Active-Active MS SQL Server Failover Cluster using ESX 4.0 - part 4

The fourth post in this series, without a doubt the shortest, describes how to install the second SQL Server 2008 failover cluster, SQL2K8B. Other posts in the series can be found here: 1, 2 & 3.

The process is fairly similar to the process described in the previous post to install the first SQL Server 2008 failover cluster, SQL2K8A. 

You need to make sure that all the cluster resources are in Node 1 and then start the installer by launching Setup.exe. Run the gauntlet of wizards until you get to the Install a SQL Server failover cluster wizard:

• On the Instance Configuration tab: set the sql server network name and the InstanceID to: SQL2K8B.
• On the Cluster Resource Group tab: accept the default: SQL Server (SQL2K8B).
• On the Cluster Disk Selection tab: select the remaining Disk (Cluster Disk 3).

• On the Cluster Network Configuration tab: set the IP address to 10.168.20.244, namely the IP address for SQL2k8b.

• On the Server Configuration tab: use the service account for the second cluster (sqlcluster2k8b).

Once completed  you can check a successful install by running the Failover Cluster Manager.

Figure 4.1 Failover Cluster Manager console display both SQL Server failover groups

Now, you can repeat the same process to add the second node to the second cluster.

You should now repeat the same tests as in part 3. When finished, remember to failover each service to a different node, so that you have a true active-active SQL Server failover cluster, see Figure 4.2 below.

Figure 4.2 Failover Cluster Manager displaying Active-Active configuration.

You now have an active-active SQL Server 2008 failover cluster, it doesn't do much, or anything really, but we'll soon give it something to do. Stay tuned for the fifth part of the series.