Build Your 2008R2 2-Node Cluster. Keywords: sql, cluster, citrix, storage

1. Citrix HIGH AVAILABILITY
SQL 2008 R2 TWO-NODE CLUSTER
BY: BRIAN MURPHY
Table of Contents
SQL CLUSTERING REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................................................................2
SCOPE ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
UNDERSTANDING THE CHANGES IN WINDOWS 2008 / R2 ....................................................................................... 2
Cluster Validation in Windows 2008 & R2 ...............................................................................................................2
Windows 2008 R2 – Failover Clustering Improvements.............................................................................................3
Information You Should Know – Setup Improvements...............................................................................................3
2008 R2 - Virtualization Improvements ...................................................................................................................4
BEFORE WE BEGIN – NOTES REGARDING MSCS ................................................................................................. 5
CLUSTER QUORUM REQUIREMENTS ...........................................................................................................................5
LOCAL INSTALL CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................................................6
MICROSOFT DISTRIBUTED TRANSACTION COORDINATOR (MS DTC) .................................................................. 6
INSTALL 2008 R2 MICROSOFT CLUSTER SERVICES ...........................................................................................8
SQL CLUSTER WIZARD NODE 1 .......................................................................................................................... 23
SQL CLUSTER WIZARD NODE 2 .......................................................................................................................... 30
MANAGING CLUSTER SERVICES........................................................................................................................ 36
MANAGING FAILOVER TESTING / VALIDATION ...................................................................................... 37
DOCUMENTATION REFERENCE .......................................................................................................................... 38
Page 1 of 38

2. SQL Clustering Requirements
Scope
This document is a standard step-by-step guide written for purposes of creating a “repeatable” manual process for Microsoft
Server 2008 R2 Cluster Service and SQL 2008 R2 running two-node cluster and present options for high availability and
scalability utilizing Active Directory Integrated DNS and DFS to add capacity only when required. This applies to custom and
dedicated installations to provide the highest economies of scale. In addition, this document proposes alternative solutions
such as 2008 R2 NLB (Network Load Balancing) concepts for higher redundancy and ability to scale beyond normal
constraints of clustering using several key technologies:
1.
Active Directory – File Services Role w/ caching
2. Microsoft 2008 R2 NTFS – Significant enhancements
3. Microsoft 2008 R2 GPT – Support for large disks combined with x64
4. Microsoft 2008 R2 - Network Load Balancing (SP 1 is out now)
5. Active Directory - Distributed File System
Although the core scope is installation and configuration of a 2-node cluster on Server 2008 R2 64 Bit there are opportunities to
utilize additional technologies that I will document as optional with benefits for future prosperity. The goal is to:
1. Increase Economies Of Scale
2. Lower Operational Costs
3. Increate Return on Investment
4. Provide a secure design that complies with SOX, HIPAA, and other auditable methodologies.
5. Open discussion to new designs utilizing newer technology available in 2008 R2 and now 2008 R2 SP1
a. Technologies included with the OS at no additional charge
b. Technologies that have potential to lower costs but require validation testing
Understanding the Changes in Windows 2008 / R2
Please review each section below, these section is need-to-know information identified by the VCISS Design Team. There are
enhancements to SQL Server 2008 R2 that are critical to understand the enhancements and key differences in security to MSCS
and Microsoft Best Practice. In this section, I describe the key differences. In the following sections I provide critical
information regarding 2008 R2 that is designed to assure a successful install.
Cluster Validation in Windows 2008 & R2
One of the biggest changes in failover clustering in Windows Server 2008 was the removal of the requirement that the
hardware used in the cluster must be listed in the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) in order for the cluster to be
supported.

