I messed up Quorum and MSDTC drive switch on failover cluster

  • Hello experts,

    I am hoping to get some help with a failed recommendation I made. Our staging SQL Server was set up with the Quorum drive as M and the MSDTC drive as Q. I am not sure how this happened - not placing blame, just that it was done by someone else so I am not sure of the reason. I still need to verify with the SAN admin what steps he took to swap the drives, but really it is my fault since I should know more about SQL cluster drives.

    For now, though, I am hoping someone can help me with the resulting issue that resulted from my hasty effort to tidy up the drive letters.

    While our infrastructure group was preparing to make a change to our SAN storage for that staging server, we noticed the drive letters and for consistency decided we would try swapping the letters so that Quorum was Q and MSDTC was M.

    For reference:

    Before the attempted swap, Q was Cluster Disk 2 and M was Cluster Disk 1.

    After the attempted swap, Q is Cluster Disk 1 and M is Cluster Disk 2.

    After the cluster storage was moved and the cluster was brought back up, we are seeing errors like these:

    1. Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator Status: Failed

    2. Show the critical events for this resource:

    2.1. Event ID: 1069, Level: Error

    Message: Cluster resource 'MSDTC...' in clustered service or application '...WCDtc' failed.

    2.2. Storage node: Cluster Disk 2 Status: Online

    2.1. Event ID: 1069, Level Error

    Message: Cluster resource 'Cluster Disk 2' in clustered service or application 'Cluster Group' failed.

    2.2. Event ID: 1034, Level Error

    Message: Cluster physical disk resource 'Cluster Disk 2' cannot be brought online because the associated disk could not be found. The expected signature of the disk was 'AA0A0000'. If the disk was replaced or restored, in the Failover Cluster Manager snap-in, you can use the Repair function (in the properties sheet for the disk) to repair the new or restored disk. If the disk will not be replaced, delete the associated disk resource.

    The bigger issue than the MSDTC, though, is that I can't see the Q or the M drive when I view Windows Explorer, so (1) I am not sure how the cluster is even online without a Quorum witness and (2) without the Quorum the cluster is not ready to handle a failover if needed.

    Sorry I can't be more detailed, but in some ways I am not even sure what questions to ask. But in hindsight I should have either left the drives as they were or reviewed steps like these before asking to swap drives:

    http://www.ryanjadams.com/2011/07/move-cluster-quorum/#axzz3fOyzfnQK

    Thanks for any help,

    webrunner

    -------------------
    A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and asks, "Can I join you?"
    Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html

  • So far as I know, cluster resources can be deleted and recreated without affecting the actual physical disks. As far as the drive letters go, they are based on OS assignment, not cluster assignment. So unless that was fixed, then swapping the resources isn't going to do you much good.

    I should note, though, my cluster knowledge isn't perfect or complete.

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

  • webrunner (7/9/2015)


    Hello experts,

    I am hoping to get some help with a failed recommendation I made. Our staging SQL Server was set up with the Quorum drive as M and the MSDTC drive as Q. I am not sure how this happened - not placing blame, just that it was done by someone else so I am not sure of the reason. I still need to verify with the SAN admin what steps he took to swap the drives, but really it is my fault since I should know more about SQL cluster drives.

    For now, though, I am hoping someone can help me with the resulting issue that resulted from my hasty effort to tidy up the drive letters.

    While our infrastructure group was preparing to make a change to our SAN storage for that staging server, we noticed the drive letters and for consistency decided we would try swapping the letters so that Quorum was Q and MSDTC was M.

    For reference:

    Before the attempted swap, Q was Cluster Disk 2 and M was Cluster Disk 1.

    After the attempted swap, Q is Cluster Disk 1 and M is Cluster Disk 2.

    After the cluster storage was moved and the cluster was brought back up, we are seeing errors like these:

    1. Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator Status: Failed

    2. Show the critical events for this resource:

    2.1. Event ID: 1069, Level: Error

    Message: Cluster resource 'MSDTC...' in clustered service or application '...WCDtc' failed.

    2.2. Storage node: Cluster Disk 2 Status: Online

    2.1. Event ID: 1069, Level Error

    Message: Cluster resource 'Cluster Disk 2' in clustered service or application 'Cluster Group' failed.

    2.2. Event ID: 1034, Level Error

    Message: Cluster physical disk resource 'Cluster Disk 2' cannot be brought online because the associated disk could not be found. The expected signature of the disk was 'AA0A0000'. If the disk was replaced or restored, in the Failover Cluster Manager snap-in, you can use the Repair function (in the properties sheet for the disk) to repair the new or restored disk. If the disk will not be replaced, delete the associated disk resource.

    The bigger issue than the MSDTC, though, is that I can't see the Q or the M drive when I view Windows Explorer, so (1) I am not sure how the cluster is even online without a Quorum witness and (2) without the Quorum the cluster is not ready to handle a failover if needed.

    Sorry I can't be more detailed, but in some ways I am not even sure what questions to ask. But in hindsight I should have either left the drives as they were or reviewed steps like these before asking to swap drives:

    http://www.ryanjadams.com/2011/07/move-cluster-quorum/#axzz3fOyzfnQK

    Thanks for any help,

    webrunner

    Run the quorum reconfiguration wizard and select majority node set no witness, also not the msdtc Virtual IP and computername, then delete the role.

    Set the disks to hav ethe correct drive letters then run the create cluster role wizard and select to create a clustered DTC.

    Once done run the quorum reconfiguration wizard and select the disk during the wizard.

    This should complete your configuration.

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

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

Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply