SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive
Active / Passive cluster
Hello all, I am new to this website and SQL-Clustering. Our current production server runs on windows 2000 with SQL 2000. I have plans to move to SQL 2000 active/passive cluster on windows 2003. I would like to clarify following(1) For Active/Passive environment, does the hardware configuration of the primary and secondary server need to be same?
(2) Currently, we are using Veritas to backup database (on stand alone SQL 2000). Can I restore the data onto SQL 2000 clustered environment from those backup tapes.
(3) If answer to my previous question is ‘NO’, what are the different options I have to copy the data(approx 350GB on three databases) from production to this cluster environment. What is your opinion on options like DTS / windows copy
(4) I assume I can use the current SQL 2000 enterprise license for primary server. Do I need to purchase one more enterprise license for secondary server. Thanks in advance for your help
quote:
(1) For Active/Passive environment, does the hardware configuration of the primary and secondary server need to be same?
If you want the second node to be able to handle the same load in the event of a failure on the primary not then yes you need to have identical hardware. It’s usually recommended to keep them the same.
(1) For Active/Passive environment, does the hardware configuration of the primary and secondary server need to be same?
quote:
(2) Currently, we are using Veritas to backup database (on stand alone SQL 2000). Can I restore the data onto SQL 2000 clustered environment from those backup tapes.
If the Veritas backup client support being installed and working on a cluster then yes you can use it to restore the database. The backup client might requre different licenses to work in a cluster though.
(2) Currently, we are using Veritas to backup database (on stand alone SQL 2000). Can I restore the data onto SQL 2000 clustered environment from those backup tapes.
quote:
(3) If answer to my previous question is ‘NO’, what are the different options I have to copy the data(approx 350GB on three databases) from production to this cluster environment. What is your opinion on options like DTS / windows copy
If the Veritas backup client doesn’t work you could detach the databases from the orginal server, use standard file copy to the cluster server and attach them there.
(3) If answer to my previous question is ‘NO’, what are the different options I have to copy the data(approx 350GB on three databases) from production to this cluster environment. What is your opinion on options like DTS / windows copy
quote:
(4) I assume I can use the current SQL 2000 enterprise license for primary server. Do I need to purchase one more enterprise license for secondary server.
You do not need a SQL license for the passive node in a cluster. You do need a Windows Enterprise license for both nodes though.
(4) I assume I can use the current SQL 2000 enterprise license for primary server. Do I need to purchase one more enterprise license for secondary server.
Thanks a bunch, Argyle. Regd item (3), like most of the people visting this website, we are also 24 X 7 operations. So, downtime needs to be as much less as possible. we have three database and their sizes are 300GB, 14GB and 10 GB respectively, it might take longer (atleast 10-12 hours hours downtime, please correct me if i am wrong)to move the data from current setup to new cluster environment. In order to reduce this downtime, I thought of using "dts" (only for the 300 GB data) during the week and have the new cluster environment in sink with production environment. I have considered the necessity of rebuilding index. whereas for other two databases, I will follow your suggestion of windows copy.
Please advice.
Thanks for your time and valuable inputs.
quote:Originally posted by Argyle
quote:
(1) For Active/Passive environment, does the hardware configuration of the primary and secondary server need to be same?
If you want the second node to be able to handle the same load in the event of a failure on the primary not then yes you need to have identical hardware. It’s usually recommended to keep them the same.
(1) For Active/Passive environment, does the hardware configuration of the primary and secondary server need to be same?
quote:
(2) Currently, we are using Veritas to backup database (on stand alone SQL 2000). Can I restore the data onto SQL 2000 clustered environment from those backup tapes.
If the Veritas backup client support being installed and working on a cluster then yes you can use it to restore the database. The backup client might requre different licenses to work in a cluster though.
(2) Currently, we are using Veritas to backup database (on stand alone SQL 2000). Can I restore the data onto SQL 2000 clustered environment from those backup tapes.
quote:
(3) If answer to my previous question is ‘NO’, what are the different options I have to copy the data(approx 350GB on three databases) from production to this cluster environment. What is your opinion on options like DTS / windows copy
If the Veritas backup client doesn’t work you could detach the databases from the orginal server, use standard file copy to the cluster server and attach them there.
(3) If answer to my previous question is ‘NO’, what are the different options I have to copy the data(approx 350GB on three databases) from production to this cluster environment. What is your opinion on options like DTS / windows copy
quote:
(4) I assume I can use the current SQL 2000 enterprise license for primary server. Do I need to purchase one more enterprise license for secondary server.
You do not need a SQL license for the passive node in a cluster. You do need a Windows Enterprise license for both nodes though.(4) I assume I can use the current SQL 2000 enterprise license for primary server. Do I need to purchase one more enterprise license for secondary server.
I would implement logshipping instead for the specific database do minimize downtime. DTS transfer in such a large database would take a lot of time. With log shipping restore a full backup and then ship the transaction log backups (that are much smaller) every 15 minutes or something. When you plan to migrate, set the source database in read only mode and take a last log backup and restore it on the new server.
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