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sql server clustering : Create SQL cluster on 2003
I have 2 2003 servers each running a separate copy of SQL. I have purchased
a external storage Dell Powervault running RAID 5 to serve as the shared disk space. I would like to create a SQL cluster with these 2 machines. Each SQL server has databases that will need to be moved to the shared space. What is the easiest way to accomplish this? I was thinking I would need to do backup my databases from both SQL servers. Create a cluster in 2003 cluster management Uninstall SQL server from both SQL servers Install SQL server as a virtual server from one of the 2003 servers. Restore the SQL databases to the shared disk space
Thanks for the response. I have actually talked with Dell about this and
given the small volume of SQL database activity - they recommended this. I have not configured my PowerVault yet - would Raid 1 be better relating to performance? My current 2003 servers have a single RAID 5 configuration - and the databases are stored in the normal c:\program files\..... and it seems to be working fine for us. We only about about 20 databases - all small (the largest is 500M) and all with less than 20 users connected at 1 time. [quoted text, click to view] "Geoff N. Hiten" wrote:
> First, your configuration is unsupported. A cluster must be purchased as a > cluster, not just assembled ad-hoc from components that may or may not be on > the cluster Hardware Compatibility list in order to be a supported > configuration. Some storage vendors will certify the entire platform if you > purchase installation services along with the storage device. > > Second, your RAID-5 Powervault will run very slowly in a cluster. RAID-5 > has significant overhead for writes. Normally a caching controller can > mitigate these issues but with clustering, all SCSI controllers for shared > storage must disable write cache. Since you have the PowerVault divided > into a single array, you will have to install SQL onto the Quorum partition, > again an unsupported configuration. Note that Clustering will work at the > RAID container level, not at the logical partition level. Data and > transaction logs will be on the same physical device so there goes another > bit of performance and recoverability. The whole purpose of SQL Clustering > is to increase availability. I don't see how this configuration will help > reach that goal. > > I would talk to my Dell representative about their certified cluster > offerings rather than pursue this path. > > Since you did ask for how to do something instead of whether it should be > done, here goes. Create a cluster and install an instance of SQL onto the > cluster (likely a named instance since I would guess that the local > machine(s) already use a default instance). After that, it is a simple > matter to move the databases as you would between any two SQL servers. > Windows 2003 Server has a really great clustering wizard that keeps you from > building a non-functional cluster. Once that is working, you can easily > install SQL clustering according to the instructions in BOL. > > HOW TO: Move Databases Between Computers That Are Running SQL Server > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314546 > > Geoff N. Hiten > Microsoft SQL Server MVP > Senior Database Administrator > > > "Amy Lewis" <AmyLewis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:EF12ECFD-4BA7-48DD-8605-46D045E39532@microsoft.com... > >I have 2 2003 servers each running a separate copy of SQL. I have > >purchased > > a external storage Dell Powervault running RAID 5 to serve as the shared > > disk > > space. I would like to create a SQL cluster with these 2 machines. Each > > SQL > > server has databases that will need to be moved to the shared space. What > > is > > the easiest way to accomplish this? > > > > I was thinking I would need to do backup my databases from both SQL > > servers. > > Create a cluster in 2003 cluster management > > Uninstall SQL server from both SQL servers > > Install SQL server as a virtual server from one of the 2003 servers. > > Restore the SQL databases to the shared disk space > > > > Am I missing anything? > >
First, your configuration is unsupported. A cluster must be purchased as a
cluster, not just assembled ad-hoc from components that may or may not be on the cluster Hardware Compatibility list in order to be a supported configuration. Some storage vendors will certify the entire platform if you purchase installation services along with the storage device. Second, your RAID-5 Powervault will run very slowly in a cluster. RAID-5 has significant overhead for writes. Normally a caching controller can mitigate these issues but with clustering, all SCSI controllers for shared storage must disable write cache. Since you have the PowerVault divided into a single array, you will have to install SQL onto the Quorum partition, again an unsupported configuration. Note that Clustering will work at the RAID container level, not at the logical partition level. Data and transaction logs will be on the same physical device so there goes another bit of performance and recoverability. The whole purpose of SQL Clustering is to increase availability. I don't see how this configuration will help reach that goal. I would talk to my Dell representative about their certified cluster offerings rather than pursue this path. Since you did ask for how to do something instead of whether it should be done, here goes. Create a cluster and install an instance of SQL onto the cluster (likely a named instance since I would guess that the local machine(s) already use a default instance). After that, it is a simple matter to move the databases as you would between any two SQL servers. Windows 2003 Server has a really great clustering wizard that keeps you from building a non-functional cluster. Once that is working, you can easily install SQL clustering according to the instructions in BOL. HOW TO: Move Databases Between Computers That Are Running SQL Server http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314546 Geoff N. Hiten Microsoft SQL Server MVP Senior Database Administrator [quoted text, click to view] "Amy Lewis" <AmyLewis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:EF12ECFD-4BA7-48DD-8605-46D045E39532@microsoft.com... >I have 2 2003 servers each running a separate copy of SQL. I have >purchased > a external storage Dell Powervault running RAID 5 to serve as the shared > disk > space. I would like to create a SQL cluster with these 2 machines. Each > SQL > server has databases that will need to be moved to the shared space. What > is > the easiest way to accomplish this? > > I was thinking I would need to do backup my databases from both SQL > servers. > Create a cluster in 2003 cluster management > Uninstall SQL server from both SQL servers > Install SQL server as a virtual server from one of the 2003 servers. > Restore the SQL databases to the shared disk space > > Am I missing anything?
