Loundy (5/23/2013)
Did you physically install 4 instances (all with different names)? or did you install an instance on node A then add the instance on Node B (for both instances) which = 2 instances.A cluster isn't a mirror and it cannot load balanced.
The SQL Services for the instances can only be in a "started" state on 1 node at a time (per instance). If you FAILOVER the instance to the second node then the services are shut down on the hosting node and started on the other node.
When you patch you will be patching 2 instances only assuming you installed 2 physical instances and added them to the second node.
Actually that is a good question. I would like to know that too, the person who installed the cluster has gone, so I cannot ask. Can I see any way from the server?
Here is what I see:
I login into server node1 which I am pretty sure it is the active node, open SQL server configuration manager, I see there are two SQL instances running Prod_MSSQLServer, QA_MSSQLServer,
Then I remote login to node2, which I think it is the passive mode, in SQL configuration manager, I see two instances there, but both stopped, the instances name are exactly the same as node1 instances, Prod_MSSQLServer, QA_MSSQLServer. but they are stopped.
Now I am very confused there are 4 physical instances or 2 two instances?
Or like above answer tony28 said, it has 4 physical instances, but 2 logical instances?
Thanks