Hardware Validation—to participate in the HCL, OEM vendors had to submit specific hardware configurations for
testing. While this ensured the systems worked with failover clustering, it also tended to limit the number of systems
available for failover clustering and contributed toward making these systems expensive.
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3. 
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Cluster Validation Wizard—the OEM hardware submission requirement was eliminated with Windows Server 2008 and
replaced by the new Cluster Validation Wizard.
Validation Testing—a Windows Server 2008 failover cluster will be supported if it passes the cluster validation tests.
Windows 2008 R2 – Failover Clustering Improvements
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Configuration Wizard—Microsoft supports a failover cluster solution only if all the hardware components are marked as
"Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2." In addition, the complete configuration (servers, network, and storage) must pass
all tests in the Validate a Configuration wizard, which is included in the Failover Cluster Manager snap-in.
Windows PowerShell cmdlets for Failover Clusters—Windows PowerShell is a new command-line shell and scripting
technology that uses consistent syntax and naming patterns across the roles and features in Windows Server 2008 R2. The
new cmdlets for failover clusters provide powerful ways to script cluster configuration and management tasks. Windows
PowerShell cmdlets will eventually replace the Cluster.exe command-line interface.
o
If you use the Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 R2 for your failover cluster, the
Windows PowerShell cmdlets for failover clusters simplify the local management of the cluster.
Read-only Permissions Option—you can assign read-only permission to a user or group who might need to see the
cluster but not change the configuration of the cluster.
Cluster Shared Volumes—with Cluster Shared Volumes, the configuration of clustered virtual machines (supported by
the Hyper-V feature) is much simpler than before. With Cluster Shared Volumes:
o
You can reduce the number of LUNs (disks) required for your virtual machines, instead of having to manage
one LUN per virtual machine. (Previously, the recommended configuration was one LUN per virtual machine,
because the LUN was the unit of failover.) Many virtual machines can use a single LUN and can fail over
without causing the other virtual machines on the same LUN to also fail over.
o
You can make better use of disk space, because you do not need to place each Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) file on
a separate disk with extra free space set aside just for that VHD file. Instead, the free space on a Cluster Shared
Volume can be used by any VHD file on that LUN.
o
You can more easily track the paths to VHD files and other files used by virtual machines. You can specify the
path names, instead of identifying disks by drive letters (limited to the number of letters in the alphabet) or
identifiers called GUIDs (which are hard to use and remember). With Cluster Shared Volumes, the path
appears to be on the system drive of the node, under the ClusterStorage folder. However, this path is the
same when viewed from any node in the cluster.
o
If you use a few Cluster Shared Volumes to create a configuration that supports many clustered virtual
machines, you can perform validation more quickly than you could with a configuration that uses many LUNs
to support many clustered virtual machines. With fewer LUNs, validation runs more quickly. (You perform
validation by running the Validate a Configuration Wizard in the snap-in for failover clusters.)
o
There are no special hardware requirements beyond what is already required for storage in a failover cluster
(although Cluster Shared Volumes require NTFS).
o
Resiliency is increased, because the cluster can respond correctly even if connectivity between one node and
the SAN is interrupted, or part of a network is down. The cluster will re-route the Cluster Shared Volumes
traffic through an intact part of the SAN or network.
Information You Should Know – Setup Improvements


