Can drive letters and Mount point co-exist together in cluster?

  • We have sql server 2008 R2 on a 2 node active-passive cluster on Windows server 2008 R2 with 2 CPU & 16GB memory

    We used 10 drive letters for one single instance as below

    C: OS

    D:CD-ROM

    E: Primary data files

    F: Secondary data files

    G:Log

    H:Tempdb data

    I: Tempdblog

    Q:quorum

    Y: Msdtc

    Z: Backups

    Now, we want to install a new instance on the same active node and with Mount poinst.

    Is having mix of drive letters and Mount points in a single cluster supported?

    What is the best practice?

    We want to follow the below steps:

    1. Create new mount point1 for instance 2 (call the root drive as J and install the 2nd instance)

    2. Create Mount point2 (call the root drive as k) for the existing instance which is using Drive letters and then detach

    user databases and attach databases from drive letters to Mount point2

    How to deal with SYSTEM Databases in above case (moving from Drive letter to new Mount Points)?

    Please advice me the best approaches to achieve this..

    Thanks

  • gmamata7 (3/13/2012)


    Is having mix of drive letters and Mount points in a single cluster supported?

    It makes no difference either way. The currently assigned disks with their letters will be dedicated to the custered instance group and shouldnt have any effect

    gmamata7 (3/13/2012)


    What is the best practice?

    mount points or logical drives it makes no difference, ideally you wouldn't want to mix the 2.

    gmamata7 (3/13/2012)


    We want to follow the below steps:

    1. Create new mount point1 for instance 2 (call the root drive as J and install the 2nd instance)

    Yes, create yourself a new root drive about 100MB in size and assign letter J:

    Create any folders required for the number of mount points and then mount your volumes. See my guide at this[/url] link to create and assign mount points in a cluster

    gmamata7 (3/13/2012)


    2. Create Mount point2 (call the root drive as k) for the existing instance which is using Drive letters and then detach

    user databases and attach databases from drive letters to Mount point2

    How to deal with SYSTEM Databases in above case (moving from Drive letter to new Mount Points)?

    DANGER Will Robinson!!!

    Be very careful what you do here, make sure you understand what to do, my first advice to you is to recreate the environment virtually and test\sanitise your migration process.

    I would first reduce all database files to one of the drives if possible. Then, create a new root drive and mount points and migrate the databases across, so dispensing with the old currently assigned drive(s).

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

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