Storage vmotion of a virtualized sql server database vmware. We will be using the web client for this, since thats the direction vmware is pushing. Creating an sql cluster on vmware richhimselfs blog. Microsoft sql server on vmware vsphere availability and recovery. We dont face some of the challenges outlined above as we have a small operations team responsible for the server, database and vmware environment. Failover clustered instances fci vs availability groups ags. Traditionally, running microsoft sql server on the vmware vsphere platform offered multiple database availability and disaster recovery options using vmware features, such as vmware vsphere high availability and vmware vsphere distributed resource scheduler drs, with microsoft features, such as failover clustering. After the nodes are prepared for clustering, run setup on the node that owns the shared disk with the complete failover cluster functionality. As the dba my inclination is to go down the sql server clustering route. Create a common operating environment across onpremises, private cloud, and public cloud services. You can set up a second layer of failover at the server instance level by implementing sql server an fci together with the wsfc. This guide, now named architecting microsoft sql server on vmware vsphere. Jun 08, 2017 some workloads, like iis, work fine either way.
Mar 14, 2016 microsoft sql server is the most virtualized enterprise mission critical application today. Ive blogged about why your sql server cluster shouldnt be. Sql server level standard clustering is active passive and that will restart the sql server instance when the other fails, which still should be faster than restarting the vm. There is only one scenario where you cant quite use vvols for sql server, and thats when you have shared storage between sql server instances, which is the case for failover cluster instances fci, which you probably just call clusters and vmware keeps calling mscs for microsoft cluster server, which is nomenclature from. Setup for failover clustering and microsoft cluster. Architecting microsoft sql server on vmware vsphere. Feb 16, 2012 sql connection or authentication failures, application ha can take action against individual windows and sql components eliminated reboot as the only option for resolution self healing this concept of self healing vs. What is a sql server failover clustering sql shack. Similar clustering is also possible with virtualized servers in a vsphere environment, but this requires a special configuration for the storage using raw device mapping. Running microsoft sql server on vmware vsphere offers many options for database availability and disaster recovery utilizing the best features from both vmware and microsoft.
Sql server provides a variety of virtualization and cloud benefits that help you save money on database licensing and retain flexibility in your database deployments. For information about running sql server on wsfc nodes and about wsfc quorum, see windows server failover clustering wsfc with sql server. The goal of these tests is to gain a better understanding of the impact of application io characteristics on svmotion and the effect svmotion has on application performance. Storage vmotion of a virtualized sql server database. Features of the vsphere platform can enhance the overall availability of sql server by providing options. Others, like ad dc and sql server do not and using hyperv for that will be very problematic and doesnt provide the amount of protection that you assume that it will. Microsoft sql server is the most virtualized enterprise mission critical application today. An introduction to sql server clusters with diagrams. Choosing sql clustering or vmware ha what is right. Cluster solutions on virtual machines are cheap to deploy. Dec, 2019 after the nodes are prepared for clustering, run setup on the node that owns the shared disk with the complete failover cluster functionality.
We have a 2012 windows failover cluster set up for sql server 2014 on vmware esxi, 6. How to create rdm mappings for sql clustering with mscs on vmware 6. Monitor sql instance balance across windows cluster nodes using powershell. The sql server installation process detects when an installation is being attempted on a clustered node and will prompt you as to whether you wish to configure the sql instance as clustered or not. This step configures and completes the failover cluster instance. If you have several databases that have to be together, then consider clustering. Sql server instances are actively hosted on a single node. Use powershell to send email notification for sql server cluster failover. Sql server alternative is high availability groups and that has thebenefit of 2 sotorages so if a fialing server takes down the database files, then the other machine. Before installing failover clustering sql server always. On top of these reasons, configuration of the vm guests for mscs is not a trivial process as shown by the 36 page whitepaper setup for failover clustering and microsoft cluster service. Best practices for deploying sql server using vsphere. Setup for failover clustering and microsoft cluster service covers esxi and vmware vcenter server. Install failover cluster instance sql server always on.
If you use inguest iscsi for mscs shared disk access then you wont have any issues with vmotion, and it is fully supported by vmware and microsoft. Microsoft windows server failover clustering wsfc with shared. I have read and heard differing views on using sql clustering inside of esx, some seems to say its fine others do not. Sql server clustering on vmware virtual servers with vmware ha. Vmware ha will not detect application or os level failures excepting vm heartbeat, etc. There are four main node configurations available in sql server failover clustering. Sql server 2008 r2 clustering inside vmware server fault. If you are running vmware in an ha clustered environment, then there is no need to leverage the sql clustering and sync features. License individual virtual machines vm, and when licensing per core, buy core licenses only for the virtual cores assigned to the vm.
Read this document and get details of sql server where vmware vcenter provides a single userfriendly interface to manage virtual machines, physical servers and network and storage components. The remainder of the paper is focused on experiments conducted at the vmware performance engineering lab. Multicloud management platform providing visibility, optimization, governance, and security. High availability for sql server in vmware environments. You also want to more lightly load your physical boxes, 14 vms as opposed to 510. Ive published past performance studies with vsphere 5. Two standalone physical database servers running alwayson availability groups are more reliable than just one server, but two virtual machines doing the same thing are even more reliable.
If present, a standalone sql server instance always resides on a single node with a static instance network name. Mar 21, 2017 cluster tutorial, cluster tutorial for beginners, clustering tutorial, server clustering tutorial, linux cluster tutorial, cluster concepts, cluster basics, cluster video, cluster tutorial videos. Sql server failover cluster instances fcis and availability groups. It will always have the same instance name, sql agent jobs, linked servers and logins wherever you bring it up. Ms sql 2005 enterprise edition gives you unlimited sql 2005 vms per virtual host, but at a premium price of course. If both of the sql server vm cluster nodes exist on the same physical host, and that host fails, both of the sql server vm cluster nodes are going to fail as well. Nov 24, 2010 if both of the sql server vm cluster nodes exist on the same physical host, and that host fails, both of the sql server vm cluster nodes are going to fail as well. If you use inguest iscsi for mscs shared disk access then you wont have any issues with vmotion, and it. If you have other services, files in the filesystem, other resources outside of sql that have to be present after a failover, then consider clustering. Sql server on vmware frequently asked questions faq. Failover cluster instance with availability groups sql.
By richhimself on 05102016 30012017 in vmware tagged 2012 server cluster vmware, building sql server on vmware, cluster esx, esx vmware cluster, server cluster 2008 vmware, sql cluster, sql cluster vmware, sql permissions vmware, vmware, vmware cluster windows server, vmware clustering, vmware sql cluster, windows cluster 2008 vmware 2 comments. I got to the conclusion that both significantly add to the complexity of the environment. Intended audience this information is for system administrators who are familiar with vmware technology and microsoft cluster service. An activeactive failover cluster or multiinstance failover cluster, shares resources between virtual servers. Even more, sql server is actually officially supported on hyperv.
These requirements span multiple dimensions, such as availability. Even more, sql server is actually officially supported on hyperv sql server 2008 is supported in virtual machine environments running on the hyperv role in windows server 2008 r2 and windows server 2008 standard, enterprise and datacenter editions. Manage infrastructure, app delivery, and data center endpoint security from multiple clouds and platforms. Sql connection or authentication failures, application ha can take action against individual windows and sql components eliminated reboot as the only option for resolution self healing this concept of self healing vs.
Interestingly, most commenters said, yes, microsoft clustering is complex, but no, vmware clustering is not, yet failed to explain exactly why. For the sake of this discussion, were building two vms for use in a two node failover mscs cluster for sql 2012. The system drive fills up because some potato decided to download a bunch of. Sql server cluster on vmware muthukumark nov 20, 2011 8. What i did was to compare vmware clustering with microsoft failover clustering. Understand how dynamic witness works for a sql server wfsc. Sql server cluster vs mirror for high availability. Mar 23, 2017 sql server vm performance with vmware vsphere 6. The biggest thing that ive heard from friends with larger vms for sql server is that you need dedicated io paths, preferably to a san, for the sql server vm. Generally that is used for physical servers not using the same storage to deliver high availability. Why your sql server cluster shouldnt be virtualized. Sql server requirements considerations when considering sql server deployments as candidates for virtualization, you need a clear understanding of the business and technical requirements for each database instance.
