$config_files{$cluster}};
    my $last = pop @machines;
    for my $box (@machines) {
        &start_up($box) or &failed($cluster, $box);
    }
    &special($last);
}
print "Done\n";
exit;

sub start_up {
    my $box = shift;
    return 0 if $box eq 'h*5'; # test failed routine
    # do stuff, return 1 for success 0 or undef for failure
    print "\tStarted $box\n";
    1;
}

sub special {
    # do box 7 stuff
    my $box = shift;
    print "\tSpecial $box\n";
    1;
}

sub failed {
    my ($cluster, $box) = @_;
    # do whatever you want like retry until sucess 
    # then you return to loop and continue
    my $tries = 5;
    my $delay = 2;
    while ($tries) {
        $tries--;
        sleep $delay;
        print "Retrying $box in $cluster\n";
      return if &start_up($box);

    }
    die "Unable to start $box in $cluster\n";
}
[download]

cheers

tachyon

s&&rsenoyhcatreve&&&s&n.+t&"$'$`$\"$\&"&ee&&y&srve&&d&&print