setting up Clustering - SQL Server 2008 R2

  • I have a couple of questions about installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard in a 2 node active\passive cluster

    First, a little background. The Admin guys have not Clustered Windows yet. The hardware is due in next week so I'm just trying to get my notes together for the SQL install once the Cluster is available.

    From what I'm reading, Failover clustering setup has a whole new work flow in SQL Server 2008.

    These are the (very high level) steps as a see them to be:

    - Run setup on the Active Node of the Cluster using the New Server Server Failover Cluster option

    - Failover the resources and run set on the second (now active) Node using the Add Node to a SQL server Failover Cluster option

    Is that correct?

    Also, I'm not clear about how you would patch the installation and add Instances.

    Would you run Service Packs and Cummulative Updates against both nodes? if so, in what order?

    In order to add an Instance (I'll be adding 2 Named Instances), What setup option would you use? Would you run set up on the Active Node then failover and run it again to add an Instance?

    Also about Named Instances... If I have a simple Active\Passive Cluster with one set of cluster resources and multiple instances, do I need seperate IP addresses for each Instance?

    I apologize if the questions seem elementary but this is our first time with SQL Server 2008 and Clustering!

    Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

  • To patch (MS-SQL)

    You failover or move the resources to other node, let's call it B. You run the service pack or whatever on Node A. At that point, A is fully patched.

    Now, you fail over to Node "A" which becomes active. And now you patch Node B.

    Now both nodes are fully patched.

    This was a major change from MS-SQL 2005 and MS-SQL2000, where you patch the virtual instance and the patch is being replicated over the network to other node. This caused some issues, because if network fails or something breaks, one of the nodes won't end fully patched ending in a non consistent state or different dll versions. Trust me, it was a pain when failed.

  • More on the same,

    Remember, Google is your friend! 😉

    SQL Server 2008 failover cluster rolling patch and service pack process

  • Thanks for your help. Believe me.. I've googled this and read and googled and read.. : )

    Until I can actually 'do it' it's hard to get my brain around the fact that you patch the passive node first.. or go to the passive node to add an instance. the cluster rsources are are not active on the passive node which means services are not started and the system databases not accessible.. I'm so used to having drilled into my head to backup system databases before you patch!! I guess that is not the case with 2008 in a cluster?

  • Jpotucek (9/7/2012)


    I have a couple of questions about installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard in a 2 node active\passive cluster

    First, a little background. The Admin guys have not Clustered Windows yet. The hardware is due in next week so I'm just trying to get my notes together for the SQL install once the Cluster is available.

    From what I'm reading, Failover clustering setup has a whole new work flow in SQL Server 2008.

    These are the (very high level) steps as a see them to be:

    - Run setup on the Active Node of the Cluster using the New Server Server Failover Cluster option

    - Failover the resources and run set on the second (now active) Node using the Add Node to a SQL server Failover Cluster option

    Is that correct?

    Also, I'm not clear about how you would patch the installation and add Instances.

    Would you run Service Packs and Cummulative Updates against both nodes? if so, in what order?

    In order to add an Instance (I'll be adding 2 Named Instances), What setup option would you use? Would you run set up on the Active Node then failover and run it again to add an Instance?

    Also about Named Instances... If I have a simple Active\Passive Cluster with one set of cluster resources and multiple instances, do I need seperate IP addresses for each Instance?

    I apologize if the questions seem elementary but this is our first time with SQL Server 2008 and Clustering!

    Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

    See my 3 part guide starting at this link[/url] to deploy and configure the Windows cluster and the clustered SQL server instance. It covers virtual but applies to physical too

    See my guide at this link[/url] for details how to slipstream service packs and\or cumulative updates

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • Thank you very much for the Helpful links! I will share with the Server guys as well !!!

    You wrote:

    See my 3 part guide starting at this link to deploy and configure the Windows cluster and the clustered SQL server instance.

    Do you have a link to Part 3? all I can find are parts 1 and 2.

  • part 3[/url]

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • awesome! Thank you Perry!

    IS it true that you you cannot share resources, including disk resources, between instances.

    You get one instance per "Service or Application"?

    For a second instance, I would need a new set of Disks, a new network name, and a

    new IP address?

    So basically to add Named Instances after the default Instance is up and runnning in the Cluster, I would have to run BOTH the New SQL Server Failover Cluster Installation setup AND then switch over to the passive node and run the Add Node to a SQL Server Failover Cluster

    Once again, I appoligize for the elementary questions, this will be alot easier once we have the DEV cluster built and can dig in. I am just trying to do some research and planning so I know how many IP addresses we need, how the SAN should be carved out, etc...

  • Jpotucek (9/10/2012)


    awesome! Thank you Perry!

    You're welcome

    Jpotucek (9/10/2012)


    IS it true that you you cannot share resources, including disk resources, between instances.

