Implementing Clustering Using SQL Server - Tom Pullen

8/8/2019 Implementing Clustering Using SQL Server - Tom Pullen

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Clustering SQL Server

Tom Pullen

Senior DBA, RM Education

[email protected]



Agenda

Why Cluster? Is it worth the hassle and expense?

How does it compare to other HA

technologies?

How to Cluster

plan

prepare

execute

test/monitor



Why Cluster?

High availability requirements 24X7, patching, hotfixes

Cost and Benefit

Requirements: hardware, software, licenses

Alternatives: comparing clustering with other HA technologies

Limitations what does clustering not protect you from?

Combining clustering with other HA technologies

log shipping, mirroring, offloading reporting load



How to cluster

Plan

Prepare

Execute

Test



Plan

1. Consult your users/boss/finance director!2. Design your cluster: Nodes, Instances, Storage

3. Write a plan for build

4. Write a plan for migration/go-live

5. Think of everything!

6. Get your plans and design peer-reviewed

7. Think about failure how to go back?

8. Plan decision points when/if to proceed, or give

up & the points of no return



Prepare

Do everything you can in advance

- create security accounts

- obtain/reserve IP addresses

- obtain install media and SP install files

- ensure you accurately estimate the time requirements be conservative!

- plan downtime, advertise downtime, arrange holding pages

- think about all the other things you normally need on a new server:

logins, jobs, configs, SPs, backup software, backup location, tapes?, database mail, alerts etc!



Execute

Print your plan

Follow it

Mark your progress

Give yourself incentives!

Publicise your progress

Get help if you encounter problems

Be willing to give up if necessary



Steps in clustering

Build servers, OS, AD, networking, SAN/LUN presentation [orhave this done for you] check everything!

Install/configure MSDTC

Install clustering

Create cluster groupsCluster MSDTC

Test failover

Install SQL Server instance(s)

Service Pack/Hotfix/Cumulative Update(s)Configure

Do all the other normal things! (Jobs, logins etc)

Test failover and failure



MSDTC

MSDTC UnderWindows 2003, it is a painMSKB docs can be misleading

How to enable network DTC

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/817064

How to cluster MSDTC

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301600

E nable network DTC on each node and set permissions B EFORE clustering

UnderWindows 2008/SQL Server 2008, things are much improved!

If you get into a tangle clustering MSDTC, it is sometimes quicker to strip everythingout (cluster .. /forcecleanup) and start again!

Clustering itself is easier than getting MSDTC right!



Cluster!

Shut down all but the first node

Cluster Administrator new cluster

Enter name, IP, Quorum disk

Switch on other server(s) and add them to the cluster

Configure heartbeat network

Create cluster groups and disk resources ready for SQL

Server to install into



Cluster Administrator



A group before SQL Server is installed



cluster.exe command example

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 GROUP "BACKUP1" /CREATE

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 GROUP "BACKUP1" /ONLINE

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 GROUP "BACKUP1" /SETOWNERS:SQL05

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "LUN U_BAK" /CREATE /GROUP:"BAK_SHARE" /TYPE:"Physical Disk" /PRIV DRIVE="U:" /OFFLINE

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "LUN U_BAK" /ONLINE

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "Backup IP Address Public" /CREATE /GROUP:"BACKUP1" /TYPE:"IP Address" /PRIV

ADDRESS="194.168.190.44" /PRIV SUBNETMASK="255.255.255.0" /PRIV NETWORK="Public" /OFFLINE

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "Backup Network Name Public" /CREATE /GROUP:"BACKUP1" /TYPE:"Network Name" /PRIV

NAME="SQLCLUS01BAK" /OFFLINE

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "Backup Network Name Public" /ADDDEPENDENCY:"Backup IP Address Public"CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "Backup Network Name Public" /PRIV RequireKerberos=0

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "Backup_Share" /CREATE /GROUP:"BACKUP1" /TYPE:"File Share" /PRIV SHARENAME="BACKUPS1"

/PRIV PATH="U:\" /OFFLINE

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "Backup_Share" /ADDDEPENDENCY:"Backup Network Name Public"CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "Backup_Share" /ADDDEPENDENCY:"LUN U_BAK"CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 RESOURCE "Backup_Share" /PRIV Security="Everyone",set,C:security

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 GROUP "BACKUP1" /OFFLINE

CLUSTER /CLUSTER:SQLCLUS01 GROUP "BACKUP1" /ONLINE



Install SQL Server Instance(s)Run setup!

Do you like unattended installs/batch files?

SQL Server 2005 runs multiple times automatically on each node using Task SchedulerSQL Server 2008 must be installed on each node

Interactive install of SQL Server requires you to specify:-

Components to install

Instance Name, Virtual Server Name + IP, Cluster Group, Cluster Node ConfigurationSetup account info

Service account

Domain group for cluster services

Authentication mode

Collation

Error usage & reporting

Unattended install requires you to specify all of these in the config fileDo it all over again for each instance!

Service pack does each engine instance on each node. Must be run from active node.

Dont forget to Service Pack Tools, Shared Components, SSIS, SSNAC/connectivity, etc



Install SQL Server Instance(s)



Now make your instance like you normally would!

Configure!

RAM especially. Think about min, max, what can be where?

MAXDOP? Max worker threads?

Logins

Jobs

Alerts

Database MailSPs in system DBs?

Startup SPs

Trace Flags

Auditing

Maintenance

Sysmessages? Static data? Resize system DBs? Move/split tempdb files?

Any other things that are particular to your environment



Test!

Test failover

Test failure

Fix issuesRun each instance on every Node it can exist

on and check it is ok



Migrate

Get your User DBs on migrate or create?

Populate

(Re)point your appsTest your apps

Anything else? (Replication?)

Reporting services? Analysis Services?



Monitor

Enable alerts

Failover startup SP?

Monitor performanceMonitor availablility

Monitor disk space

Monitor your monitor!



Some real-world clusters












Summary

Failing to plan is planning to fail

Write your plan and follow it!

Dont be scared of clusteringKnow where to find help

Practice if you can with test servers

Dont panic! But feel free to curse MSDTC...



Good ResourcesHow to clusterWindows 2003http://www.sql-server-performance.com/articles/clustering/cluster_server_2003_p1.aspx

How to cluster SQL Server 2005http://www.sql-server-performance.com/articles/clustering/cluster_sql_server_2005_p1.aspx

MSDN Clustering Bloghttp://blogs.msdn.com/clustering/

Windows 2008 Clustering Step-By-Stephttp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727114.aspx

Windows 2003 Microsoft White Paper (comprehensive!)http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=96F76ED7-9634-4300-9159-89638F4B4EF7&displaylang=en

Implementing Clustering Using SQL Server - Tom Pullen

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