Simplified Cluster Setup and Management—other important improvements in Windows Server 2008 R2 Failover
Clustering are the changes to the failover cluster setup and management process. The new Create Cluster Wizard makes
it easier to create clusters, and the new Failover Cluster Manager streamlines the management experience.
Support for GUID Partition Table Disks—recent advances in storage technologies have resulted in very large capacity
storage. Support for GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) Partition Tables (GPT) enables Windows Server clusters to utilize
partitions that are larger than 2TB. In addition, GPT disks provide built-in redundancy for the storage of their partition
information.
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4. 
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Support for Multiple Subnets—Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering also now allows cluster nodes to be placed on
different subnets. This is an important improvement for supporting geographically dispersed clusters in the future and
plays a role in multi-tenancy today.
Maximum Node Improvements—taking advantage of the enhanced clustering support found in Windows Server 2008
R2, SQL Server 2008 R2 can now be implemented on up to 16 node clusters in Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition
and Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition. SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition supports a maximum of two nodes. In
addition, SQL Server 2008 supports eight-node clustering on clustering. A summary of Windows Server and SQL Server
2008 failover clustering maximum node support is shown below:
Setup changes for SQL Server failover clustering—introduces new installation options one option forces you to run the
Setup program on each node of the failover cluster. To add a node to an existing SQL Server failover cluster, you must
run SQL Server Setup on the node that is to be added to the SQL Server failover cluster instance. Another option creates
an enterprise push to nodes from the active node.
Cluster nodes residing on different subnets—With Windows 2008, cluster nodes can now reside on different network
subnets across network routers. You no longer have to stretch virtual local area networks to connect geographically
separated cluster nodes. This opens the door to clustered disaster recovery options.
Instances per cluster—SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition supports up to 25 SQL Server instances per cluster (up to 50
for a nonclustered server).
More cluster-aware applications—Many of the MS SQL Server 2008 products are cluster aware, such as Analysis
Services, Full Text Search, Integration Services, Reporting Services, FILESTREAM, and others, making these applications
more highly available and resilient.
Isolation of the quorum disk in MSCS—a shared disk partition that is not on the same physical drive/LUN as the
quorum drive must be available in an attempt to reduce failure dependencies.
Microsoft Clustering Service(s) Recovery—can monitor applications and resources, automatically recognizing and
recovering from many failure conditions. This capability provides great flexibility in managing the workload within a
cluster, and it improves the overall availability of the system.
2008 R2 - Virtualization Improvements
Increased Availability for Virtual Data Centers
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One of the most important aspects of any data center is providing the highest possible availability for systems and
applications. Virtual data centers are no exception to the need for consolidation, high availability and most of all
sophisticated management tools.
Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2 includes the Live Migration feature, which allows you to move a virtual machine
between two virtualization host servers without any interruption of service. The users connected to the virtual machine
being moved might notice only a slight slowing in performance for a few moments. Otherwise, they will be unaware that
the virtual machine was moved from one physical computer to another.
Live Migration Support through Cluster Shared Volumes
Live Migration uses the new Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) feature within Failover Clustering in Windows Server 2008
R2. The CSV volumes enable multiple nodes in the same failover cluster to concurrently access the same logical unit
number (LUN).
While CSVs are currently employed mainly for Live Migration, their benefits will extend beyond that single scenario. For
one, they’re easy to configure using simple NTFS rather than some other proprietary format. That means administrators
won’t have to reformat their SANs to take advantage of CSVs.
It also means administrators will have an easier time showing users only a single data repository rather than a small
forest of silos—no more drive letter metaphors for end-users just convenient networked storage. And last, CSVs don’t
require config and management tools of their own. Windows Server administrators used to the tools in Windows Server
2008 can continue using those same consoles and they’ll simply work with CSVs in R2.
Improved Cluster Node Connectivity Fault Tolerance
o Because of the architecture of CSV, there is improved cluster node connectivity fault tolerance that directly
affects VMs running on the cluster. The CSV architecture implements a mechanism, known as dynamic I/O
redirection, where I/O can be rerouted within the failover cluster based on connection availability.
Enhanced Cluster Validation Tool
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5. o
o
Windows Server 2008 R2 includes a Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) for all major server roles, including Failover
Clustering. This analyzer examines the best practices configuration settings for a cluster and cluster nodes.
Improved Migration of Cluster Workloads
Before we Begin – Notes Regarding MSCS
Prior to starting a new install, please make sure to review this list of “pre-requisite” information. This is a list of
“lessons learned” from previous project and dynamic in content. If you feel anything is missing from this list
please forward this information to
MSCS is relatively sensitive to the hardware and network equipment. The equipment leveraged by Dell VCISS
solution complies with Microsoft hardware compatibility guidelines list accessible at the referenced link below.
In addition, SQL Server failover cluster instances are not supported where the cluster nodes are also domain
controllers.
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Shared Nothing Disk Arrays—MSCS supports shared nothing disk arrays, in which only one node can own a
given resource at any given moment. All other nodes are denied access until they own the resource. This
protects the data from being overwritten when two computers have access to the same drives concurrently.
Quorum Resource—to ensure that the cluster always has an up-to-date copy of the latest configuration
information; you should deploy the quorum resource on a highly available disk configuration (using mirroring,
triple-mirroring, or RAID 10, at the very least).
SQL Server Service Accounts and Passwords—should be kept the same on all nodes, or a node will not be
able to restart a SQL Server service. You can use administrator or a designated account (for example, Cluster
or ClusterAdmin) that has administrator rights within the domain and on each server.
Drive letters—for the cluster disks must be the same on all nodes (servers). Otherwise, you might not be able
to access a clustered disk.
TCP/IP—you might have to create an alternative method to connect to SQL Server if the network name is
offline and you cannot connect using TCP/IP.
Named Pipes—you can use named pipes:
o Specified as .pipe$$SQLAsqlquery
Share Memory and VIA—shared memory and VIA are NOT supported on failover clusters.
WOW64, a feature of 64-bit editions of Windows that enables 32-bit applications to run natively in 32-bit
mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode, even though the underlying operating system is running on the
64-bit operating system.
o WOW64 is supported only for stand-alone instances of SQL Server.
o WOW64 is NOT supported for SQL Server failover cluster installations
SQL Management Tools x64—For SQL Server 64-bit Edition installations on 64-bit supported operating
systems, Management Tools are supported in WOW64.
Server Core—SQL Server 2008 R2 is NOT supported on Windows Server 2008 SP2 Server Core or Windows
Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.
Cluster Quorum Requirements
The requirements that follow pertain to “Node and File Share Majority” option. This option is a primary decision
point in the VCISS Design Document. Please consider the following;
Page 5 of 38

