How to Cluster SQL Server 2005

The next dialog box is Registration, where you enter your company name and license key, if applicable.

Next, you must select the SQL Server 2005 components to install. See below.

I want to point out the options to "Create a SQL Server failover cluster" and to "Create an Analysis Server failover cluster" (currently grayed out). Since we are creating a SQL Server 2005 cluster, you must select the "Create a SQL Server failover cluster." If you are going to install Analysis Services (not covered in this example) then you must select "Create an Analysis Server failover cluster." Once you have selected all the components you need to include, click Next.

As with any install of SQL Server 2005, the next step is to select the name of the instance to be installed. You can choose between a default instance and a named instance. Click Next to proceed.

Now, here is a very important step. This is when you enter the name of the virtual SQL Server 2005 instance you are currently installing. This is the name that clients will use to connect to this instance. Ideally, you have already selected a name to use that makes the most sense to your organization. Click Next to proceed. If you ever need to change this virtual name, you will have to uninstall and then reinstall SQL Server 2005 clustering.

This is also a very important step. This is where you enter the virtual IP address for this instance of SQL Server 2005. Like the cluster virtual name, it is used by clients to connect to this instance of SQL Server 2005. The IP address must belong to the same subnet as the IP addresses used by all of the nodes.