Hello,

I am attempting to install SQL 2005 on an active/active cluster. Running
setup.exe, the install proceeds without problem until the point where you
provide the name of the Named Instance and the Virtual Server Name. The
Named Instance should be servernameA/INST1. The 2nd server will be
servernameB/INST2. Setup accepts the Instance Name as "INST1". However, it
will not accept anything for the Virtual Server name and returns the error
message, "The Virtual SErver name yo provided is not valid. To proceed,
provide a virtual server name.". For more info, see BOL.

What is SQL looking for here? In Cluster Admin console on Node-A, I have
Cluster IP Address, Cluster Name, MSDTC, and Quorum all defined. Is
something else needed here? A DNS alias already exists for servernameA and
ServerNameB. I can ping the alias and the clustername successfully.

Can anyone tell me what I'm missing or what I'm doing wrong?

TIA,
Rich

You seem to be confusing nodes with virtual server names.

Personally, I use the same name for instance name as for Virtual Server
Name. You cannot use a name that already exists on the network, including
the node or cluster names.

Try something like "SQLDBCluster01\Instance01" and see how that works out.


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




"Rich999" <Rich999 (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote

Here is what I have and what I've tried:
Actual hostname: RAS04088
Desired virtual name: RAS040088A
Desired Instance name: RAS04088RLSQLA/INST1. This is based on our standard.

Please clarify the difference between node names and virtual server names.


Thanks



"Geoff N. Hiten" wrote:

A node is a physical server in the cluster.

A Virtual Server is a minimum of a network name, a disk, and an IP Address.
That is the entity that the instance gets installed to. It is created by
the install process.

Which OS are you installing to? WIndows 2003 or 2008?

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



"Rich999" <DetRich (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote