SQL Server 2008 Failover cluster Hardware

  • Hi, all,

    We are running a two node MS SQL Server cluster. We are planning to replace both the two Windows Cluster Nodes with new servers. We would like to do this without having down time to the SQL Server instances running on Cluster. I have not found any guide lines about how to proceed with the replacement of the nodes.

    I was wondering if you could give me a hint or any link where I can find useful information to perform this task.

    Thanks indeed for your help.

    Kind regards

    Niyala

  • What edition of SQL? Standard? Enterprise?

    If Standard you can only have a 2 node cluster, so you will need to evict the passive node from the cluster, install one of the new nodes, fail over, evict the old node, install the new node

    If Enterprise, you could add in the two new nodes, fail over to one of them then evict the old nodes

  • More importantly are they differing versions of the Windows OS

    What OS are the current nodes?

    What OS are the new nodes to be?

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

  • Many Thanks indeed for your reply.

    I have a two node cluster. Which means I have a standard edition of SQL Server, as this was sufficient for our purpose.

    My question is, at Windows Clsuter level, I can evict one and install the other widnows cluster. The question is how can I go about with MS SQL Server which are in Cluster? If I remove one node of sql server, will the other run as a single instance? The applications running on the sql server should not go down?

    Thanks indeed for your help

    Niyala

  • The operating System will remain the same. That is Windows 2008 SP3. The new nodes will run on identical operating syste.

    All we would like to do is to change the servers to new servers at hardware leve.

    Thansk

    Niyala

  • You can have a 2 node Enterprise cluster.

    When you connect to SQL via SSMS run

    SELECT @@VERSION

    You should get something like the following

    Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (SP2) - 10.0.4067.0 (X64) Jun 14 2012 19:26:05 Copyright (c) 1988-2008 Microsoft Corporation Enterprise Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.1 <X64> (Build 7601: Service Pack 1) (VM)

    You can find out which nodes are in the cluster using cluster administrator msc snap in tool.

    How many SQL instances do you have on the cluster? If one, then only 1 node is active at anyone time, if you have 2 or more instances then you could have 1 instance on 1 node, and 1 instance on the other.

  • Niyala (1/25/2013)


    I can evict one and install the other widnows cluster.

    No! Don't just evict the nodes.

    Niyala (1/25/2013)


    If I remove one node of sql server, will the other run as a single instance? The applications running on the sql server should not go down?

    Thanks indeed for your help

    Niyala

    There'll be no failover possible that's all until you get the new nodes online and installed. The apps will get disconnected if you have to fail the running instance off of a node you want to decommission.

    How many instances do you have

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

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