Thanks a lot!

You helped me, but now I have a few more questions:
I am installing SQL Server 2000 cluster (1 instance) on Windows 2003 SP1

1. Do I really need WINS on the network? According to "SQL Server Failover
Clustering" whiteparer I do.

2. What is the preferred order of installation for Windows 2003 SP1, MSCS,
SQL, SQL SP3a.
Is it OS, SP1, virtual server, SQL, SQL SP3a, or maybe Windows 2003 SP1
goes last, or ...???

3. To my question: "default or named instance?" Mike responded: "Named
instance if you are going to be installing more later (subject to
application compatibility)" Please explain application compatibility issue
or provide a link.

4. "SQL Server Failover Clustering>" whitepaper and Rod say to put /GB
switch into boot.ini file on system with 2GB of RAM. Mike said NO to /3GB
switch. Please explain.

5. Although the server is going to be SQL Server dedicated I presume some
vendor specific monitoring software will be installed along with IIS to
support it. Mike's advice is NOT to use "Boost SQL Server priority on
Windows" option. Any specific reason?

Thanks,

Tom

See my reply to the earlier thread for answers 2-5.

If you are running an AD domain, then WINS is provided as a legacy link but
it is based on the DNS entries for AD YOu should be good to go with just
DNS if you don't have any legacy (pre-XP or pre-2003) hosts. Otherwise you
may need WINS to support legacy connectivity.

Geoff N. Hiten
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Senior Database Administrator

"Tom" <ts (AT) nospam (DOT) nospam> wrote

1. WINS is for NETBIOS, we do not have any WINS servers on our network and we
run multiple clusters If you have NT4.0, Win95 and 98 clients, you need it as
those clients are 'dumb' and don't appreciate DNS to it's fullest.

2. w2k3, w2k3 SP1, MCS, SQL SP3a, SQL hotfixes like 818 or 878. Get the
machines very stable, on w2k3, then apply SP1 and make sure it is still
stable, then add clustering, make double sure it is stable and works as
advertised, then only add SQL Server. It is very difficult to diagnose
problems when it could be a whole bunch of variables.

3. MDAC v2.5 or later is required on the client to understand named
instances. Some applications assumed that the server name will never exceed
15 characters, so their variables can only handle that, chopping off most of
the server name when trying to connect.

4. /3GB is of no use to a server with 2GB. It has no effect, and w2k3 setup
will not put in as there is no need for it.

5. "Inside SQL Server 2000" by Kalen Delaney describes what changes when you
set this. Especially on a cluster, where the other node is dependent on
getting replies to it's IsAlive requests, if SQL Server hogs the CPU, it
might not get a reply and fail the cluster over. The OS gives SQL server
enough CPU cycles, especially on multi-processor boxes. SQL servers are
generally not CPU bound, but IO bound. If I am not mistaken, the setting has
been removed from the UI in SQL Server 2005.

Regards
Mike

"Tom" wrote:

Thanks to you all!

I had so many questions because this is may first cluster installation of
which
I was informed less than a week ago, and in less than 12 hours I'm driving
120 miles
to installation site. You were very quck and precise.

Once again, thanks for solving my dillemas.

Tom