Do each instance on a cluster require it's own group that contain exclusive resources?

  • I have to install 3 more instances on a 2 node, active/passive cluster. When I get to the part where it asks for a cluster group selection, it shows available, and unavailable groups. The available group isn't a group I can install to (the quarrum, I believe) and the other group is assigned to the other instance on the cluster. Do all the resources and therefor, all the groups have to be exclusive? Or can for simplicity sake install instances using shared drives. I'm very confused on this part.

    Thanks

    Bob
    Not a downstroke, fistpicker

  • If I understand it correctly you will be running 5 instances on this Active/Passive cluster.

    In any case you would make the shared drives to be owned by the node that is running and also add the possible owners that can attain ownership in case of a failover as the second node(passive). At any time only the active node may access the resources.

    Make sure the SQL service is dependent on the shared drives so that SQL doesn't start as long as the drives are available..otherwise the databases go suspect..

    Thanks!!

    The_SQL_DBA
    MCTS

    "Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives."

  • Each instance must have its own group, with its own disk resources.

    Having multiple instances in one cluster group, even if possible, would be a very bad idea, because if one resource of one instance failed, then everything would failover.

    "Got no time for the jibba jabba!"
    -B.A. Baracus

  • Thanks. I probably need to be clearer. The part that's most throwing me, is the concept of the cluster groups. This is my first time with this.

    I have a 2 node cluster, configured active/passive. There's one instance of sql server currently installed. There is one data drive (D drive).

    I want to add another instance of sql server, configured slightly differently. I want to write to the same D drive. (low transaction rates, relatively low activity overall).

    When I get to the part in the install, for cluster groups, 2 groups appear, one in the top box (quarrum - a small q drive) and one in the bottom box(default, and apparently assigned to the existing sql server). If i go to cluster admin and create a new group -sql_server_group- there aren't any drives to attach to it. I can't select the existing default group as part of my second instance install. I don't think I understand the relation between the cluster groups and available resources.

    Bob
    Not a downstroke, fistpicker

  • The D: drive can only belong to one cluster group. You need a new cluster group for a new instance, and that new cluster group must have its own dedicated disk.

    "Got no time for the jibba jabba!"
    -B.A. Baracus

  • Does each instance need a quorum drive? Or is there only one per clustered environment?

    Bob
    Not a downstroke, fistpicker

  • Only one quorum

    "Got no time for the jibba jabba!"
    -B.A. Baracus

  • Rather than install another Instance on the cluster, maybe you could ADD your new databases under the same existing instance.

  • sunny Brook (2/4/2009)


    Rather than install another Instance on the cluster, maybe you could ADD your new databases under the same existing instance.

    It's not just one database as you mentioned..may be its a bigger picture as he wants to install 3 instances of SQL..

    Thanks!!

    The_SQL_DBA
    MCTS

    "Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives."

  • Normally this would be ok but these are for some vendor products which require conflicting character sets on the tempdb and other db's , and don't seem to play well if they are on servers that have the same char sets (collation I believe it's callled).

    Bob
    Not a downstroke, fistpicker

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