6. 
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Microsoft Recommendation—utilizes a Node and File Share Majority quorum.
o Node and file share majority consists of each node in the cluster plus the designated file share
witness can vote when they are in communication.
o The cluster will only function when more than half of the nodes are available. This mode is
recommended for multisite clusters, for clusters with an even number of nodes, and for clusters
with no shared storage.
Cluster Quorum Elements—can be cluster nodes, a disk witness, or a file share witness. A disk or file share
witness is a shared cluster disk resource or a file share that is available on the cluster that the administrator
has especially designated to serve as a part of the quorum.
Witness Disk—the disk witness quorum is a Windows disk that resides on shared storage and contains a
copy of the cluster configuration.
File Share Witness—the file share witness is a file share that resides on a networked server that is accessible
by all cluster nodes. The file share quorum does not maintain a copy of the cluster configuration.
Quorum Disk Size—it is recommended that you configure the quorum disk size to be 500 MB; this size is the
minimum required for an efficient NTFS partition. Larger disk sizes are allowable but are not currently
needed.
Local Install Considerations
Actual hard disk space requirements depend on your system configuration and the features that you decide to
install. The following table provides disk space requirements for SQL Server 2008 R2 components:
Feature
Database Engine and data files, Replication, and Full-Text Search
Analysis Services and data files
Reporting Services and Report Manager
Integration Services
Client Components (Other than Books Online and Integration Services tools)
SQL Server Books Online
Disk space
requirement
711 MB
345 MB
304 MB
591 MB
1823 MB
157 MB
Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC)
The Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC) is required for most SQL Server failover cluster
installations. However, if you are installing only the relational database engine or just Analysis Services, then MS
DTC is NOT required.
MS DTC is required if you are installing:

The workstation components, SQL Server Integration Services, or if you intend to use distributed
transactions.
Page 6 of 38

7. 

You can install MS DTC either before or after you install SQL Server 2008 R2 on the cluster, but as it is a
requirement, it’s simpler to install it before you begin the SQL Server R2 installation.
MS DTC must be installed as a separate cluster resource from SQL Server 2008 R2. It must also have its own
shared storage that’s separate from the shared storage used by VCISS SQL Server R2.
Page 7 of 38

8. Install 2008 R2 Microsoft Cluster Services
Summary
2008 R2 Failover Support
Current Offering
 Server 2008 R2 ENT Edition
 SQL 2008 R2 STD Edition
Note: Utilizing AD DFS allows for 2-node clusters
dynamically allocated as required behind DFS root to
maintain the illusion of a single share for Citrix UPM.
Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service
 Default set to “Manual”
 Set Service to Automatic
 Start Service
Note: The virtual IP address is used by the iSCSI clients to connect to the
SAN. This insulates the iSCSI clients from needing to know any
configuration information about nodes that are added. Instead, clients
that connect using the iSCSI Initiator are configured to use the SAN’s
virtual IP address. By Default, iSCSI Initiator service is set to Manual
Note: This is required for a step further down the list when
configuring the iSCSI Initiator.
Configure BACS on NICs
This assumes BACS on Dell or similar
hardware utilizing a dedicated network for
iSCSI traffic
CLN01
CLN02
Page 8 of 38

