I am rolling out a sql sever for a small business (30 users).

Is there an advantage in terms of redundancy (failover/cluster)
in purchasing sql enterprise without having enterprise server or
cluster hardware?

It seems from reading these newsgroups that to get the
advantages of clustering sql enterprise offers, you need
enterprise sever and cluster hardware. So without those,
should I just buy standard sql server?

Thanks,

Greg

I think that you need to justufy a cluster enviroment, if
you have a very critical database you will need a cluster
(hardware / software).
but if your database is not too critical and your database
is not too large, you just can maintain daytime backups.

Cesar

Yeah, I probably can't justify a cluster at this time, so the
next question is, should I plan for the future?

Are there any other advantages to enterprise sql over
standard sql?

Maybe I should buy a server and powervault now with
Enterprise sql and then if I need to cluster, add another
server and upgrade the OS...

The clustering / redundancy that enterprise sql provides
relies on which os, standard, advanced, enterprise or
data center?

I think the answer is enterprise. What, if any then, are the
advantages to runnig enterprise sql on either standard or
advanced server vs standard sql?

Thanks,

Greg


"Cesar" <anonymous (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote

If you are considering going the cluster route in the
future, make sure what you buy is in the WIndows Catalog
for cluster solutions (i.e. buy the SAN and one of the
nodes based on the HW list). You can't just take two
random servers and a SAN and have a MS-supported cluster.

I agree with Allan. If you want to have a cluster setup, you cannot just
take two nodes, some shared disk, NICs etc and form a cluster.

Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) supports server clusters only on
the hardware that is listed on the Cluster Hardware Compatibility List
(HCL). For additional information, please refer the following Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

Q309395 The Microsoft Support Policy for Server Clusters and the HCL
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=309395 and

Q327518 The Microsoft Support Policy for Clustered SQL Servers
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=327518


Apart from Failover Clustering, SQL Enterprise Edition has other features.
For a complete list, visit

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/evaluat...s/choosing.asp

Even better, there is a whitepaper
Choosing an Edition of SQL Server 2000
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinf...sKChooseEd.asp


To understand more about SQL Server 2000 Failover Clustering, I would
recommend you to read

Microsoft Whitepaper - SQL Server 2000 Failover Clustering
http://www.microsoft.com/SQL/techinf...overcluster.as
p


HTH,

Uttam Parui
SQL Server Developer Support Engineer, MCDBA, MCSE, MCT
Product Support Services
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

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