    You get one instance per "Service or Application"?

    That's correct

    Jpotucek (9/10/2012)


    For a second instance, I would need a new set of Disks, a new network name, and a

    new IP address?

    Correct

    Jpotucek (9/10/2012)


    So basically to add Named Instances after the default Instance is up and runnning in the Cluster, I would have to run BOTH the New SQL Server Failover Cluster Installation setup AND then switch over to the passive node and run the Add Node to a SQL Server Failover Cluster

    Yes you would

    Jpotucek (9/10/2012)


    Once again, I appoligize for the elementary questions, this will be alot easier once we have the DEV cluster built and can dig in. I am just trying to do some research and planning so I know how many IP addresses we need, how the SAN should be carved out, etc...

    You'll need a virtual IP and networkname for the Windows cluster too 😉

    So, if you have a 2 node cluster with 2 instances of SQL Server clustered you need

    3 IPs and 3 networknames

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • Awesome stuff.. can anyone same MS Professional Services : )

    So speaking specifically how the drives would need to get carved out, I already have a 2 node active passive cluster on sql server 2005 and the drive configuration looks like this:

    C: Local to each node (for Biniaries) (50GB)

    D: Local to each node (for misc files) (85GB)

    Q: Quorum (1GB)

    M: MSTSC (1GB)

    F: Shared on the San (datafiles) (300GB)

    G: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (300GB)

    H: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    ____________________________________________________________

    My 2008R2 Cluster with 3 Instances, will would look like this:

    Default Instance

    C: Local to each node (for Biniaries) (50GB)

    D: Local to each node (for misc files) (85GB)

    Q: Quorum (1GB)

    M: MSTSC (1GB)

    F: Shared on the San (datafiles) (100GB)

    G: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (100GB)

    H: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    Named Instance 1

    I: Shared on the San (datafiles) (100GB)

    J: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (100GB)

    K: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    Named Instance 2

    L: Shared on the San (datafiles) (100GB)

    M: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (100GB)

    N: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    Named Instance 3

    R: Shared on the San (datafiles) (100GB)

    S: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (100GB)

    T: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    Or does each install create a new Quorum Drive as well because you are actually adding a Node?

  • Jpotucek (9/10/2012)


    can anyone same MS Professional Services : )

    don't understand, what does this mean?

    Jpotucek (9/10/2012)


    So speaking specifically how the drives would need to get carved out, I already have a 2 node active passive cluster on sql server 2005 and the drive configuration looks like this:

    C: Local to each node (for Biniaries) (50GB)

    D: Local to each node (for misc files) (85GB)

    Q: Quorum (1GB)

    M: MSTSC (1GB)

    F: Shared on the San (datafiles) (300GB)

    G: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (300GB)

    H: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    ____________________________________________________________

    My 2008R2 Cluster with 3 Instances, will would look like this:

    Default Instance

    C: Local to each node (for Biniaries) (50GB)

    D: Local to each node (for misc files) (85GB)

    Q: Quorum (1GB)

    M: MSTSC (1GB)

    F: Shared on the San (datafiles) (100GB)

    G: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (100GB)

    H: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    Named Instance 1

    I: Shared on the San (datafiles) (100GB)

    J: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (100GB)

    K: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    Named Instance 2

    L: Shared on the San (datafiles) (100GB)

    M: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (100GB)

    N: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    Named Instance 3

    R: Shared on the San (datafiles) (100GB)

    S: Shared On the San (Logfiles) (100GB)

    T: Shared on the San (TempDB) (50GB)

    Or does each install create a new Quorum Drive as well because you are actually adding a Node?

    You only have one quorum resource for the windows cluster whether it be a disk or file share, etc.

    With the above configuration for your new cluster you may want to look at using mount points to cut down on the drive assignments and yep, you guessed it, heres a link[/url] to my guide on this site 😀

    😎

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • "You only have one quorum resource for the windows cluster whether it be a disk or file share, etc."

    So my Disk config looks OK.. One quorum disk regarless of the # of Instances?

    and... Take a look a mount points? : )

    You da' bomb! Thanks for all your guidance

  • You dont have a quorum resource for each instance installed, the cluster as a whole at the windows level has one quorum resource.

    The resouce can be node majority for odd number of cluster nodes or disk or file share for even number of nodes.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • Thank you. that makes much more sense now. 😀

    and also .. when I said this:

    "can anyone same MS Professional Services : )"

    I meant to say:

    "can anyone say MS Professional Services?"

    meaning.. :crying: why didn't I hire MS professional services for this!!!!!!

    Actually, I can't wait to dig into it! Thanks for all your guidance Perry!

  • Jpotucek (9/10/2012)


    why didn't I hire MS professional services for this!!!!!!

    No need to pay over the odds, You just merely need to hire a good contractor to design\install the system and provide onsite training.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

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