9. Storage Allocation
**Based on 500 user POD
Two Node Utilility Cluster
(CLN01 > CLN02)
Note: You must use shared storage that is
compatible with Windows Server 2008 R2.
The storage contains at least four separate volumes (LUNs),
configured at the hardware level.
For this two-node cluster, the quorum
configuration will be Node and Disk
Majority.
Volume#
C: Drive
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 2
Volume 2
Volume 2
Volume 2
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 4
Volume 4
Requirement Notes:
XenApp SQL Temp(1)
A "temp" database on a partition with at
least 1 GB of free disk space and set to grow
automatically. Citrix recommends 4GB if the
farm is large and includes multiple print
drivers.
XenApp Farm SQL Farm DB(2)
Disk space: approximately 100MB or every
250 servers and 50 published applications in
the farm. Initial POD Offering includes
streaming and locally hosted applications.
XenDesktop Farm SQL DB (3)
40 GB based on Citrix published number of
20,000 desktops equating to 150 GB SQL
Instance. 5000 users equals 37.5 GB. 500
users equals 9.375 GB (10).
PVS Write Cache (4)
Based on 5 GB per user.
User Data (4)
Based on 5 GB per user.
User Profiles (5)
Based on 512 MB per user.
Application Packages (6)
Based on 2 GB per package and assumes 30
streamed packages.
Network infrastructure and domain account
requirements for a two-node failover cluster
Checklist
Description
SQL Binaries, Temp (1)
Quorum Drive
SQL Data, SQL Logs
XenApp Farm (2)
XenApp AMC Logging
XenDesktop Farm (3)
XenDesktop Logging
PVS Server Farm
PVS Write Cache (4)
User Data (per 500) (5)
User Profiles (per 500) (6)
Application Packages (7)
Data
Allocation
1 GB, 1>4GB
1 GB
(See Below)
200 MB
1 GB
40 GB
5 GB
1 GB
2.5 TB
2.5 TB
250 GB
60 GB
Storage requirements include the following:
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To use the native disk support included in failover clustering,
use basic disks, not dynamic disks.
We recommend that you format the partitions with NTFS (for
the witness disk, the partition must be NTFS).
For the partition style of the disk, you can use either master
boot record (MBR) or GUID partition table (GPT).
The witness disk is a disk in the cluster storage that is
designated to hold a copy of the cluster configuration
database. (A witness disk is part of some, not all, quorum
configurations.)
For this two-node cluster, the quorum configuration will be
Node and Disk Majority, the default for a cluster with an
even number of nodes. Node and Disk Majority means that
the nodes and the witness disk each contain copies of the
cluster configuration, and the cluster has quorum as long as a
majority (two out of three) of these copies are available.

Network Checklist
Setting
Network settings
DNS
Page 9 of 38
Notes
When you use identical network adapters for
a network, also use identical communication
settings on those adapters (for example,
Speed, Duplex Mode, Flow Control, and
Media Type).
The servers in the cluster must be using DNS

10. Domain role
Domain controller
Cluster Administrator
This should always be
the VCISS
administrator or install
team administrator.
Create Service Accounts
for name resolution. The DNS dynamic
update protocol is recommended.
Verify both nodes are members of the
domain per the steps above.
Clustered servers should be member servers
for purposes of this architecture
A dedicated administrator is no longer
required with 2008 R2 SQL. The DDVS
Domain Local group should reside in the
BUILTINAdministrator group of both
cluster nodes. Login using the pre-assigned
accounts from the Active Directory
documentation. This is the only account
required and it must reside in the Account
Operators group.
SQL SERVICE ACCOUNTS
#
Required for multi-tenant and
Dedicated customers.
Service accounts must reside in the
Service Account Domain Local
Group.
Service Account
Service Account Description
1
vdsSQLAgent
SQL Agent Service Account
2
vdsSQLDB
SQL Database Engine
3
vdsSQLvCenter
vCenter Service Account
4
vdsSQLPVS
Provisioning Server (PVS)
5
vdsSQLXDC
XenDestkop 5 Site Database
6
vdsSQLXDCLogs
XenDesktop 5 Site Change Log
7
vdsXenApp
XenApp 6.0 Farm Database
8
vdxXenAppLogs
XenApp 6.0 Change Log
9
Cluter Drive Assignments – Best Practice
LUN Name
Drive
Partition
Q:
GPT
File
Sys
NTFS
SQLDATA1
Service LUN
Allocated to Cluster
Witness/Quorum
drive
XenApp Farm
Z:
GPT
NTFS
SQLDATA2
XenDesktop Site
X:
GPT
NTFS
SQLLOGS
SQL Logs
L:
GPT
NTFS
SOFTWARE
ISO, Software, Citrix
Tools, Citrix
Licensing
Application Data
and Streaming
Profiles
User Profiles
S:
GPT
NTFS
R:
GPT
NTFS
P:
GPT
NTFS
User Data / Home
Folders
U:
GPT
NTFS
WITNESS
APPSTREAM
PROFILES
USERDATA
Page 10 of 38

11. NETWORK SEGMENTS
Network Segments/VLANs
The file services cluster require
access to minimum of the following
networks listed on the right hand
side. This table is editable for
purposes of tracking this information
prior to installation.
Reserved
Static
Range
Reserved
DHCP
Range
Reserved
Network
Devices
Subnet
X.X.X.X/23
X.X.X.X.1/23
NA
X.X.X.X/23
X.X.X.X.1/23
NA
X.X.X.X/23
X.X.X.X.1/23
NA
X.X.X.X/23
X.X.X.X.1/23
X.X.X.X
TO
X.X.X.X
X.X.X.X/23
X.X.X.X.1/23
NA
Backup /
Recovery
X.X.X.X/23
This information is required to
configure the BACS on the cluster
NICS later in this document.
Gateway
X.X.X.X.1/23
NA
Monitoring
Next, you need to configure the iSCSI
Initiator on each of the Cluster Nodes. To
configure the iSCSI Initiator, choose Start |
Administrative Tools | iSCSI Initiator.
Assuming iSCSI is started.
The second prompt will ask you if you want
to unblock the Microsoft iSCSI service so it
can communicate across the Windows
firewall. Again, you’ll want to answer Yes.
You can also control this by manually
configuring the Windows firewall and
unblocking port 3260. To configure the
Windows firewall, open the Control Panel,
and then select the Windows Firewall
applet.
Page 11 of 38
Purpose
VCISS
DRAC and
ESX
Infrastructure
VCISS VLAN for
Vmotion
VMs
VCISS Storage
Network
X.X.X.X
TO
X.X.X.X
X.X.X.X
TO
X.X.X.X
VCISS
Customer
Network

12. Before connecting to the SAN, you may
need to configure the SAN with the iSCSI
Initiator name. The iSCSI Initiator name can
be found on the iSCSI Initiator’s
Configuration tab. The example presented
here uses the name “iqn.199105.com.microsoft:orportvsql01.contoso.com”
.
The name used in your configuration will be
different depending on the system and
domain names that are in use.
To configure the iSCSI Initiator, select the
Discovery tab, and then click Discover
Portal. This will display the Discover Target
Portal dialog box.
Using the Discover Target Portal dialog box,
enter the IP address used by the SAN.
The default port of 3260. After entering the IP address, click OK,
and the iSCSI Initiator will discover the storage resources that are
available on the SAN. All of the storage resources will be listed on
the iSCSI Initiator’s Targets tab. At this point you can select each
of the discovered targets, and then click the Connect button.
ISCSI INITIATOR TARGETS
All of the connected SAN resources will be
displayed in the Targets list box. The Status
for each of the targets should show
“Connected.” At this point the drives can be
viewed using Disk Manager exactly as if they
were locally attached storage. Clicking OK
ends the iSCSI Initiator.
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13. Working with iSCSI SAN storage using
Disk Management to Prepare Drives
Configure Each Drive:
 Right click each drive, select Online
 Select drive volume
 Select Change Drive Letter and Paths
 Format drives using NTFS and GPT
Take Drives Offline
After preparing the drives, be sure to bring
them offline so that the Create Cluster
Wizard can use them as storage. To bring
the drives offline:
 Right-click each disk icon displayed
 Select Offline from the context menu
Repeat Steps on Cluster Node 2
You will need to repeat the iSCSI
configuration steps for Cluster Node
2 (CLN02) in order for Failover
**REPEAT STEPS
You will need to repeat the iSCSI configuration steps for
Cluster Node 2 (CLN02) in order for Failover Cluster
installation to work.
Page 13 of 38

14. Adding the Failover Cluster Feature
with Server Manager
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Run Server Manager by selecting Start
Administrative Tools
Server Manager
Click the Features node
Click Add Features at right
Add Failover Clustering
Scroll through the list of features in the
Select Features window until you see
Failover Clustering.
To add the Failover Clustering feature,
select its check box and then click Next.
The Confirm Installation Selections screen
The Confirm Installation Selections dialog
box confirms that you have elected to
install the Failover Clustering feature.
To proceed with the installation, click
Install.
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15. Page 15 of 38

16. Running the Validate A Configuration Wizard
Run the Validate A Configuration Wizard either to
test an existing cluster for errors or configuration
problems.
To test an existing cluster, you would enter the
cluster name. To test a new cluster node, you
would enter the node name.
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17. Page 17 of 38

18. Create Cluster Wizard: Select Servers
Page 18 of 38

19. Create Cluster Wizard: Access Point for
Administering the Cluster
Create Cluster Wizard: Confirmation
Create Cluster Wizard: Creating New
Cluster
Page 19 of 38

