Archive for the ‘Windows 8 Cluster’ Category
To create a Windows server 8 failover cluster you need just a few steps.
First we use the group creation to manage the servers easily. I name the Group as it would be my new SQL Cluster. I show you all the screens just so that you can find the options. Not every body find it easy to find the things that he has to do.
So we created the groups and we are adding the Failover cluster Roles to the nodes just right click and add roles and the wizard pops up choose the failover cluster tools do this for both nodes.
On top of the screen you can see on what node you install the Roles. Remember you don’t have to go to the node to install the roles you can do this in the server groups.
Or you can use Posh. there are a lot new powershell commands to find them it is easy you can use the * The above Gui things can be done with one line Posh.
Now there are a few steps you can do to deploy roles
Get-WindowsFeature *
Get-WindowsFeature Failover-Clustering
As you can see this is on the remote cluster node ! I’m logged on on node 1 and it runs also on node 2
install-WindowsFeature Failover-Clustering
Or do it in
When We want to create a new cluster we can do this also in Posh just one line
New-Cluster -Name "myfirstcluster" -Node mvpwin8-n1 -NoStorage -StaticAddress "10.255.255.73"
Or gui again I show you all the screens just to see how fast posh is
Remember the validation reports are important to have if you setup fails or you cluster is in trouble run validation and see where to problem is.
7 clicks further your cluster is ready. now we are adding disk to the cluster and configure the witness disk
First in powershell.
My cluster name is : cluster8
the Get-ClusterAvailableDisk -Cluster cluster8
List all available disk
Get-ClusterAvailableDisk -Cluster cluster8
Get-ClusterAvailableDisk -Cluster cluster8 |Add-ClusterDisk
this adds all the disks to the cluster
or in the Gui
Now that the disk are ready we configure the Quorum disk
on top of the cluster right click and configure quorum.
We have a two node cluster , use the recommended settings.
So all this in 3 lines powershell
install-WindowsFeature Failover-Clustering
Get-ClusterAvailableDisk -Cluster cluster8
New-Cluster -Name "myfirstcluster" -Node mvpwin8-n1 -NoStorage -StaticAddress "10.255.255.73"
Now get ready for the SQL 2012 installation in my next blog.
Did you also see the little export line ? in the Roles installation field save it for later.
it looks like this. more on this in a later blog item.
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Objs xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/powershell/2004/04" Version="1.1.0.1"><Obj RefId="0"><TN RefId="0"><T>System.Collections.ObjectModel.Collection`1[[System.Management.Automation.PSObject, System.Management.Automation, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35]]</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><LST><Obj RefId="1"><TN RefId="1"><T>Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#root/Microsoft/Windows/ServerManager/ServerComponent_NET_Framework_Features</T><T>Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#root/Microsoft/Windows/ServerManager/MSFT_ServerManagerServerComponentDescriptor</T><T>Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#ServerComponent_NET_Framework_Features</T><T>Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#MSFT_ServerManagerServerComponentDescriptor</T><T>Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance</T><T>System.Object</T></TN><ToString>ServerComponent_NET_Framework_Features</ToString><Props><Nil N="PSComputerName"/></Props>
Now that windows server 8 is in beta we can talk almost about anything and it is time to create my demo SQL 2012 machine. In this case I uses the Windows server 8 cluster from the other blog item to create a SQL 2012 cluster with 3 instances. All of the instances are created on different ways , Instance 3 is a ZTI
For starters build a 2 node cluster or more nodes if you want and use the SQL 2012 Media. I use the Enterprise version.
Remember that I create the Server Group and my cluster I already added the disk to my cluster mounted the SQL 2012 ISO file to the node. Ready for the Setup.
again I use a lot of pictures in this blog and I do almost everything twice just to show you how you can configure your cluster.
the disk listing in the cluster. eh no we do not use the basic setup. Installation should be fun and not follow the wizard ok we have to use the wizard in this part. We use the advanced cluster preparation setup this will setup your SQL cluster in two parts.
Fill in your SQL product key or use a evaluation , accept the agreement.
Mm a warning it looks OK yes it is I create a new blog post on this ignore it for now.
Yes I corrected the binding order and we continue the setup.
I choose to install all the options This cluster will be used for the System center products.
I use a basic account but for more security you should use different accounts. And I will also configure my report server by hand later.
Now that the first step is ready we can do the second step but first I want to create a second instance preparation. as a basic I use the setup .ini file that you can save during the setup.
The second instance I use this ini file to create the instance preparation. Open the ini file and I changed the SQL01 in SQL02. easy
in the setup screen I use the install based on a Ini file setup. this is not an unattended setup. But all the screens are already filled in. So this is like a practice unattended setup like in SQL03
… import ini file As you can see the installation of a second instance is the same as installing one instance on a node or installing a third instance but you can install less or more options in the instances. they don’t have to be the same.
Easy just press next and finish almost unattended. You can also use the ini file of this installation if you want to rebuild this instance during a disaster.
Advanced Cluster Completion
Now that the Instance SQL01 and SQL02 are installed but not jet completed in my cluster we need to do the next step Cluster completion. This step we need to do this also twice , and yes one time I do this in the GUI and save the INI file and One I use the Ini file for the SQL02 setup just to see how it can be done.
Here we create the Cluster name and the SQL instance As you can see. And You see also the SQL02 instance. but remember you can only do one instance installation at the time
We choose the Disks and the IP address for this SQL cluster instance.
I use here only two disks but you can use more disk, DB ,Logs, and Temp DB and Analysis all on different disks. if you want more performance. this is if it runs on multiple SAN disks.
for System center the Collation is most important If you choose the wrong one you are in trouble it is hard to reconfigure this.
