SQL Server on a Cluster

Experiences MikeFITZSIMONSYSTEMSARCHITECT

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Why use SQL Server on a Cluster?

High Availability Fault Tolerance (?) Failback Manageability Scalability (?)

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Hardware Architecture –Single Tier

Web Server Business Logic

COM Components SQL Server

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Hardware Architecture –Two Tier

SQL ServerDatabase Server

Web Server

Business Logic COM Components

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Hardware Architecture –Three Tier

SQL ServerDatabase Server

Business Logic COM Components

WebServer

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Hardware Architecture –Scalable Three Tier

SQL ServerDatabase Server

Application Server Farm

Web Server Farm

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H/w Architecture -OzEvents.com

Router distributes http requests

2-Server Web Farm(Test site on one server)

SQL Server(Production & Test databases)

Exchange Server

RouterWeb Server 1

IIS, MTSProduction &

Test

Web Server 2

IIS, MTSProduction

SQL Server

SQL7databases,OzEvents1,

OzTest1

Exchange

Exchange5.5

Mailboxes

Images

RouterWeb Server 1

IIS, MTSProduction &

Test

Web Server 2

IIS, MTSProduction

SQL Server

SQL7databases,OzEvents1,

OzTest1

Exchange

Exchange5.5

Mailboxes

Images

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Hardware Architecture –Scalable Three Tier

SQL ServerDatabase Server

Single point of failure?

Application Server Farm

Web Server Farm

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Server A Server B

LAN

Hardware Architecture - Cluster Server

Two or more Servers Private LAN

(heartbeat, <500ms ping) Shared SCSI bus

(separate to System SCSI bus)

Applications & Data on RAID

Private LAN

RAID Applications & Data

Shared SCSI

SCSI SCSI

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IMS Locations

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Brisbane

Sydney

Melbourne

Cluster Servers in each State Office

Frame Relay Service

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High AvailabilityCluster Servers IBM Netfinity 5500

Servers Physical machines

named\\Heaven and \\Hell

Virtual machines named\\BneSQL and \\BneIIS

Required 4 IP addresses !

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High AvailabilityCluster Servers

RAID-1 Mirrored internal disk drives

Can be used as an emergency backup during a system upgrade

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High AvailabilityCluster Servers

External RAID array

StorageTek

Raid-1 9Gb Quorum Disk(persistent arbitration)

Raid-5 18 Gb Data disks

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High AvailabilityCluster Servers

External RAID array:

Dual Power Dual Power suppliessupplies

Dual Network Dual Network adaptorsadaptors

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Server A Server B

LAN

Hardware Architecture - Cluster Server

Normal Active/Active configuration

Server A: IIS & MTS Resource Groups

Server B: SQL Resource Group

Web pages and SQL MDF files on RAID

Private LAN

RAID Applications & Data

Shared SCSI

SCSI SCSI

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Multi-Node Clusters

Still need only two NICs per machine(one for public network, one for private network)

Need a Hub To support at least 4-nodes, need

Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition or Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition

Windows Clustering is installed by default;configure a cluster by startingCluster Administrator or Cluster.exe

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Writing your own Cluster-Aware Application LooksAlive

(By default, SQL calls this every 5 seconds) IsAlive

(By default, SQL calls this every 60 seconds)

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Clustering Resources

Quorum Drive Configuration Information http://support.microsoft.com/?id=280345

Available Features in Windows Server 2003 Clusters http://support.microsoft.com/?id=278007

Step by step guide to install a 2000 Cluster:http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/planning/server/clustersteps.asp

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Questions

Mike FitzsimonMike@Fitzsimon.com.au

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