Re: Cluster will not fail over.

First, what you should have done with a blown model DB:
 
Start SQL Server in single user mode with trace flag -T3608.  This stops SQL from recovering anything except the master database.  Reattach Model.  If necessary, use files copied from another installation at the exact same SP and Hotfix level.  Stop SQL Server and restart normally.  Sorry, but it really is that simple.  Oh, and lock whoever detached "model" out of the system.  HE is too dangerous to allow near your system.
 
You didn't mention whether you blew the cluster away or not or just rebuilt SQL.  If you blew the cluster away, make sure that each disk resource has the same drive letter on all nodes and the disk resources fail over correctly from node to node.  Stop the resource group, move it, and start each disk resource independently to test.
 
The Named Pipes only issue sounds like an incomplete SP3a install.  Windows 2003 will prevent TCP/IP access if it detects a pre-SP3a SQL installation.  Follow this article and re-apply SP3a.
 
 

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Geoff N. Hiten
Senior Database Administrator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
 
 
 
 
We had an error over the weekend of mass porportions(Sunday 3pm PST).  Long story short; the model database was detached and the SQL Server was stopped, with it still detached.  This happened to happen on our primary Production Database Clustered Server which is the bread-n-butter of the compay.  (OUCH!)
 
It was time for some fast actions.  We started the re-install SQL Server.  In order to do so, the previous install had to be uninstalled.  This seemed to go smoothly enough, but when re-applying the SP3a, we encountered an error.  After researching the error, apparently in a clustered environment this will occur since the SP3a files still reside on the node(s).   Microsoft states that if within a particular log file it results with an 'Installation was Successful', to disregard the error.  I double checked the log file and sure enough the error was disregarded. 
 
We moved along with the installation.  We were able to restore all the user databases and all system databases with the exception of the master database.  Unfortunately, even with starting SQL Server in single-user mode, the restore of the master database would not take.  So it was not restored, but all other databases were.  Fortunately, I ran a quick script to recover all the user logins previous to the disaster, which I reapplied to the new installation of SQL Server.  Everything came back up and the QA Team successfully tested the production Application (Monday 4am PST).  (Fhweeh)
 
After the succesful testing of the production environment, we tested the fail-over which resulted in SQL Server not starting on the secondary node.  All the resources came right up on it, but not SQL Server.  The only error that was that it was not able to locate the file on 'O\logs\mastlog.ldf'.  This error did not make sense since SQL Server uses the same file for the primary node.  We were pressed for time since it was closing to start of business East Coast time, so we left the server as is. 
 
Throughout the day there were other issues that arose, one in particular was certain systems were not able to connect to the server via TCP/IP.  In order to have them connect they needed to create an alias of the server and use Name Pipes.  This seems to be a rising concern because there are users who need to connect via ODBC to a widely used particular Access Application, which seems to only like the TCP/IP route.  I am somewhat sure this is related to the cluster failure.
 
Anyway, this is the first time I've had to take a breathe to revisit the problem at hand.  We have been dealing with another server that crashed on the same day, resulting in a brand new build of a SQL Server Cluster environment (completely non related to the issue at hand).
 
I'm sorry for the long winded story.  Would you have any idea as to why the cluster would fail on failover along with the TCP/IP issue?
 
Thanks in Advanced..
 
 
 
 
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