If you continue Setup using the default collation (SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS), you will not be able to support multiple languages in Service Manager. In the future, if you decide you want to support multiple languages, you will have to re-install SQL Server.
Service Manager doesn’t like the default collation method (SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS). If your SCSM SQL server is running with that collation mode you will get a warning when you install SCSM.
Further down in the error the Exhange 2010 MP was referenced with regards to "Microsoft.Exchange.2010.Reports.Dataset.Ten
After doing some investigation discovered that nager is only supported with a collation of "SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS" hange 2010 management pack relies on the collation being "SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS" to place certain data into the Data Warehouse.
Here is the bad news!!! The only way to resolve is it re-install SQL. So make sure if you are installing Operatons Manager your SQL collation is correct.
This error message is because we installed SQL Server in the default SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS collation. This collation is the only one that is supported by SCOM2012 and so this is necessary when we want to install SCOM2012 and want to connect SCSM with SCOM2012.
When installing SCSM 2012 it’s important to use a supported language.
If you use the default collation: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
multilanguage support will not be available in Service Manager.
Instead you should use a supported collation like eg.: Latin1_General_100_CI_AS
More info about this you can find here :
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh495583.aspx
If you use system accounts you don’t want to add the domain administrator but in my demo It is ok
Ready. the one thing that I did not install is a DTC because it is so easy to install on a cluster we do this in just a few steps. go to the failover cluster manager and add a cluster role
pick the msdtc and give the role a IP and I always use a own disk for the DTC but you can share this if you want. my advice use a own disk for a more flexible cluster
as you can see my cluster is ready to use
the second cluster completion I do this with a INI file all the steps are the same as without the ini file only the items are filled in.
..import ini file
I skiped the other screens
Done Now I have two SQL instances and 2 sets of ini files. these file I’m gonna use it for an unattended setup. SQL installation in just 10 minutes
the first step SQL cluster preperation
setup.exe /Q /CONFIGURATIONFILE="C:\SQLSetup\ConfigurationFile.ini"
/SQLSVCPASSWORD="<StrongPassword>" /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS/INDICATEPROGRESS
because I use a account for my SQL server I need to fill in my password.
this will kick in the cluster completion.
For this unattended setup I created the following file I use the following account for all the services : sql2012 and the password is also sql2012 Remember this is a lap use strong passwords in real life !!!
Step one is the Cluster preperation
d:\setup.exe /q /CONFIGURATIONFILE="C:\SQLSetup\SQL03-1.ini"
/AGTSVCPASSWORD="sql2012"
/ASSVCPASSWORD="sql2012"
/SQLSVCPASSWORD="sql2012"
/ISSVCPASSWORD="sql2012"
/RSSVCPASSWORD="sql2012" /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS /INDICATEPROGRESS
Step Two is the Cluster Completion
d:\setup.exe /q /CONFIGURATIONFILE="C:\SQLSetup\SQL03-2.ini"
/AGTSVCPASSWORD="sql2012"
/ASSVCPASSWORD="sql2012"
/SQLSVCPASSWORD="sql2012"
/ISSVCPASSWORD="sql2012"
/RSSVCPASSWORD="sql2012" /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS /INDICATEPROGRESS
You can do this also in one ini file but if something fails you don’t have to do it all again.
Happy clustering !!
The way We build a cluster in windows 2008R2 is almost the same in windows 8
In windows 8 You can do more with PowerShell. In this blog post I will create a cluster old style first. Then PowerShell one-liner
My first node and the windows server 8 cluster group. just create a cluster group for easy handling the servers.
And as you can see the selected server is on the right top of your screen.
Now in this gui we add the Failover cluster Role and the tools. I did select the server and proceed with the wizard.
Just follow the wizard and add the Feature.
Now there is a new thing you don’t have to wait till the install is done. close the window and if you want to see the progress you can. by opening the installation progress task.
Now I added the Failover cluster feature almost 4 windows
The PowerShell way : Trouble with the Commands ? just use the *
Go to the powershell <> it is already in admin mode <>
Get-WindowsFeature *
you will see a list of all Features. I will use only the Failover-clustering
Get-WindowsFeature Failover-Clustering
The installation kicks in and does the installation with out any questions.
This will save time or when you do a unattended OSD. As you can see in the PowerShell I opened a PoSH to the other node just right click on the node.
But sure you can use the GUI.
But what about the Creation of a cluster. ? Gui or PoSH Well first the PowerShell line.
New-Cluster -Name "My-first-Cluster" -Node mvpwin8-n1 -NoStorage -StaticAddress "11.222.222.33"
Cluster name is :My-first-Cluster
Nodes in my cluster is 1 <> and yes you can create a one node cluster.
I did not add any storage to the cluster.
And I used a static IP : 11.222.222.33
Or Gui <> This time I add both nodes, open the FCM and select create new Cluster and add both nodes.
Run the validation reports. And the validation reports are also contains new items
Give the Cluster a name and an IP and my cluster is ready.
Now that my basic cluster is ready We add some disks to the cluster.
The PowerShell Way :
This shows a list of all available disks
Get-ClusterAvailableDisk -Cluster Clustername
the add-cluster disks adds the disks to the cluster
Get-ClusterAvailableDisk -Cluster Clustername |Add-ClusterDisk
or in the FCM right click on storage
Now that we have disk in our cluster we can add witness disk to the cluster.
under more actions we can select the Quorum settings
Disk and node majority is the choice for a two node cluster on a three node you don’t need the disk. the Third node is the Vote.
Choose a disk for the Quorum, and as you can see I do have a drive letter but if you want more security. Skip the Drive letter you do not need it.
Next Step add Roles to the cluster.