I have a three node cluster with three virtual sql server 2005 installed. Now
I want to take one node out of cluster to make a two node cluster. According
to the post of Daniel ("evicting a node") and other reading, we have to run
the setup again. My question are:
1. do I have to run the setup on all of thre virtual sql servers or just one?
2. after run the setup, will the sql server be changed to RTM? my server
have the sp2 right now.
3. If we can just evicting a node from cluster group without any database
issue, why do we need to run the setup again.
Daniel, can you post what you did in more detail for what you did.
thanks for anyone who cna help.
Regards,
Zack.

You have to run the setup for each virtual server to tell the cluster to use
only the remaining nodes. The SQL Servers will not be downgraded to RTM.
Even though you are running "setup", it's not installing anything. It's
just configuring.

Setup can also be used if not evicting a node from the cluster. You could
tell it to use only certain nodes within the cluster for a given instance.

--
Tom

----------------------------------------------------
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
SQL Server MVP
Toronto, ON Canada
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau


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

I have a three node cluster with three virtual sql server 2005 installed.
Now
I want to take one node out of cluster to make a two node cluster. According
to the post of Daniel ("evicting a node") and other reading, we have to run
the setup again. My question are:
1. do I have to run the setup on all of thre virtual sql servers or just
one?
2. after run the setup, will the sql server be changed to RTM? my server
have the sp2 right now.
3. If we can just evicting a node from cluster group without any database
issue, why do we need to run the setup again.
Daniel, can you post what you did in more detail for what you did.
thanks for anyone who cna help.
Regards,
Zack.

thanks tom, it help a lot. Do you know how long it will take normally and if
it is a risky process or smoth one?
thanks again.

ZP
--
m


"Tom Moreau" wrote:

The only risk I'd see is in a 2-node cluster and you evict one node. If you
don't get the new node back into the cluster, then if the last remaining
node fails, you're down. That's why I prefer to add a node before evicting
an old one.

--
Tom

----------------------------------------------------
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
SQL Server MVP
Toronto, ON Canada
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau


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

thanks tom, it help a lot. Do you know how long it will take normally and if
it is a risky process or smoth one?
thanks again.

ZP
--
m


"Tom Moreau" wrote:

dp,

I did not visit the forum frequently. Sorry for the late reply. Hope it is
still helpful to you. This is what I did:

I evict an active node(I am using 4 nodes cluster) with the following steps:
Steps to remove the inactive node from the SQL Server Cluster

1. Logon to the active node.
2. Go to Control Panel, click Add/Remove Programs
3. Highlight Microsoft SQL Server 2005(64bit), then click Change.
4. Select Database Engine under SQL Server 2005 instances, and then click Next
5. Check Database Engine(Clustered), click Next. System Configuration Check
page pops up.
6. Once the check is done, the Welcome page shows up, click Next
7. Wait for System configuration check to finish the actual check, once it
is done, click Next.
8. Change or remove Instance page shows up, click Maintain the Virtual Server
9. On the Cluster Node Configuration page, highlight the node under Selected
nodes”, i.e., HHSQLSVR01C, and click Remove, then click Next.
10. Error and Usage Report Setting page pops up, don’t check to report
error. Click Next.
11. Important ! Ready to Update page shows up. Click “Install” --- Doc
says “Update”
12. Setup Progress pages shows the status. Click Next.
13. Check the Summary.log to make sure the remove successful.
14. Click Finish
15. Make sure the registry is clean.
16. Reboot the server

Evicting the passive node is very simliar. I am using 4 nodes. Just more
works to do.

I am able to evict nodes and add them back without big problems. The only
thing I encountered was that I had to failback to finish my SQL patch. I am
uing reimaging for the server restore/recovery. So the RTM will have to be
reinstalled and then patched. The installation of RTM is not done via media
installation(setup.exe) though. The Add/Remove will install the RTM from the
node you are working on(no disk needed). It does not matter which node you
logon to apply the patch since the patch is cluster aware as long as you
added the node to the cluster. However, applying the cluster will reboot the
SQL server service which means your application will lose the connection for
very short period of time. After patching, reboot the server.

The steps provided above may not be 100% applicable to you. Please read
carefully.

Good luck.

Daniel

"Tom Moreau" wrote: