Re: 4 Queries about DB clustering

From: Kamal Hassan (KamalHassan_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 02/15/05 

Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 11:15:52 -0800

I have a question for Geoff.

I have a similar situation where I plan to install/configure multi-instance
cluster.

My question is

a) as we plan to use/assign drive letters what care shoud be taken for
multi-instance cluster (3 active 1, passive/standby)?

Thanks.

Kamal.

"Geoff N. Hiten" wrote:

> You are getting closer. More comments inline.
>
> --
> Geoff N. Hiten
> Microsoft SQL Server MVP
> Senior Database Administrator
> Careerbuilder.com
>
> I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
> www.sqlpass.org
>
> "Pankaj" <pankajchitriv@rediffmail.com(donotspam)> wrote in message
> news:1D8FA145-7AF2-4EBE-9FA1-FD9822233F81@microsoft.com...
> > Hi Geoff.
> >
> > Thankyou very much for your help. It is just great. I really really
> > appreciate it.
> >
> > Further, to summarise our discussion what I understood to implement the
> SQL
> > Db Cluster is:
> > 1. I need to have SCSI array, a Fiber array, or a SAN as a shared device
> > "on which I'll install SQL Server Database".
> The database(s) will live on the shared storage. SQL binaries will live on
> the local disks of each cluster host.
> >
> > 2. Say in a 2 node cluster, both the nodes would be typically Windows 2k3
> > Server systems, with the SQL Server Instance reference (SQL Client) to the
> > shared device on which SQL Server is installed.
> A basic two-node SQL cluster will have four systems visible. There are the
> two physical host nodes. There is the cluster vrtual server itself. There
> is the SQL Server virtual server. Each virtual system must have a minimum
> of one unique IP address, one unique network name, and a physical disk
> device located on the shared array. You access the SQL server by connecting
> to the virtual server by name or IP address.
> >
>
> > 3. Say in Active / Passive mode, only 1 Win2k3 system will be utilized and
> > in case of faliure, the other win2k3 server node will be active.
> >
> Correct. The current terms are single-instance and multi-instance. Each
> new instance of SQL will have its own disk(s), IP address(es), and Network
> name. Once an instance is installed, you can set the preferred host order
> to determine the "normal" home host for that instance. You can have up to
> 16 instances on a single cluster.
>
> > 4. I need to install SQL Client on both the nodes and Sql Server on shared
> > device.
> >
> First you install MSCS (Clustering). Windows 2003 has an excellent
> clustering wizard that makes it very difficult to create a non-working
> cluster. Then you install a clustered instance of SQL server, running the
> install CD from the node that currently owns the disk resource you wish to
> use as the first SQL disk. You can assign additional disks after
> installation. The installer writes the executable files to each host node
> you choose as part of the installation. This includes server and client
> components.
>
> > 5. Just wondering whether stored procedures of SQL DB will be executed on
> > the shared drive or on the Node. Does the shared drive have processing
> > capabilities?
>
> The binaries are on each host node. The memory and CPU resources come from
> the host node. The data is stored on the shared array. SQL uses a "Shared
> Nothing" model so after installation you can run any instance from any host
> node, regardless of whether any other node or instance is running.
>
> >
> > With this queries clarified , I'm ready to shoot :-).
> >
> > I really appreciate your help and request your comment on above queries.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Pankaj A. Chitriv
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > "Geoff N. Hiten" wrote:
> >
> > > Server clustering is available on Windows Server 2003 Enterprise
> Edition.
> > >
> > > "Single Data Store" is not a service, it is a description. All data
> resides
> > > on a single logical device physically connected to all host nodes. This
> can
> > > be a SCSI array, a Fiber array, or a SAN. Ownership of this device is
> > > arbitrated by the cluster service. Microsoft SQL DB clustering exists
> as a
> > > failover technology only and has no distributed computing capabilities.
> It
> > > is not a scale-out technology. One server owns the entire database and
> no
> > > other server can access the data without moving the entire SQL instance
> to
> > > another host. Active-Passive and Active-Active are not accurate
> > > descriptions of the current SQL clustering technology but are somewhat
> > > misleading holdovers from an earlier version.
> > >
> > > Again, clustering is for availability and does not allow multiple
> > > simultaneous connections to the data store from different host nodes.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Geoff N. Hiten
> > > Microsoft SQL Server MVP
> > > Senior Database Administrator
> > > Careerbuilder.com
> > >
> > > I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
> > > www.sqlpass.org
> > >
> > > "Pankaj" <pankajchitriv@rediffmail.com(donotspam)> wrote in message
> > > news:4A51BB01-D028-4B3B-9244-12EFA8469987@microsoft.com...
> > > > Thanks Geoff.
> > > >
> > > > "Server Cluster" is a inbuild clustering service provided by Windows
> 2003
> > > > Server.
> > > >
> > > > Just wondering, whether that Single Data Store is a seperate windows
> > > system?
> > > > If so what if that system breaks down? Is that the case that we do DB
> > > > clustering only to distribute the processing capabilities?
> > > >
> > > > What I understood by Single Data Store means is there will be a system
> on
> > > > which SQL DB will be created and there would be multiple servers
> accessing
> > > > the same database. But this cannot be called as DB clustering as we
> don't
> > > > have to configure any VIP to access the single data store. Can you
> clarify
> > > > this please?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks a lot again for your answers.
> > > >
> > > > Regards
> > > > Pankaj A. Chitriv
> > > >
> > > > "Geoff N. Hiten" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Answers Inline
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Geoff N. Hiten
> > > > > Microsoft SQL Server MVP
> > > > > Senior Database Administrator
> > > > > Careerbuilder.com
> > > > >
> > > > > I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
> > > > > www.sqlpass.org
> > > > >
> > > > > "Pankaj" <pankajchitriv@rediffmail.com(donotspam)> wrote in message
> > > > > news:847A2BE3-74E1-4B9E-9D61-EEE40D117155@microsoft.com...
> > > > > > Hi, Below are few queries:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 1. Say for 2 nodes cluster, Do we need to have 2 copies of
> > > Databases( 1 on
> > > > > > each node)
> > > > > No. Data is on shared storage and is controlled by one node at a
> time.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 2. Hows does the data Synchronization between different nodes of
> > > databases
> > > > > > takes place?
> > > > > There is no synchronization. There is a single data store. Access
> to
> > > this
> > > > > store is arbitrated by the cluster software.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 3. In Active/Passive mode, does the passive node database is
> exactly
> > > in
> > > > > the
> > > > > > same state (in terms of data) as that of Active?
> > > > > >
> > > > > Clustering is failover not scaleout technology.
> > > > >
> > > > > > 4. Is 'Server Cluster' specifically for DB clustering ?
> > > > > I am not sure what you mean by "Server Cluster"?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks in advance,
> > > > > > Pankaj A. Chitriv
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>

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