SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering Best Practices

SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering Best Practices

■ Before installing SQL Server failover clustering, understand the prerequisites and verify that the clustering hardware is supported and certified by both the hardware vendor and Microsoft.

■ Leverage the Cluster Validation Tool included with Windows Server 2008 to ensure that all nodes within the cluster meet the prerequisites for deploying failover clustering.

■ Use identical hardware for all nodes in the cluster. This includes processor, memory, and firmware.

■ Configure Failover Clustering Feature from a Windows Server 2008 perspective prior to SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering.

■ Ensure disk drive letters are identical on all nodes within the cluster.

■ Avoid having the quorum resource and other cluster resources from sharing the same disk.

■ Ensure that the public network adapter is the first adapter in the network binding list.

■ Disable NETBIOS on the private/heartbeat network adapters.

■ Disable write-back caching on host controllers.

■ Do not configure dynamic disks because clustering supports only basic disk configurations.

■ Determine whether a single-instance or multiple-instance configuration will be implemented. Plan the disk layout accordingly while taking future growth into account.

■ Identify which SQL Server features will be installed.

■ Do not use the same service account for Windows and SQL Server failover clustering.

■ Configure dependencies for shared disks so that they can be recognized and leveraged by SQL Server 2008.

■ Before using multiple instances, understand the impact of multipleinstance configurations and performance degradation on the surviving node if a failover occurs.

■ Change the service accounts only via SQL Server Configuration Manager.

■ Do not configure DTC resources within the same service or application as the SQL Server virtual instances.

■ Use the SQL Server Installation Center to modify a SQL Server failover cluster installation.

■ Ensure that each virtual server name is unique on the Active Directory domain.

■ Understand the benefit and impact associated with the different quorum models included in Windows Server 2008.

■ For advanced SQL Server 2008 failover clustering installations, use the planning and deployment tools included with the SQL Server Installation Center.

Note from book "Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Management and Administration".