SQL Server 2008 Installation on Cluster Environment:
SQL Server Installation on Windows Cluster environment is a part of HIGH AVAILABILITY concept.
By doing this we will make sure high availability of data and its related applications.
One thing what we have understand is Bounce of server will be there and downtime of the SQL Server will be very minimal when compared to any Stand Alone servers hosting SQL Servers.
Below are the screenshots which will help in installing the SQL Server 2008 in Windows 2008/2003 environment.
Before starting the installation, we have perform the pre-checks on the servers which are going to participate in Cluster environment.
Assume Server A (Windows 2008 SP1) and Server B (Windows 2008 SP1) are participating in Cluster.
Prerequisites:
1. Make sure A & B systems are two physical different systems.2. Make sure the configuration of the servers is same. (Hardware configurations like Number of CPU's, RAM etc).
3. Make sure to reboot both the servers before proceeding for Installation. (If cluster already host any application then don't reboot just because i have mentioned)
4. Check with respective Server team/windows team for Cluster disk which are available on A & B System.
5. Make sure to have Free Virtual IP for the Virtual Server Name which we will give it to the Cluster
6. Make sure to have a Domain Account (Domain\username) for the purpose of installation and the account should have required privileges to setup the software.
7. Above point indirectly says that , Server A & Server B should be in same Domain.
Here we go now for the installation:
1. Login into the Server A and start installation.
Go to Installation Tab, click "New SQL Server Failover Cluster installation"
Let all the checks and support rules finish.
Enter the Key, if you have purchased the license by selecting the second radio tab
Accept the condition by checking the tab
1.
On the Feature Selection page,
select the components for the installation (select Analysis and Reporting Services only when they are requested by
the User).
The default
installation path for SQL Server 2008 is C:\Program
Files\Microsoft SQL Server\. Don’t Change the default location in this step
unless it throws any error.
Note: When you select the
Database Engine Services feature, both replication and full-text search are
selected automatically. Unselecting any of these subfeatures also unselects the
Database Engine Services feature.
In the next page, change the instance if NAMED INSTANCE is needed.
Instance Root directory should be changed to the cluster disk which is configured at time of prerequisite as data should be accessible from both the servers (A & B)
Cluster Resource group name should be the VIRTUAL Service name which is created for the cluster.
We have an option to create the virtual server name over here by giving the virtual IP we have got at time of prerequisite of the installation from server/windows team.
The cluster disk
is where the SQL Server data will be stored. More than one disk can be
specified. The Available shared disks
box displays a list of available disks, whether each is qualified as a shared
disk, and a description of each disk resource. Click Next to continue.
Give the virtual IP in the address section, submet mask will be automatically created.
Give the Domain account over there which will be owner of the cluster services and responsible for starting and stopping the services.
Use Domain radio button shown below and give the Domain account name for both Database engine and Agent engine.
Give the Domain account and its password in all the sections and leave the startup type given.
Collation setting can be changed as per the client and application requirement.
Authentication Mode : Select Mixed Mode type and enter SA password
Add the Current User as SQL
Server Administrator by selecting “Add
Current User” tab.
Data directory should be of Cluster Disk
Enable filestream if needed.
1.
The below window will appear
when we are installing Analysis Services. Add Current user as Administrator of
Analysis Services by selecting “Add
Current user” tab if installing Analysis Service.
1.
Use the Data Directories tab to specify nondefault installation
directories. To install to default directories, click Next.
Check the summary before proceeding for Installation, cross check the Edition and Action.
Now SQL Server has been installed in one server (Server A) and next step is to add the node to existing cluster.
Login into the other server (Server B) and start installation.
Click the Add node section in the installation tab.
Next pages will be the same pages that we have seen when installing on first node.
Give the same license key and proceed with the steps.
In the below page, we have to check the Virutal server name provided when installing the SQL Server in Node A.
Give the Domain account and password for all the services.
Before proceeding with the installation, cross check the edition and action.
Node B is added to the primary instance of Node A.
Hope the above information helps.
