Prerequisites - MS SQL Server 2012 failover cluster install
1. Verify Server in domain
Verify servers are part of the domain and in the correct OU.
2. Validate Windows Cluster
Check virtual names and IPs are not in use for cluster, MSDTC and SQL instance.
3. Operating System & Service Pack
Verify OS version and Service Pack level requirement
Windows Server 2008: service pack 2 or later
Windows 2008 R2: service pack 1 or later
4. Verify Hostname
Check the hostname on each node.
At a command prompt, type: hostname
5. Drive format
Ensure that partitions that will be used by SQL Server are created with offset=64k and formatted using 64K block size.
6. Drive letters
Check the drive letter assignments. Verify correct assignments for each node & size for each drive. Validate that all the disk resources to be used by the SQL instance have been added to the cluster. The SQL installation needs to be executed from the node owning the cluster resources.
7. Disk permissions
Set the right permissions on the drives to be mounted.
The permissions should be (Full Control):
The permissions should be (Full Control):
BuiltIn\Administrators
System
SQLAdmins
SQLServices
8. Disk labels
Optional: Each disk, whether it is basic disk or mount point must have text file created in the root of the disk. Text file is required to identify disk letter and where this disk is used.
9. NIC configuration
Verify NIC setup for Public and Private (HeartBeat)
Ping each node of the cluster using the Public and Private networks.
Repeat on each server.
10. MSDTC & Services
Ensure MSDTC Network access is configured.
Note: “Enable SNA LU 6.2 Transactions” is valid for Windows Server 2008 R2 only.
Ensure that MSDTC is clustered.
Ensure the Task Scheduler service is running on all the nodes of the cluster.
Ensure both COM+ services are running on ALL nodes of the cluster
11. AD requirements Service Account / Group / Computer account
The AD group is not required for a standalone installation but is mandatory for a cluster installation.
For standalone installation:
The installation program will create a local group on the server to be used by SQL. The created local group must be added to the security policy settings that are pushed through GPO.
The required local policies will be granted automatically by the setup program to the AD group during the installation.
For cluster installation:
Domain Security Groups for SQL Services and SQL Admins must be created
Created local group must be added to the security policy settings that are pushed through GPO.
Important: The account running cluster installation MUST HAVE “Bypass traverse checking” privilege. The GPO has to be updated to have the DBA with this privilege. To enable this, the Administrators group will be added to “Bypass traverse checking” and the SQLAdmins group is a member of the Administrators group.
For Cluster: The computer account for the SQL Virtual Name MUST BE created in AD in the proper OU with the permissions to allow the Cluster to update it before attempting the installation and DISABLED .
If the computer account for the SQL Virtual Name is not created or not disabled – installation will FAIL! It will be required to uninstall all the components and perform clean install.
The SQL 2012 installation creates the SQL Name cluster resource with Kerberos authentication enabled. If the computer account was not created in AD prior to installation, the setup will fail.
AD Objects: NOT a member of the Local administrators group
- The AD group for the SQL instance.
- The AD service account(s) for the SQL instance.
Confirm Windows Locale Setting – use Control Panel.
Regional and Language Options,
Standards and formats= English (United States)
Location = Canada
Note: Provided Windows is configured as above, a default SQL install will result in the required SQL collation of SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS.
13. Check driver signing
Registry Key –
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing\Policy = 00
14. Check ODBC / MDAC
Check the ODBC/MDAC settings.
Registry - ensure ODBC keys are present HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBCINST.INI
15. Set temp variable
Set the TEMP environmental variable to c:\temp.
Set on all the nodes.
16. Check RPC ports
Check the RPC port range in the registry.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Rpc\Internet]
Ports= 13300-13450
PortsInternetAvailable="Y"
UseInternetPorts="Y"
17. Registration folder permissions
For Windows 2008
Following permissions should be in place for Registration folder, all subfolders and files:
BUuilt-In\Administrators – “Full Control”
SYSTEM – “Full Control”
Everyone – “Read&Execute”
Verify the permissions on the Registration folder and reapply permissions to all child objects, so they are inherited from the parent (Registration folder)
18. Local Policies
‘Perform volume maintenance’ policy will be set by GPO from OU level. We use the account(s) created during the SQL installation to set this policy.
For Default Instance: NT SERVICE\MSSQLSERVER
For Named Instance: NT SERVICE\MSSQL$<Sql Instance Name>
This policy is required to enable the use of “Instant File Initialization” feature.
Ensure that the policy has been set.
19. User Account running setup
Ensure that user account running setup has following privileges:
Bypass Traverse Checking
Debug Programs
In order to provide required privileges local administrators group should be added to the appropriate policy.
20. Internet Explorer
For Windowss 2008 R2 Enterprise
If Internet Expolrer is not installed: Run following command from the command prompt with Administrative Privileges:
dism /online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64
Reboot the server.
21. Create folders
Optional: Create the SQL folders required for the SQL instance
- Data
- Log
- Backup
These folders will be required during the SQL installation to specify the default locations.
22. .Net Framework 3
Windows Server 2008: Install the .Net 3.51 SP1 framework .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 is the mandatory prerequisite for SQL 2012.
Windows Server 2008 R2: Windows Server 2008 R2 has .Net Framework 3.5.1 as a component of OS. There is no installation required, but .Net Framework 3.5.1 needs to be enabled on Windows Server 2008 R2.
23. .Net Framework 4
Windows Server 2008 & Windows Serv ef: Install the .Net 4.0 framework: .Net Framework 4.0 is the mandatory prerequisite for SQL 2012. It needs to be installed prior to starting the installation
24. Power Shell 2
Windows Server 2008: Install the Windows Power Shell 2.0
Power Shell 2.0 is mandatory for the options selected during the SQL 2012. It needs to be installed prior to starting the installation.
Power Shell 2.0 is mandatory for the options selected during the SQL 2012. It needs to be installed prior to starting the installation.
Power Shell is not part of the SQL 2012 media, it has to be downloaded from Microsoft, select the link 32 or 64 bit:
Windows PowerShell 2.0 and WinRM 2.0 for Windows Server 2008 (KB968930) http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=11829
Windows PowerShell 2.0 and WinRM 2.0 for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB968930) http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20430
Windows Server 2008 R2 has Powershell 2.0 as a component of OS. There is no installation required, but Powershell 2.0 needs to be enabled on Windows Server 2008 R2.
Ensuring prerequisites are in place will help in smooth installation of MS SQL Server 2012 failover cluster.
Click here for MS SQL Server 2012 installation video & detailed setup instructions.