January 21, 2018 at 9:36 am
I currently have a one node cluster running Windows Server 2012 Standard and SQL Server 2012 standard. It is one node because it was a physical to virtual migration of only one node that was done before I arrived. We want to migrate this to new OS and new SQL. Some are asking about an in place upgrade of the OS. Is this possible for a SQL Server failover cluster? I thought I had found info that indicated an in place upgrade of the OS in this scenario was not possible. However, now I can't find that info and all I see on internet searches discusses migrating from an older OS to a newer one on a different machine/different cluster.
January 22, 2018 at 9:24 am
It's possible, but you won't have the cluster up during a period of migration. The rolling migration will move the active node elsewhere, and then you upgrade in place. Then you can fail back. In your case, you have nowhere to fail, so you'll have downtime and then come back up post upgrade.
I dislike in place upgrades, and since you have a 1 node cluster, I'd add a second, fail over, then upgrade 1, then fail back. You can always whack the second node later if you don't want it
January 22, 2018 at 11:11 am
lmarkum - Sunday, January 21, 2018 9:36 AMI currently have a one node cluster running Windows Server 2012 Standard and SQL Server 2012 standard. It is one node because it was a physical to virtual migration of only one node that was done before I arrived. We want to migrate this to new OS and new SQL. Some are asking about an in place upgrade of the OS. Is this possible for a SQL Server failover cluster? I thought I had found info that indicated an in place upgrade of the OS in this scenario was not possible. However, now I can't find that info and all I see on internet searches discusses migrating from an older OS to a newer one on a different machine/different cluster.
A physical to virtual migration of a cluster is a bad idea, let alone an in place OS upgrade.
Smart choice is to deploy a new cluster and clustered role and then migrate the objects to the new cluster role.
When you have your downtime window you can move the virtual networkname the current clustered instance is using to the Client Access Point of the new instance you deploy in the new cluster
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January 22, 2018 at 11:32 am
Thanks Steve and Perry.
I wish I could say that I've done a cluster migration but I've just never been in an environment using clusters until now. I'll do some research to see how to do what you describe Perry. We had 10 restarts of this SQL instance over the weekend so we're accelerating the work. We have a new VM with a matching Server 2012 OS that we're planning to add to the cluster. I'll then install SQL Server 2012 Standard and patch it to match the other node. Then we'll failover to the new node and hope it all works. This will be the 3rd time we've tried to add a node. There has always been some issue with the way the SAN storage was connected to the nodes that prevented it.
I did eventually find the link/info I thought I had remembered. I was thinking this meant I couldn't do an in place OS upgrade for the Server 2012 node we have. It isn't 2012 R2.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/sql-server/failover-clusters/windows/upgrade-a-sql-server-failover-cluster-instance
“Upgrading the Windows operating system of a failover cluster isnot supported for operating systems before Windows Server 2012 R2. To upgrade acluster node running on Windows Server 2012 R2 or above, see Performa rolling upgrade or update.”
January 23, 2018 at 3:52 am
lmarkum - Monday, January 22, 2018 11:32 AMI'll do some research to see how to do what you describe Perry
I can put some steps down if you would like
lmarkum - Monday, January 22, 2018 11:32 AM
“Upgrading the Windows operating system of a failover cluster isnot supported for operating systems before Windows Server 2012 R2. To upgrade acluster node running on Windows Server 2012 R2 or above, see Performa rolling upgrade or update.â€
Yes just trying to remember this and that's correct, prior to Windows 2012 R2 there is no facility to upgrade the OS in a cluster. You must deploy to a new cluster.
Also, when upgrading a 2012 R2 cluster you must join a Windows 2016 node into the cluster and run all the cluster migration from this node, then you raise the cluster functional level when all nodes have been upgraded
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