How to create SQL Server 2005 Clustering with Virtual Server 2005 (Part 5)

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How to create SQL Server 2005 Clustering with Virtual Server 2005 (Part 5)

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13 Jun 2008 4:07 AM
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This is the last part of the series. Once you have configured windows cluster and MSDTC, installing SQL is piece of cake. I already mentioned in part 1 that you have to download ISO (SQLEVAL.ISO) which we would need to attached as CD drive which would have setup files. I have copied the image on E:\Virtual Server\SQLEVAL.ISO

We also need to create domain account and domain groups in domain controller.  So, logon to domain controller. Go to Start > Run > DSA.msc and follow below screen-shots.

AD Users and Computers

Give the details of account (i.e. SQLSVC)

 SQLSVC Account

Set the password after clicking next button. Make sure that "Password never expires" is checked and "User cannot change password" is checked.

SQLSVC Account Password

One account is created, lets add a Group and add SQLSVC into the group.

SQLSVC New Group

Give Group Name "SQL Admin Groups"

SQLSVC Group Name

Right click on  "SQL Admin Groups" properties and add "members"

SQLSVC New Group Members

Now you are done with Domain controller.

Now, let's mount ISO image to MyNode1 and MyNode2. To do this, go to Virtual server console.

CD_DVD

Click on CD/DVD and fill details as below

CD_DVD_Properties

Above has to be done on both the nodes. Once you do that, you can see SQL Installation CD mounted on MyNode1 and MyNode2.

Lets Start SQL setup now.

  1. Log off from MyNode2. This is required to avoid running into known bug.
  2. Log on to MyNode1.
  3. Move all the resource groups to MyNode1 using Cluster AdminMyNode1 Active Groups 
  4. Go to DVD drive and double click on setup.exe from Servers folder
  5. Accept EULA. Next.
  6. Click 'Install' and wait for SQL Server to configure components and setup the installation. Once the required components (.NET Framework 2.0, MS SQL Native Client and the SQL Server 2005 setup support files) have been installed click 'Next'
  7. Click 'next' when prompted with the screen 'Welcome to the Microsoft SQL Server Installation Wizard. The installation will then proceed through the 'System Configuration Check'- click 'next' to proceed.
  8. Enter Registration Information, click 'next'
  9. Components to Install- Select all components (SQL Server Database Services, Workstation components) , then click 'next' components to install 
  10. Since this is the first installation of a new database instance for SQL server, select 'Default Instance'.
  11. Provide Virtual Server Name (VirtualSQL) VirtualSQL
  12. Provide Virtual SQL Server IP Address (192.1.1.6) in Next screen and click on Add. Then Next   
  13. VirtualSQLIP
  14. Provide SQL Group in Next screen as shown below Cluster Group Selection
  15. Click Next on Below Screen
  16. Select Nodes
  17. Provide Administrator Password in next screen and click Next
  18. Provide SQL Service Account created earlier on domain controller(sqlsvc) SQLSVC Provide
  19. Provide Domain Group which we created earlier (SQL Admin Groups) SQLSVC Group Provide
  20. Authentication Mode. Choose Mixed Mode (Windows Authentication and SQL Server Authentication), provide sa password and click 'next'
  21. Keep the default settings (SQL Collations- Dictionary Order, case-insensitive, 1252 character set) and click next
  22. Error and Usage Report Settings. Leave defaults (none checked). Click 'next'
  23. Check installation Settings, click 'install'.
  24. During the install process you can always see what is happening on other node.
  25. Once the installation process is completed, click 'next'
  26. And finally... Finish.

Now we are done with the setup and we should see the resources in cluster admin under SQL Group.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

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  • Anurag
    18 Jun 2009 6:32 AM

    Hi,

    I am running SQL Setup on Node2 only. Another important thing is that after adding node2 to the cluster and restart of the virtual cluster nodes, the Cluster service did not get restarted on the nodes and I had to manually restart the cluster service on both nodes.

    Also, I do not know how to copy the log files from the virtual nodes to the host for email purpose.

