how database gets updated on the secondary instance if I have Active/PAssive clustering setup.

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how database gets updated on the secondary instance if I have Active/PAssive clustering setup.

pankaj.baluni

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April 6, 2010 at 9:32 am

#140150

How Database gets updated on the secondary instance if I have Active/PAssive clustering setup.
Let's say I have 2 servers at 2 different locations (one is Production and another is DR) and i need to setup an Active/PAssive clustering beween them.
so have few questions around it. Please mind that, Within Primary site I've Active/Active Clustering up and running
1 - Is it advisable to set up Active/Passive clustering between both the locations(primary and DR)?
2 - How Instances of Primary server would be available on the DR Server?
3 - Do I need to setup DB Mirroring or something to get DBs updated from primary to secondary?
Thanks.
Rgds,
Pankaj

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GregoryF SSCertifiable Points: 6296 More actions · Answer 1

pankaj.baluni (4/6/2010)
How Database gets updated on the secondary instance if I have Active/PAssive clustering setup.
Let's say I have 2 servers at 2 different locations (one is Production and another is DR) and i need to setup an Active/PAssive clustering beween them.
so have few questions around it. Please mind that, Within Primary site I've Active/Active Clustering up and running
1 - Is it advisable to set up Active/Passive clustering between both the locations(primary and DR)?
2 - How Instances of Primary server would be available on the DR Server?
3 - Do I need to setup DB Mirroring or something to get DBs updated from primary to secondary?
Thanks.

SQL does support clustering between two DC's, however, there are many requirements (VLAN, SAN replication, ping time, maximum distance between two DC's).

The short answer to your problem, don't even think about trying to do it without bringing in some people who have done it before. Do mirroring or log shipping.

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GSquared SSC Guru Points: 260824 More actions · Answer 2

This isn't a simple situation. It's not really something we can walk you through on an online forum, unless you can take a month or so of trial and error on this.

If this is something that involves production databases, I recommend hiring someone who has done this before, preferably someone with a lot of experience at it.

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ps. One Orange Chip Points: 29422 More actions · Answer 3

pankaj.baluni (4/6/2010)
How Database gets updated on the secondary instance if I have Active/PAssive clustering setup.

your database resides on a shared volume and at a given time only one of the servers access that shared volume to read/write data to it. If the active server crashes, failover happens and next available server becomes active and takes full control of the shared volume.

Let's say I have 2 servers at 2 different locations (one is Production and another is DR) and i need to setup an Active/PAssive clustering beween them.
so have few questions around it. Please mind that, Within Primary site I've Active/Active Clustering up and running
1 - Is it advisable to set up Active/Passive clustering between both the locations(primary and DR)?

what i understand is you already have a cluster setup at ur work location and you want a DR server to be part of this cluster. In such case add the DR server to your existing cluster and the entire setup will be active/passive/passive setup. However, clustering wont help you if the shared disks go down(clustering helps u recover only if the active server fails, not in other situations). Also if DR site is geographically far away, u need to have a strong bandwidth between the sites.

2 - How Instances of Primary server would be available on the DR Server?

I guess u're having a notion that in clustering, seperate copies of database is present which is not true. databases reside on shared disks and is accessible only to one server (from the cluster setup) at a time.

3 - Do I need to setup DB Mirroring or something to get DBs updated from primary to secondary?

You can have mirroring or log shipping setup between DR server and your cluster setup at primary location so that if everything goes down at primary site, you can still keep ur application operational by activating ur DR server.

Pradeep Singh

pankaj.baluni Ten Centuries Points: 1014 More actions · Answer 4

ok...

so please answer my first question that

if i have active/active clustering up & running in the production site between server 1 and server 2 then can I put Active/PAssive clustering also between PR and DR site for the same Server 1 (of PR Site) & Server 1 (of DR Site) and Server 2 (of PR Site) & Server 2 (of DR site)?

Rgds,
Pankaj

pankaj.baluni Ten Centuries Points: 1014 More actions · Answer 5

PS has already addressed my previous question..and all other dobts.... so now i'm good to go... Many Thanks.

Rgds,
Pankaj

GregoryF SSCertifiable Points: 6296 More actions · Answer 6

pankaj.baluni (4/6/2010)
ok...
so please answer my first question that
if i have active/active clustering up & running in the production site between server 1 and server 2 then can I put Active/PAssive clustering also between PR and DR site for the same Server 1 (of PR Site) & Server 1 (of DR Site) and Server 2 (of PR Site) & Server 2 (of DR site)?

No, that's a geographic cluster, which take a long time to test and configure with many resources working on it (NT, SAN, Networking). And, no offense, but the fact that you are still asking is a good indication that you would lack the experience to implement the solution.

There are many solutions, but probably the easiest would be to implement log-shipping or mirroring.

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Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 7

I just did some quick searching on the Microsoft site. Based on what I was able to find, if you are looking at geographically separated clustering, HIRE someone who has done this. There is too much for us to answer your questions on a limited forum such as this.

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 8

How about this as an alternative.

Maintain your cluster in your primary site. Use Mirroring to the DR site. Should a disaster occur, you will be able to bring up the remote site within a minimal amount of time such that you could maintain your SLA.

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
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SQL RNNR
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pankaj.baluni Ten Centuries Points: 1014 More actions · Answer 9

DB Mirroring is good..... but I've a restriction that the instance name should be same as that of the primary server's instance.... please suggest.

Rgds,
Pankaj

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 10

pankaj.baluni (4/6/2010)
DB Mirroring is good..... but I've a restriction that the instance name should be same as that of the primary server's instance.... please suggest.

That is easily resolved with DNS and CNAMES. If a disaster hits, enable a new CNAME entry that would point to the DR site but maintain the same name as the previous Cluster.

As with any project such as this, you will need to involve your Network Engineers and Systems admins.

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
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ps. One Orange Chip Points: 29422 More actions · Answer 11

I dont think you CANNOT use same instance name on the DR server. This should not be a problem.

Pradeep Singh

pankaj.baluni Ten Centuries Points: 1014 More actions · Answer 12

ps. (4/6/2010)
I dont think you CANNOT use same instance name on the DR server. This should not be a problem.

ok... so you are saying I can have same server and Instance name on the DR Site(what I've on the Primary Site) and then can also implement DB Mirroring ..right.... ?

Rgds,
Pankaj

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 734489 More actions · Answer 13

I am not sure what Predeep means with that post, but you CANNOT have the same name in the DR site if this server is on the network.

Your requirement of the same instance name, which I assume means that the same server/instance name, will not work.

if you have a DR server and need the same names (Windows host and instance), that server cannot be powered on the and attached to the network while the primary is live.

If you use an FQDN, or a CNAME as Jason suggested, you can change that name to point to the DR server in an emergency, but your clients will need to flush the DNS cache and the network routing and ARP tables updated.

ps. One Orange Chip Points: 29422 More actions · Answer 14

Steve Jones - Editor (4/6/2010)
I am not sure what Predeep means with that post, but you CANNOT have the same name in the DR site if this server is on the network.

My bad. Thanks for correcting Steve :).

Pradeep Singh