Pro SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering (Expert's Voice in SQL Server)

Pro SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering is destined to become the definitive book on failover clustering for SQL Server. Written by the same Allan Hirt who wrote and co-wrote Microsoft’s SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005 failover clustering whitepapers, the book is authoritative and will appeal to readers due to Allan’s prominence in the field. Allan has been prominent in the topic of this book from day-one. Failover clustering is a key technology that is part of any high-availability solution, and high-availability is becoming increasingly important as companies demand 24x7 access to key, business data. Allan Hirt wrote the only book on SQL Server high-availability and clustering for SQL Server 2005. Allan’s audience will remember him, and will buy this new book on failover clustering, confident in getting the same level of authoritative quality that they’ve come to associate with the name Allan Hirt. Prelims ......Page 1 Contents at a Glance......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 About the Author......Page 15 About the Technical Reviewer......Page 17 Acknowledgments......Page 19 Preface......Page 21 A Quick High Availability and Disaster Recovery Primer......Page 23 Understanding the SQL Server Availability Technologies......Page 26 Backup and Restore......Page 27 Failover Cluster......Page 28 Log Shipping......Page 34 Improvements to Log Shipping in SQL Server 2008......Page 35 Log Shipping Timeline......Page 36 Best Uses for Log Shipping......Page 38 Combining Failover Clustering and Log Shipping......Page 40 Database Mirroring......Page 41 Improvements to Database Mirroring in SQL Server 2008......Page 42 Database Mirroring Modes......Page 43 Best Uses for Database Mirroring......Page 46 Combining Failover Clustering and Database Mirroring......Page 47 Replication......Page 48 Snapshot Replication......Page 49 Merge Replication......Page 50 Transactional Replication......Page 51 Combining Failover Clustering and Replication......Page 53 Applications, Availability, and Failover Clustering......Page 54 Application Availability Issues......Page 55 Client Connections and Clustered SQL Server–Based Applications......Page 56 Comparing Failover Clustering to Other Availability Technologies......Page 58 Database Mirroring vs. Failover Clustering......Page 60 Third-Party Clustering vs. Failover Clustering......Page 61 Oracle’s Real Application Clusters vs. Failover Clustering......Page 62 Summary......Page 64 Preparing to Cluster Windows......Page 65 Choosing a Version and Edition of Windows Server 2008......Page 66 32or 64-Bit?......Page 67 Windows Server 2008 With and Without Hyper-V......Page 69 Cluster Validation......Page 70 Server Features and Server Roles......Page 73 Cluster Administration Account......Page 75 Cluster Networks......Page 76 Public Network......Page 77 Dedicated TCP/IP Addresses or Dynamic TCP/IP Addresses......Page 78 Network Ports......Page 79 Choosing a Quorum Model......Page 80 OR and AND Dependencies......Page 81 Environment Variables......Page 82 Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator......Page 83 Prerequisites for SQL Server 2008......Page 84 Disk Changes in Windows Server 2008......Page 85 Hardware Settings......Page 86 Sizing and Configuring Disks......Page 87 Scenario......Page 90 Planning and Deployment......Page 91 Upgrading Existing Clusters to Windows Server 2008......Page 93 Summary......Page 94 Step 1: Install and Configure Hardware and Windows Server 2008......Page 95 Configure the Public Network......Page 96 Configure the Private Cluster Network......Page 101 Set Network Priority......Page 104 Add Features in Server Manager......Page 105 Add Server Roles in Server Manager......Page 107 Add Server Roles and Features via Command Line......Page 111 Prepare and Format the Disks......Page 113 Create Drives with Letters and Mount Points Using Computer Management......Page 114 Create Drives with Letters and Mount Points via Command Line......Page 119 Verify the Disk Configuration......Page 122 Rename and Join Using the System Applet......Page 123 Rename and Join via Command Line......Page 124 Create the Cluster Administration Account Using Active Directory Users and Computers......Page 125 Create the Cluster Administration Account via Command Line......Page 127 Configuring Security Using Active Directory Users and Computers......Page 129 Configuring Security via Command Line......Page 130 Add the Cluster Administration Account to Each Node......Page 131 Create the Cluster Name Object......Page 132 Configure Windows Update......Page 135 Activate Windows......Page 136 Install a Windows Server 2008 Service Pack......Page 138 Install Necessary Windows Hotfixes......Page 139 Install Windows Installer 4.5......Page 140 Install .NET Framework......Page 141 Windows Server 2008 (RTM Branch)......Page 144 Windows Server 2008 R2......Page 145 Configure Anti-Virus......Page 148 Summary......Page 149 Step 2: Validate the Cluster Configuration......Page 151 Validating the Cluster Configuration Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 152 Validating the Cluster Configuration Using PowerShell......Page 158 Reading the Validation Report......Page 160 Invalid Operating System SKU......Page 162 Teredo......Page 163 Changes Introduced in Windows Server 2008 with Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008 R2......Page 165 Creating a Failover Cluster Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 166 Creating a Failover Cluster Using cluster.exe......Page 169 Creating a Failover Cluster Using PowerShell......Page 170 Configuring the Cluster Networks Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 171 Configuring the Cluster Networks Using cluster.exe......Page 174 Configuring the Quorum Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 175 Configuring the Quorum Using cluster.exe......Page 178 Create a Clustered Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator......Page 180 Creating the MSDTC Resources Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 181 Review All Logs......Page 184 Validate Resource Failover......Page 185 Resource Failover in Failover Cluster Management......Page 186 Resource Failover Using cluster.exe......Page 187 Summary......Page 188 Analysis Services......Page 189 Reporting Services and SQL Server Integration Services......Page 190 Changes to Setup in SQL Server 2008......Page 191 Combining SQL Server 2008 with Other Clustered Applications......Page 193 Technical Considerations for SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering......Page 194 Side-by-Side Deployments......Page 195 Number of Instances......Page 196 Drive Letters......Page 198 Drives for Data, Log, and Backups......Page 199 Deciding on a Disk Configuration......Page 200 Memory......Page 201 Processor......Page 204 Example......Page 205 Service SID vs. Domain Groups for Instance Management......Page 207 Service Accounts, Domain Groups, and Rights......Page 208 Clustered SQL Server Instance Names......Page 209 Instance ID and Program File Location......Page 210 Resource Dependencies......Page 211 Summary......Page 212 Configure SQL Server–Related Service Accounts and Service Account Security......Page 213 Install SQL Server Setup Support Files......Page 217 Slipstreaming a SQL Server Service Pack......Page 218 Using the SQL Server Setup User Interface......Page 220 Using the Command Line......Page 240 Using an INI File......Page 247 Using the SQL Server Setup Interface......Page 248 Using the Command Line......Page 252 Using the SQL Server Setup User Interface, Step 1: Prepare the Nodes......Page 253 Using the SQL Server Setup User Interface, Step 2: Complete Nodes......Page 255 Using an INI File......Page 257 Verify Failover, Network Connectivity, and Cluster Name Resolution......Page 259 Verify the Node Configuration......Page 260 Using cluster.exe......Page 261 Set the Resource Failure Policies......Page 262 Set the Preferred Node Order for Failover......Page 263 Configure a Static TCP/IP Port for the SQL Server Instance......Page 264 Summary......Page 266 Taking Into Account the Application......Page 267 Devise the Right Upgrade Plan......Page 269 Update Administration Skills......Page 270 Side-By-Side Upgrade......Page 271 Overview of the Upgrade Process......Page 272 Methods for Upgrading Databases Using Side-by-Side and New Hardware Migrations......Page 273 Planning for Downtime......Page 274 Figuring Out the Upgrade Order for an In-Place Upgrade with Multiple Instances......Page 275 Simultaneously Upgrading to Windows Server 2008......Page 278 Step 1: Install Prerequisites......Page 280 Step 2: Upgrade the Nodes That Do Not Own the SQL Server Instance (SQL Server Setup User Interface)......Page 289 Step 3: Upgrade the Node Owning the SQL Server Instance (SQL Server Setup User Interface)......Page 295 Upgrading Using the Command Line......Page 299 Post-Upgrade Tasks......Page 300 Summary......Page 301 Introducing Failover Cluster Management......Page 303 Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 306 Using cluster.exe......Page 310 Using PowerShell......Page 313 Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 314 Using PowerShell......Page 315 Monitoring the Cluster Nodes......Page 316 Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 317 Using cluster.exe......Page 319 Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 320 Using PowerShell......Page 321 Using PowerShell......Page 322 Changing the Service Account or the Service Account Passwords......Page 323 Configuring Memory for a SQL Server 2008 Instance......Page 325 Using Windows System Resource Manager to Constrain Processor Utilization......Page 326 Using the SQL Server Setup User Interface......Page 333 Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 337 Using cluster.exe......Page 339 Using PowerShell......Page 340 Using Failover Cluster Management......Page 342 Using cluster.exe......Page 344 Using PowerShell......Page 345 Patching a SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering Instance......Page 346 Rolling Update Step 1: Excluding Nodes As Possible Owners......Page 347 Rolling Update Step 2: Installing a SQL Server 2008 Update......Page 350 Rolling Update Step 3: Adding Excluded Nodes......Page 355 Summary......Page 356 Considerations for Virtualizing Failover Clusters......Page 357 Performance......Page 358 Windows Server 2008 R2 and Virtualization......Page 359 Creating a Virtualized Failover Cluster......Page 361 Creating a Virtual Machine with VMware Workstation......Page 362 Step 2: Install Windows on the VMs......Page 371 Configuring Active Directory......Page 372 Configuring the iSCSI Target......Page 378 Configuring the iSCSI Initiator......Page 383 Summary......Page 392 Index......Page 393

