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SQL Server Forum / Other Technologies / Clustering / September 2008

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Rebooting a Cluster

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AJ - 10 Jul 2008 20:59 GMT
Quick and easy question.

What is the proper procedure to shutdown a 4 node active SQL cluster.  I
need to bring the servers down for disaster recovery testing.  Should I
failover resources from all nodes to one and then shutdown those nodes and
then shutdown the last server?  Or should I pause the each node and then shut
them down 1 by 1?
Denny Cherry - 11 Jul 2008 01:24 GMT
I would simply stop all resource groups where they are, then power
down all the servers.  This way when the servers come up you can
easily restart the resource groups on thier normal node.

Denny

>Quick and easy question.
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>then shutdown the last server?  Or should I pause the each node and then shut
>them down 1 by 1?
Ross Mistry - 11 Jul 2008 02:18 GMT
I would play it safe.  I am assuming that you are a running a multiple
instance failover configuration with each node hosting one of the SQL Server
instances.  With that being said, you probably want the SQL Server instances
to stay online and service client requests during the server reboots.  
Therefore, manually failover SQL Server Instance 01 from the first node to
the second node, and then reboot the first node.  Once node 1 is back online,
fail the SQL Server services back to node 1.  Repeat the steps for all nodes
within the cluster
I believe this rolling strategy works better than shutting down all of your
servers, SQL Server resources.  Or more than one node at the same time.  If
you shut down more than one node at the same time, It is highly probable that
surviving node would not have enough resources to sustain all of the failed
SQL Server instances without suffering performance degradation.  For example,
if you shut down node 1, 2 and 3 at the same time, most likely 4 would have
issues running all 4 SQL Server instances.

I hope that helps!!!
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Ross Mistry - Author Windows Server 2008 Unleashed, SQL Server 2005
Management & Administration

Look forward to my new book called SQL Server 2008 Management & Administration

> Quick and easy question.
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> then shutdown the last server?  Or should I pause the each node and then shut
> them down 1 by 1?
Geoff N. Hiten - 11 Jul 2008 02:28 GMT
If you are going to take everyting offline for the reboot, then go ahead and
stop the resource groups and reboot everything.  If you want a rolling
reboot then move the SQl instances around to get one node empty, reboot it,
and repeat until all nodes are done.  End up by putting the instances back
on their preferred nodes.

Personally, I prefer to do a rolling reboot.  I have had cluster nodes
"stick" during boot when multiple nodes enumerated their connected storage
systems at the same time.

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Geoff N. Hiten
Principal SQL Infrastructure Consultant
Microsoft SQL Server MVP

.

> Quick and easy question.
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> shut
> them down 1 by 1?
Russ Kaufmann - 11 Jul 2008 04:28 GMT
> If you are going to take everyting offline for the reboot, then go ahead
> and stop the resource groups and reboot everything.  If you want a rolling
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> "stick" during boot when multiple nodes enumerated their connected storage
> systems at the same time.

BTW, you can avoid the scenario of all nodes trying to come online and
enumerate drives at the same time by changing the start up setting in the
boot.ini to different numbers for each node. For example, Node1 =15 seconds,
Node2 =60 seconds, Node3= 105 seconds, and Node4=150 seconds.

It is a good idea anyways just in case you have a power outage and UPS runs
dry as well.

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Willy - 02 Sep 2008 19:23 GMT
I have a need to shutdown the whole cluster for a scheduled power outage in
the data center. there will be no power at all for 4-8 hours. I haven't quite
been able to see how to do this in any Microsoft Guide or support article.
does anyone know how to do this and where i find the background on it?????
Geoff N. Hiten - 02 Sep 2008 20:05 GMT
Move all groups to Node A.
Manually take SQL offline.
Shut every node except A.
Shut down node A.
Shut down the storage system according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Shut down any switches, directores, etc

Start up switches, directors, etc.
Start Storage system according to Manufacturer's instructions.
Start Node A.
Verify Cluster group is online and SQL is offline.
Start remaining nodes one at a time.  Wait until each node shows as joined
to the cluster before starting the next one.
Test failover.

Signature

Geoff N. Hiten
Principal SQL Infrastructure Consultant
Microsoft SQL Server MVP

> I have a need to shutdown the whole cluster for a scheduled power outage
> in
> the data center. there will be no power at all for 4-8 hours. I haven't
> quite
> been able to see how to do this in any Microsoft Guide or support article.
> does anyone know how to do this and where i find the background on it?????
 
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