Hi,

We are having a Sql Clustered instance of SqlServer 2008 R2 running
on windows server 2008 R2 with 2 nodes. We have about 88 databases in the instance.
Our servers run on Intel Xeon(R) CPU X5670 @2.94 GHz with 6 cores(12 logical processor).
The servers are having 12GB of RAM.Our network storage is in EMC and for data we are having
a shared voume of 2 TB for the data(for both mdf and ldf files). I would like to know
whether there would be any problem in enabling file streaming through GUI in the clustered
instance. I understand that by creating a table with a file stream coloumn would create a
subfolder in the file stream data container. Once we created a shared folder in the shared
volume(lun) and there was a server reboot in the active node. Should be anticipate any such eventuality.
Are the steps of enabling file stream capability in the clustered instance same as that of enabling it
in a noram instance?

Thanking you in anticipation,

Binny Mathew

IRW,If you are using FILESTREAM on a clustering environment, FILESTREAM file groups must be on shared disk resources

Hi Binny,

It is supported to enable FILESTREAM on SQL Server Failover Cluster using SQL Server Configuration Manager. During the process of either setting up SQL Server Failover Cluster or enabling FILESTREAM on SQL Server Failover Cluster, it doesn't matter to reboot the server if you are prompted to restart the server. The steps of enabling FILESTREAM on SQL Server Failover Cluster is the same with enabling FILESTREAM in a Non-Cluster Environment. For how to enable FILESTREAM on SQL Server Failover Cluster, please follow the steps below:

1. After the setup of the primary node for the failover cluster finishes, enable FILESTREAM on the primary node by using SQL Server Configuration Manager. This enables the settings that require Windows Admin privileges. If remote access is required, select Allow remote clients to have streaming access to FILESTREAM data. This will create a file-share cluster resource.

2. After the setup of a passive node finishes, enable FILESTREAM on the passive node by using SQL Server Configuration Manager. The name that you specify for Windows Share Name must be the same across all nodes in the cluster.

3. After all the nodes are added, complete the process by executing the sp_configure stored procedure on each instance of SQL Server.

For more information about the process, please refer to the article: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645886(v=sql.105).aspx

Regards,
Michelle Li

• Edited by Michelle LiMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator 23 hours 18 minutes ago
• Marked as answer by Binny Mathew Earalil 2 hours 11 minutes ago

Hi Michele Li,

      Thank you very much for the detailed reply. In our case the cluster has been already setup three years before by a different admin and the instance in which I plan to set up the file stream is the production instance. In this context I would request you to kindly clarify my doubts below-:

1)After setting up the file stream in node1 where the instance is running should I move the Sql services to node 2

before setting up the file stream in node2?

2)What exactly is the windows share name you mentioned in your answer? Does it involve in creating a shared folder? As mentioned in my query once we tried to created a shared folder in the shared volume directly and the instance rebooted and was moved over to the other node.

3)What is the  sp_configure stored procedure that I should  run on each node. Should I run the stored procedure if I create the file stream using GUI(Microsoft management studio)?

Thanking you once again,

Binny Mathew.