Pro SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering is dedicated to the planning, implementation, and administration of clustered SQL Server 2008 implementations. Whether deploying a single–instance, two–node cluster or a multiple–node, many–instance cluster for consolidation, this book will detail all of the considerations and pitfalls that may be encountered along the way. Clustering and high–availability expert Allan Hirt shares his many years of wisdom and experience, showing how to put together the right combination of people, processes, technology, and best practices to create and manage world–class, highly available SQL Server 2008 failover clusters.

• Provides a comprehensive look at SQL Server 2008 failover clustering from the first steps of planning to daily administration
• Goes beyond just SQL Server 2008 and also covers Windows Server 2008 clustering in depth with a SQL Server focus
• Covers how and where virtualization can be used with failover clusters
• Addresses the needs of enterprise–class, 24/7 SQL Server 2008 implementations
• Written by the leading expert on SQL Server failover clustering

What you’ll learn

• Understand what failover clustering is, how it works, and how it can benefit SQL Server deployments.
• Configure disk subsystems to support failover clustering implementations.
• Plan, implement, and administer Windows Server 2008 clustering for use with SQL Server 2008.
• Plan, implement, and administer new SQL Server 2008 failover clustering instances.
• Upgrade existing SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005 failover clustering instances to SQL Server 2008.
• Create virtualized clusters for use in test and development environments.

Who this book is for

This book is for IT administrators and database administrators who are faced with implementing and administering clustered SQL Server 2008 instances. This book is also for those who will be upgrading existing SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server 2005 failover clustering instances to SQL Server 2008.

Table of Contents

1. Failover Clustering Basics
2. Preparing to Cluster Windows
3. Clustering Windows Server 2008 Part 1: Preparing Windows
4. Clustering Windows Server 2008 Part 2: Clustering Windows
5. Preparing to Cluster SQL Server 2008
6. Installing a New SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering Instance
7. Upgrading to SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering
8. Administering a SQL Server 2008 Failover Cluster
9. Virtualization and Failover Clustering