I am assuming a PV 220S with 14 slots.
2ea RAID-1 drives for Quorum and MSDTC (36GB 15KRPM) Normal best practices has them apart but with your small scale combining them should be safe. 2ea RAID-1 drives for Logs (73GB 15KRPM) 2ea RAID-1 drives for Data (146GB 15KRPM) That leaves 8 slots for future expansion. Make sure you have blanks so the airflow works correctly. You can adjust the sizes of the drives to meet your needs, but try to keep the Quorum and Logs drives at 15KRPM. The speed definitely makes a difference. Since you are in a cluster configuration, the physical location of the drives in the individual slots makes no difference. This will give you a decent performing system that is also pretty reliable and recoverable. Geoff N. Hiten Microsoft SQL Server MVP [quoted text, click to view] "Amy Lewis" <AmyLewis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:F0ECD371-DAB4-433C-8445-750EB2D45AA3@microsoft.com... > Thanks for the response. I have actually talked with Dell about this and > given the small volume of SQL database activity - they recommended this. > > I have not configured my PowerVault yet - would Raid 1 be better relating > to performance? My current 2003 servers have a single RAID 5 > configuration - > and the databases are stored in the normal c:\program files\..... and it > seems to be working fine for us. We only about about 20 databases - all > small (the largest is 500M) and all with less than 20 users connected at 1 > time. > > "Geoff N. Hiten" wrote: > >> First, your configuration is unsupported. A cluster must be purchased as >> a >> cluster, not just assembled ad-hoc from components that may or may not be >> on >> the cluster Hardware Compatibility list in order to be a supported >> configuration. Some storage vendors will certify the entire platform if >> you >> purchase installation services along with the storage device. >> >> Second, your RAID-5 Powervault will run very slowly in a cluster. RAID-5 >> has significant overhead for writes. Normally a caching controller can >> mitigate these issues but with clustering, all SCSI controllers for >> shared >> storage must disable write cache. Since you have the PowerVault divided >> into a single array, you will have to install SQL onto the Quorum >> partition, >> again an unsupported configuration. Note that Clustering will work at >> the >> RAID container level, not at the logical partition level. Data and >> transaction logs will be on the same physical device so there goes >> another >> bit of performance and recoverability. The whole purpose of SQL >> Clustering >> is to increase availability. I don't see how this configuration will >> help >> reach that goal. >> >> I would talk to my Dell representative about their certified cluster >> offerings rather than pursue this path. >> >> Since you did ask for how to do something instead of whether it should be >> done, here goes. Create a cluster and install an instance of SQL onto >> the >> cluster (likely a named instance since I would guess that the local >> machine(s) already use a default instance). After that, it is a simple >> matter to move the databases as you would between any two SQL servers. >> Windows 2003 Server has a really great clustering wizard that keeps you >> from >> building a non-functional cluster. Once that is working, you can easily >> install SQL clustering according to the instructions in BOL. >> >> HOW TO: Move Databases Between Computers That Are Running SQL Server >> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314546 >> >> Geoff N. Hiten >> Microsoft SQL Server MVP >> Senior Database Administrator >> >> >> "Amy Lewis" <AmyLewis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >> news:EF12ECFD-4BA7-48DD-8605-46D045E39532@microsoft.com... >> >I have 2 2003 servers each running a separate copy of SQL. I have >> >purchased >> > a external storage Dell Powervault running RAID 5 to serve as the >> > shared >> > disk >> > space. I would like to create a SQL cluster with these 2 machines. >> > Each >> > SQL >> > server has databases that will need to be moved to the shared space. >> > What >> > is >> > the easiest way to accomplish this? >> > >> > I was thinking I would need to do backup my databases from both SQL >> > servers. >> > Create a cluster in 2003 cluster management >> > Uninstall SQL server from both SQL servers >> > Install SQL server as a virtual server from one of the 2003 servers. >> > Restore the SQL databases to the shared disk space >> > >> > Am I missing anything? >> >> >>
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