20. Create Cluster Wizard: Summary
The Create Cluster Wizard displays the Summary
screen after the cluster has been successfully
created. At this point you could begin to configure
SQL Server to use the cluster. However, while the
Create Cluster Wizard does a great job of setting
up the required services on all of the cluster
nodes, it doesn’t always select the correct
quorum drive to use. The Create Cluster Wizard
often selects the first shared drive available, and
that’s not always the drive that you want to use as
the quorum.
To change the quorum drive, you’ll need to start
the Failover Cluster Management. To start the
Failover Cluster Management:
 Start > Administrative Tools
 Failover Cluster Manager
Configuring the Cluster Quorum
The Configure Cluster Quorum Wizard
enables you to select the type of quorum
that will be used by the cluster.
Clicking Next displays the Select Quorum
Configuration dialog box that enables you
to configure the type of quorum for the
VCISS Cluster.
 Node and Disk Majority
Starting the Configure Cluster Quorum
Wizard
The Select Quorum Configuration screen that you
can see in Figure 3-29 allows you to choose the
type of quorum used by your failover cluster.
The Configure Cluster Quroum Wizard
automatically chooses the type of quorum that
best fits the number of nodes that are in the
cluster. In Figure 3-29 you can see that the
Configure Cluster Quorum Wizard recommends
using the Node and Disk Majority cluster for a
two-node cluster. This is the best configuration for
a typical two-node failover cluster.
To configure the Node and Disk Majority quorum,
click Next to display the Configure Storage
Witness dialog.
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21. Configure Cluster Quorum Wizard:
Select Quorum Configuration
To configure Windows Server 2008 R2 Failover
Clustering:
 Open the Failover Cluster Manager
 Start | Administrative Tools
 Failover Cluster Manager
To create a new failover cluster, click the Create
A Cluster link.
The Create Cluster Wizard steps you through the
process of creating a new failover cluster.
Before running the Create Cluster Wizard, be
sure that all of the nodes that you are going to
configure have passed the validation tests.
NOTE: If the drives you expect to see aren’t listed, be sure all of the drives
are visible to all of the cluster nodes. Then make sure all of the drives are
offline on all nodes. Next rerun the Cluster Validation Wizard. Then add
the missing storage to the cluster by selecting the Storage node in the
Failover Cluster Management console and then clicking the Add A Disk
task. This will display the Add Disks to a Cluster dialog box, where you
should be able to select the disks you want to add to the cluster.
Configure Cluster Quorum Wizard: Configure
Storage Witness
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22. Configure Cluster Quorum Wizard: Configure
Storage Witness
Configure Cluster Quorum Wizard:
Summary
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23. SQL Cluster Wizard Node 1
Creating the Cluster Using the
Create Cluster Wizard on Node 1
To configure Windows Server 2008 R2
Failover Clustering, open the Failover
Cluster Manager by selecting the Start |
Administrative Tools | Failover Cluster
Manager.
To create a new failover cluster, click the
Create A Cluster link.
The Create Cluster Wizard steps you
through the process of creating a new
failover cluster. Before running the Create
Cluster Wizard, be sure that all of the
nodes that you are going to configure have
passed the validation tests.
SQL Server Installation Center: Installation
SQL Server 2008 Setup: Setup Support Rules
The Setup Support Rules dialog box checks your
system for problems that might prevent the
successful installation of SQL Server 2008 R2
Clicking OK displays the Setup Support Files
dialog box.
Installs the components that are required by the
SQL Server 2008 R2 setup program.
Clicking Install copies the required setup files to
the system and displays the SQL Server 2008 R2
Setup Support Rules.
A Red (X) indicates a problem needs to be
corrected before the setup can proceed. Clicking
the link under the Status column will provide more
information about any error conditions that
weren’t met.
Installation performs tests for six different system requirements
including tests for the minimum operating system level, tests to
determine if you have administrative privileges, and tests to
check if the WMI service is running.
The Setup Support Rules dialog box performs a second set of
tests to determine if there will be any problems running the
setup program. A green check mark indicates the condition is
OK and that the installation can proceed.
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24. SQL Server 2008 Setup: Setup Support
Files
Install a SQL Server Failover Cluster:
Setup Support Rules
Network Connections Binding Order
Reference:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955963
Evaluation Install
The Product Key screen in the SQL Server 2008
R2 setup process prompts you to enter your
product key information. If you’re installing one of
the evaluation versions of SQL Server 2008 R2
(temporary), you would select the “Specify a free
edition” radio button and click Next.
License Key Install
Installing a licensed version of SQL Server 2008
R2, you would select the “Enter the product
key” radio button, and then type in the product
installation key and click Next. This will display
the End User License Agreement (EULA) in the
License Terms dialog box. The installation
process will not proceed until you accept the SQL
Server 2008 R2 license agreement. You accept
the license agreement by selecting the “I accept
the license terms” check box.
If you receive an error regarding the network binding, you can verify and change the
binding order by opening Network Connections, pressing ALT to display the menu, and
then selecting Advanced | Advanced Settings.
This error is typically caused by disabled or ghosted network adapters.
You can find more information about this issue at Clicking Next continues the installation
process and prompts you for the SQL Server 2008 R2 Product Key dialog box.
 Utilize this option when waiting for license keys
 Evaluation mode profiles functionality for 180 days
Evaluation Mode
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25. Page 25 of 38

