SQL Server not starting at startup

  • We have a SAN that is the location of all our SQL databases. We have one server, for right now, that connects to the SAN where the databases are. This server not only takes a while to boot up, but SQL Server services is set to automatically start and whenever we reboot the machine, the service is not started. I can manually start the SQL Server service and when I look into the SQL log, the initial attempt comes back saying it could not find the database on the G: drive, which is the logical disk of the SAN. Can anyone help?

  • The system must recognize the san before the databases will become available.

    You will need to put a dependency on the services such that sql server service does not attempt to start until after the san service is started (san is recognized by the OS).

    Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
    _______________________________________________
    I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
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  • I agree. It sounds like SQL is trying to start before either your network connectivity is fully up, or the connection to the SAN is complete. If you have trouble putting a dependancy on the service, you could also set the SQL services to manual and add a startup script that does not start SQL until the SAN becomes available.

    Joie Andrew
    "Since 1982"

  • This is what I thought but I'm not sure I know what service to make SQL the dependant of. I at first though it would be the iSCSI Initiator but that didn't seem to work. I know this is a SQL forum but any ideas of what service I need to start before I start SQL? I'm running a Dell MD3000i SAN.

    unixbomer (10/30/2009)


    I agree. It sounds like SQL is trying to start before either your network connectivity is fully up, or the connection to the SAN is complete. If you have trouble putting a dependancy on the service, you could also set the SQL services to manual and add a startup script that does not start SQL until the SAN becomes available.

  • Does the Dell SAN have any software the server uses to connect to it? For instance I know that NetApp tends to have Windows servers use SnapDrive to connect to LUNs off of a SAN volume. So if I was having issues with the database trying to start before the SAN connections were up, I would have the SQL Server service not start until SnapDrive was up. If you look through your system or application log, are there any events that indicate that your SAN connections is up and accepting connections? That would probably tell you what service to run the dependancy off of.

    Joie Andrew
    "Since 1982"

  • I have to agree with all of this. Talk to your server folks and ask them what they install to support the SAN and then make SQL dependent on it.. That should solve all your problems..

    CEWII

  • I agree the right way to do this is to make SQL Server dependant on the SAN connectivity service. But if the SAN service reports it is started before it has made all the disks available, or there is no SAN connectivity service, you can tackle the problem in another way.

    Open the Windows Service applet and navigate to your SQL Service. Click on the Recovery tab and specify Restart the Service for 'First Failure'. In the 'Restart service after' box, put in enough minutes to allow your SAN disks to connect.

    This will not prevent SQL from starting and failing when Windows starts, but it will mean that a few minutes later you have a working SQL service without needing any manual intervention.

    You can also set the 'Second Failure' and 'Subsequent Failures' as required for your installation. Personally I always set the 'Reset fail count' to 1 day.

    Note that if you use the Recovery tab to restart SQL Server after a failure, you should set the SQL Agent properties so that SQL Agent does not also try to restart the service.

    Original author: https://github.com/SQL-FineBuild/Common/wiki/ 1-click install and best practice configuration of SQL Server 2019, 2017 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008 R2, 2008 and 2005.

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  • This may help for service startup dependency:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/193888

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