In a hypothetical scenerio:

I want 4 node, active/active/active/active cluster.
There are 4 sql instances installed on each node, with name SQLInstance1....
SQLInstance4

My questions:

1) Can I use just one virtual name, for example SQLVirtualServer and clients
can access sql instances in format SQLVirtualServer\InstnaceName? Or Do I
need to create separate pair or virtual name/IP for each sql instance?

How many total IP addresses/hostnames I will need in 4 nodes/instances
cluster?

2) Each instance will be active on one node and other three nodes will in
stand by mode for that instance? Or there can be only on node in stand by for
each instance?

3) if there can be multiple nodes stand by, how it is determined which node
will take over in case of a failure?

I would really appreciate any responses.


Thank you.

Hi
I do not know answers on all your questions , if you are lucky Geoff will
jump in and answers all you questions

1) I think you do need to create four virtual name/IP for each sql instance


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

Each instance must be installed in a unique virtual server.

Virtual names must be unique and instance names must be unique.

You will need 9 names and IP addresses;
One for each node (4)
One for each instance(4)
and one for the cluster itself(1)

Instances and nodes are independent entities. You can spread instances
across all the nodes or stack them together. Note that instances do not
have to consume an entire node.

Clustering chooses the least loaded node to failover to or you can set a
preferred failover order per instance.

I suggest building a virtual guest cluster and playing with clustering to
get the concepts down before you try and design a production system.

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



"Uri Dimant" <urid (AT) iscar (DOT) co.il> wrote

Hi George,

How about MSDTC resources? do you need one MSDTC IP or 4 ?

Thanks a lot