data and transaction logs in cluster

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data and transaction logs in cluster

Denise McMillan

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Points: 6216
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December 20, 2006 at 10:25 am

#170788

I'm reading through articles on installing SQL Server 2005 failover cluster. We have created several drives for data and transaction logs on both nodes. Do they need to be added in Cluster Administrator before the SQL Server set up part, or do you add them during the SQL Server install? I haven't seen this written anywhere and will appreciate any help. Thanks!

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MohammedU SSCoach Points: 19644 More actions · Answer 1

Before sql installation make sure you add all the neccssary drives to cluster to manage...When you installing MSCS you see the option but if you configure disks later you can't add them after MSCS installation...

Read the following article..

http://www.sql-server-performance.com/wndows2000_clustering_install_step4.asp

MohammedU
Microsoft SQL Server MVP

Denise McMillan SSCertifiable Points: 6216 More actions · Answer 2

We are using windows 2003. We have set up MSCS and added our two servers using Cluster Administrator. Cluster is called emrcluster, the 2 nodes are emrdb1 and emrdb2. My question is, we have set up (on both servers) drive C: for system files, drive F: for data cdr-mpi, drive I: for cdr_logs, drive E: for programs, drive G: for data msi-upcemr, drive J: for msi_logs, and drive Q: for Q-4-Quorum. Should we add all these drives in Cluster Administrator, if so would they be cluster groups, or resources? As you can tell I haven't set up a cluster before and am trying to figure it out. Thanks again!

Jeff Gray SSChampion Points: 10667 More actions · Answer 3

Hi,

The physical disk resources (Drive letters) that contain SQL server data files must be:

1. A resource in the same resource group as the SQL Server resource

2. A dependency of the SQL Server resource

jg

Denise McMillan SSCertifiable Points: 6216 More actions · Answer 4

Thanks, that answers my question about the disk drives, but leads to another question. Do I need to add SQL Server as a resource? If so, what type and dependencies? Also then how about SQL Server Agent, is it added as a resource, what type and dependencies?

Thanks very much for all the help.

Jeff Gray SSChampion Points: 10667 More actions · Answer 5

Hi,

The installer for SQL server is "cluster-aware" and will set up the SQL server resources for you.

It's been a while since I've installed a cluster, so I'm not going to try to recite the steps from memory.

I think the SQL installer will find suitable (clustered) physical disks (LUNs) and create the Physicl Disk resource for you. I just don't remember for sure.

I do remember that I installed SQL with a single clustered disk, then added the other disk resources after the install was complete. Just make sure you confirm the 2 things I listed before you try to use the disks for SQL data files.

jg

Denise McMillan SSCertifiable Points: 6216 More actions · Answer 6

Thanks, that helps a lot. I got all the disk drives added as resources except the C: drive. It is not in the choices of drives to select from when adding resources (using Cluster Administrator).

Is there any reason C: drive would be different than the others? Does it not need to be added as a resource ahead of the SQL server install?

Thanks so much!

Jeff Gray SSChampion Points: 10667 More actions · Answer 7

I assume that the C: drive is local to the cluster node(s), and it is the location of the OS files, WINDOWS directory, etc. It is not a resource that is managed by the cluster service, because it is not a shared resource.

Denise McMillan SSCertifiable Points: 6216 More actions · Answer 8

Yes that's right, thanks for pointing it out! I may be ready to give the install a try.

Jeff Gray SSChampion Points: 10667 More actions · Answer 9

Good luck! I would review to make sure that you have followed all of the pre-requisites exactly before attempting the install. If one tiny thing is out of whack, you might spend hours or days trying to figure out why the installation has failed repeatedly.

At least that's how it went for me the first time.....

jeff