Microsoft sql server on vmware vsphere availability and. Applicationlevel clustering has been the prevalent solution chosen for most sql server implementations. Setting up alwayson availability groups with sql server 2012 15. Is vmware clustering vmotion complex compared to microsoft. A failover cluster basically gives you the ability to have all the data for a sql server instance installed in something like a share that can be accessed from different servers. I have read and heard differing views on using sql clustering inside of esx, some. If you proceed with creating a clustered instance of sql server, the instance will be hosted on a virtual server.
Best practices for virtualizing and managing sql server. Sql server 2016 and 2017 failover cluster instances fci were. Windows server failover cluster with sql server sql server. Assuming that the only failure is something like a crashed service in the primary server in the sql cluster so no data corruption, etc, the passive vm in the. If present, a sql server fci is active on one of two or more possible failover nodes with a single virtual instance network name. Planning highly available, mission critical sql server. Vmware ha is not database server high availability brent ozar. Balancing resources for sql server clustering and consolidation. Vmware vsphere supports windows server failover cluster wsfc with. On a failure it will attempt to restart the vm or group of vms on another node in the vmware cluster.
Windows server failover clustering with sql server. Some thoughts on clustering sql server virtual machines. Vmware and hyperv are managed by vmware vcenter and microsoft system centre virtual machine manager scvmm, respectively. Note this is not a guide to using microsoft cluster service or failover clustering.
Vmware ha hyperv ha sql clustering alwayson vmware ft hardware failure 4 min 4 min 30 seconds 3 minutes 30 seconds none rolling patching no no yes yes no os corruption no no yes yes no storage redundancy no no no yes sort of. Sql server azure sql database azure synapse analytics sql dw parallel data warehouse a windows server failover cluster wsfc is a group of independent servers that work together to increase the availability of applications and services. Sometimes it is cheaper to have the 2 way physical sql cluster, using 1 quad core cpu per cluster node and memory of course which still give you the availability, reduces hardware costssoftware costs and gives you the. Right, but sql server clustering can be done in a different ways. Clustering is also simpler, can use disparate physical hardware.
This guide, now named architecting microsoft sql server on vmware vsphere best practices guide. What vmware cant do is see an sql service crash inside a vm or a similar failure that doesnt completely take down the vm or the physical host, so thats where the clustering comes in. At the end of this step, you will have an operational sql server failover cluster instance. Why your sql server cluster shouldnt be virtualized brent. I am currently running sql server 2012 std wbi on a server 2012 guest in an ha esx 5 environment. It is also rather important to mention the management tools, which are essential for operating in any virtual environment, in the hyperv vs vmware comparison. Only os sql server native high availability options like fci or availability groups will allow a nondisruptive os and sql server maintenance. How to create rdm mappings for sql clustering with mscs on. Apr 30, 2009 what i did was to compare vmware clustering with microsoft failover clustering. Planning clustered implementations of sql server under vsphere. Windows server failover cluster with sql server sql. Setup for failover clustering and microsoft cluster service. Sep 27, 2012 sql server clustering on physical servers. I have two directions at my disposal either install a new windows and sql cluster then migrate all of the databases and update all of our applications to point at the new server or to turn on ha for the existing server and just let esx do the clustering at the vmware level.
Vmware ha is not database server high availability brent. Sql server 2008 is supported in virtual machine environments running on the hyperv role in windows server 2008 r2 and windows server 2008 standard, enterprise and datacenter editions. Verify sql server cluster role on windows failover cluster. Mar 14, 2014 sql server failover cluster configurations. Sql server azure sql database azure synapse analytics sql dw parallel data warehouse before you install a sql server failover cluster, you must select the hardware and the operating system on which sql server will run. The microsoft sql server high availability features have also been. Install hyperv failover clustering multipath io and. A couple weekends ago, our server admin made some updates to the the ucs manager software, which in turn updated the fabric interconnects, so path b went down then path a when it was completed. The recommendations and guidance in this document aim to. High availability for sql server in vmware environments while. I am working on a new windows 2008 r2 sql server r2 ha cluster and we are planning on running this inside of vmware esx 5. Microsoft sql server and vmware vsphere high availability.
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