    Thanks

  • 29 Jun 2009 10:54 AM

    Excellent  !!!. I set up my own SQl cluster.. now I have a test Cluster environment  cool..

    Just a Question, I have some software on my local physical drive that I would to install on these virtual cluster. Any Idea how to do it?

    again Thanks for what this article , it's great....

  • 30 Jun 2009 12:32 AM

    Hi GAMAPE,

    Thanks for the comment.

    Is the application/software is cluster aware? If that makes a service then you can add the service in cluster.

    Right Click on the Group and add new resource of type "Service" and provide details.

    Regards,

    Balmukund

  • 30 Jun 2009 1:28 PM

    Thanks Balmukund

    Can you help me with this : how can I link/access my physical hard drive from the virtual server/cluster?

    regards

    GamaPe

  • Brian
    8 Jul 2009 10:21 PM

    Hey great post, Im installing as per your guide but finding the option to create a sql server failover cluster is grey and I can not select the check box.

    Im using 2003 Ent with SP2 and all patches which I though was ok.

    All previous steps outlined in your guide have been done and both nodes are online.

    Any ideas why this is not working ?

    Thanks

  • 9 Jul 2009 1:01 AM

    Hi Brian,

    Few reasons which I can think of may cause "create a SQL failover cluster" greyed out would be

    1. Second option would be enabled only if you are checking first option "SQL Server Database Services"

    2. Setup is thinking that you are installing on Standalone box. It could be because of cluster service not running. Please check that you are able to see both nodes up in cluster administrator.

    3. Any warning in "System Configuration Check" screen?

    4. Installing editions other than Enterprise, Enterprise EVAL, Developer and Standard?

    If none of above help, please send me "c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG" folder after zipping it to my email id below.

    blakhani(at)koolmail(dot)in

  • j
    15 Sep 2009 7:11 AM

    Hi Balmukund,

    Its just been a day since I installed the virtual machines. But I have started getting messages that your evaluation period has expired...please activate.

    Any idea?

  • 15 Sep 2009 11:41 AM

    Hi,

    I am not sure if the clock starts after installation or download. I can't help here.

    Regards,

    Balmukund

  • misra
    16 Sep 2009 4:24 AM

    Hi Balmukund,

    Is this node configuration active/active or active/passive?

  • 16 Sep 2009 4:30 AM

    Hi Misra,

    Its Active/Passive.

    Please refer to comments by Suhas on below Blog for clarification about Active/Active and Active/Passive terms.

    http://blogs.msdn.com/blakhani/archive/2008/06/09/sql-2005-cluster-setup-checklist.aspx

    Regards,

    Balmukund

  • misra
    18 Sep 2009 3:08 AM

    Hi Balmukund,

    When I move the gopus to MyNode1 it take a hell lot of time for the groups/resources to come online ... more than half an hour.

    Another thing is afterI select SQL Cluster failover option and hit "Next" it says that cannot install on C"\pgram files\Microsoft SQL Server" because this is not a shared drive.

    Can you help me out in the second point? shall i select some other drive?

  • 18 Sep 2009 4:17 AM

    To answer the second question, you would not be allowed to keep database files on C drive as its not shared. It has to be shared.

    For first question,

    1. Does it come online after 30 min?

    2. Which resource takes most of the time?

    Regads,

    Balmukund

  • misra
    23 Sep 2009 5:43 AM

    Hi Balmukund,

    When I restarted the machines I could install w/o any problems.

    I have another question to you - can I make one make a single machine as both a domain controller and a node for clustering.

  • 23 Sep 2009 5:58 AM

    Hi Misra,

    Nice to hear that issue is resolved.

    It is not recommended to install SQL on DC.

    Moreover, you can't have one node in cluster to be a DC.

    Regards,

    Balmukund

  • Misra
    22 Oct 2009 3:04 AM

    Hi Balmukund,

    When I create the virtual machines (as specified in part 1) and start the machine I am not able to see the network in My Network of the VMs.

    Please let me know what should I do to make the network connections visible in VMs.

    Thanks

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