Chapter 20: Clustering SQL Server 2005

Overview

Most DBAs don't think of their job as an adventure, but after installing their first SQL Server 2005 cluster, they may think again. Unlike most aspects of the DBA's job, installing, configuring, and administrating a SQL Server 2005 cluster is really an adventure, often fraught with excitement and danger lurking in the most unexpected places. And like most adventure stories, the outcome is uncertain.

Are we telling you that you can't just follow a bunch of steps and get clustering going for my company? Actually, you can, but the problem is that literally hundreds of steps must be executed correctly and in the right order. For most DBAs, this is a challenge. Many of the DBAs we know aren't crazy about reading instructions and following detailed steps. They prefer shooting from the hip, installing software without any forethought and working out problems as they find them. But with clustering, this approach won't work.

Let me rephrase this for emphasis: If you want to have a successful SQL Server 2005 cluster, you must spend many hours on the following tasks:

• Studying all aspects of clustering and mastering all of its intricacies

• Researching hardware and software configurations to identify what will work best for your organization

• Planning each and every step in the greatest detail

• Configuring hardware

• Configuring the operating system

• Configuring SQL Server 2005

• Testing

• Documenting

• Administering and troubleshooting the production SQL Server 2005 cluster

If all of this hard work and attention to detail doesn't scare you away, you are ready to read this chapter as your first step toward your adventure.

What if you are one of those DBAs who like to shoot from the hip? If you want to keep your job and become a professional DBA, you will have to learn to change your work habits (at least for clustering). This is not easy, but it's not optional if you want to install, configure, and administer a successful SQL Server 2005 cluster. Fortunately, this chapter will provide you the foundation you need to get started.

This chapter provides the tried and true information you need to successfully install, configure, and administer a SQL Server 2005 cluster installation. You will learn how clustering works and whether it's the right solution for your organization. You'll learn how to choose between upgrading an old cluster and building a new one. We'll tell you how to plan for clustering, including hardware and the OS. We'll walk you through the steps for installing a SQL Server cluster. Finally, we'll tell you how to maintain and troubleshoot an operating SQL Server cluster.