26. Install a SQL Server Failover Cluste r:
Disk Space Requirements
The Disk Space Requirements dialog box
displays the installation directories that
you previously selected as well as the
required and available storage space for
each drive. If you need to change the
selections, you can use the Back button to
page back to the Features Selection and
Instance Configuration dialog boxes to
change the target directories.
If the selected disk storage configuration is
acceptable, then clicking Next displays the
Cluster Resource Group.
The Cluster Resource Group screen allows
you to specify the SQL Server cluster
resource group name. This is the name of
the SQL Server resources that are used by
Windows failover clustering.
By default the Install a SQL Server
Failover Cluster Wizard uses the resource
group name of SQL Server
(MSSQLSERVER)—the same name as the
SQL Server instance name. You can also
specify a different name by typing in the
new name.
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27. Page 27 of 38

28. Page 28 of 38

29. Install a SQL Server Failover Cluster:
Complete
Page 29 of 38

30. SQL Cluster Wizard Node 2
After you’ve successfully installed SQL Server 2008 R2 on the first cluster node, the next step is to install SQL Server 2008 R2
onto the second node and to add that node to the cluster. To add the second node to the cluster, go to the second node in the
cluster, and run the SQL Server 2008 installation program.
Assumptions:
 This option assumes that a Windows failover cluster has been previously configured and that an instance of SQL Server 2008
R2 has already been created on the cluster.
Add Node
To install SQL Server 2008 on your
second cluster node, select the “Add node
to a SQL Server failover cluster” option.
Clicking the “Add node to a SQL Server
failover cluster” link will begin the
installation process on the second cluster
node and will display the Setup Support
Rules.
As with the installation of the first cluster
node, if you haven’t previously installed
SQL Server 2008 R2 on the second cluster
node, you will probably be prompted to
update the Windows Installer and the
.NET Framework.
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31. Page 31 of 38

32. Page 32 of 38

33. Page 33 of 38

34. Page 34 of 38

35. Page 35 of 38

36. Managing Cluster Services
Page 36 of 38

37. Managing Failover Testing / Validation
Page 37 of 38

38. Documentation Reference
Reference Link
Source
Microsoft - Before Installing Failover Clustering
Microsoft
Installing a SQL Server 2008 R2 Failover Cluster
Microsoft
Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server 2008 R2
Microsoft
Editions and Components of SQL Server 2008 R2
Microsoft
Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2008 R2
Microsoft
How to: Create a New SQL Server Failover Cluster (Setup)
Microsoft
Using Upgrade Advisor to Prepare for Upgrades
Microsoft
SQL Server support policy for Microsoft Clustering
Microsoft
Microsoft 2008 R2 and SQL 2008 R2 Failover Clustering
Microsoft
What's New in Failover Clusters in Windows Server 2008
Microsoft
What's New in Failover Clusters in Windows Server 2008 R2
Microsoft
 Additional Tests in Cluster Validation
Microsoft
Additional Tests in Cluster Validation
Microsoft
Support for SQL Server on iSCSI technology components
Microsoft
Microsoft Certified Server Catalog for Windows 2008 R2
Microsoft
Catalog - Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2 – OS
Microsoft
Catalog - Works with Windows Server 2008 R2 – OS
Microsoft
Catalog - Supports Windows Server 2008 R2 - OS
Microsoft
SQL Server 2008 - Before Installing Failover Clustering
Microsoft
Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2008 R2
Microsoft
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