SQL Server on a

Cluster

Experiences
MikeFITZSIMON
SYSTEMSARCHITECT
FITZSIMON IT CONSULTING PTY LTD
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

Web Server SQL Server

Business Logic Database
COM Components Server

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Hardware Architecture
Three Tier

Web Business SQL Server

Server Logic COM Database
Components Server

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Hardware Architecture
Scalable Three Tier

Web SQL Server

Server Database
Farm Server
Application
Server Farm

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 H/w Architecture -
OzEvents.com
Router
Router
Web
WebServer
Server11
IIS, MTS
IIS, MTS
Production &
Production &
Test
Test

Router distributes http Web

WebServer
Server22
requests IIS, MTS
IIS, MTS
Production
2-Server Web Farm Production

(Test site on one server) SQL

SQLServer
Server
SQL Server SQL7
SQL7
databases,
databases,
(Production & Test databases) OzEvents1,
OzEvents1,
OzTest1
OzTest1
Exchange Server
Images
Images

Exchange
Exchange
Exchange
Exchange
5.5
5.5
Mailboxes
Mailboxes
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Hardware Architecture
Scalable Three Tier

Web SQL Server

Server Database
Farm Server
Application
Server Farm Single point
of failure?

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 Hardware Architecture -
Cluster Server
LAN

Server A Server B
Two or more Servers
SCSI SCSI
Private LAN
(heartbeat, <500ms ping)
Private LAN
Shared SCSI bus
(separate to System
Shared SCSI
SCSI bus)
Applications & Data on
RAID
RAID Applications & Data

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IMS Locations

! Brisbane
!

Sydney !
Cluster Servers in
! !
!
each State Office
$
Frame Relay
! !
Melbourne Service

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High Availability
Cluster 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 Availability
Cluster Servers
RAID-1 Mirrored
internal disk drives

Can be used as an
emergency backup
during a system
upgrade

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High Availability
Cluster Servers
External RAID array

StorageTek

Raid-1 9Gb Quorum

Disk
(persistent arbitration)

Raid-5 18 Gb Data
disks

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 High Availability
Cluster Servers

External RAID array:

Dual Network
adaptors
Dual Power
supplies

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 Hardware Architecture -
Cluster Server
LAN

Server A Server B
Normal Active/Active
configuration
SCSI SCSI
Server A: IIS & MTS
Resource Groups
Private LAN
Server B: SQL Resource
Shared SCSI
Group
Web pages and SQL
MDF files on RAID
RAID Applications & Data

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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 starting
Cluster 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/techi
nfo/planning/server/clustersteps.asp

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Questions
Mike Fitzsimon
Mike@Fitzsimon.com.au
This ppt available from
www.fitzsimon.com.au/qmsdnug

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