Hello Experts,

I am learning SQL Server failover cluster installation. My question is regarding the options to install failover cluster instances on the Windows Failover Cluster. I have seen\read there are two options to do so.

1. From the installation center, installation option-> New SQL Server installation option and afterwards add node to SQL Server failover instance.
2. From Installation Center, Advanced option-> Failover cluster preparation and then Failover cluster completion step.

What is the difference between these two options and which option to use in which scenario?

Thank you in advanced.

-Malkesh Sheth

Hello Experts,

I am learning SQL Server failover cluster installation. My question is regarding the options to install failover cluster instances on the Windows Failover Cluster. I have seen\read there are two options to do so.

1. From the installation center, installation option-> New SQL Server installation option and afterwards add node to SQL Server failover instance.
2. From Installation Center, Advanced option-> Failover cluster preparation and then Failover cluster completion step.

What is the difference between these two options and which option to use in which scenario?

Thank you in advanced.

-Malkesh Sheth

I am not sure about 2nd but its the first one I always use. Advanced option is not for installation but mainly for diagnosis. I suggest you to use step 1 you mentioned.

Okay Thanks.

When I try to do hands-on at TechNet Virtual Lab, there they have shown step-by-step through the second options i.e. advanced option so I don't get when to use advanced option and when to use New Failover installation option. I heard advanced option is more suitable for large enterprises. So still not clear the advantages \ disadvantages of both these options.

• Edited by Malkesh Monday, August 24, 2015 9:01 AM

Okay Thanks.

When I try to do hands-on at TechNet Virtual Lab, there they have shown step-by-step through the second options i.e. advanced option so I don't get when to use advanced option and when to use New Failover installation option. I heard advanced option is more suitable for large enterprises. So still not clear the advantages \ disadvantages of both these options.

Use new failover cluster option if you want to install new instance of SQl Server failover cluster. I will look into Technet Labs and get back with what it actually means

Hi Malkesh,

With option 1 which is integrated installation, it creates a single-node failover cluster, from which additional nodes (nodes on which the instance can fail over to) are added via a separate installation.

In contrast to the one-node-at-a-time approach of the integrated installation, the advanced installation prepares multiple-cluster nodes in one step, before completing the installation on the node chosen as the initial active node for the instance.

In the process of installing cluster, many things can go wrong, usually related to active directory and privileges. If you use the integrated installation method, you may wait longer for the installation to complete, only to find out that at the last minute the cluster was unable to register the CNO in active directory and the whole installation fails.

Besides, you may have a partially installed SQL Server cluster and you have a mess to clean up. By using the advanced method you are able to minimize the risk by putting the risky section just at the end during cluster completion. If cluster completion fails, you simply need to diagnose the problem and re-run just the cluster completion process once again not the whole setup.

Reference:
http://clusteringformeremortals.com/2014/01/10/creating-a-sql-server-2014-alwayson-failover-cluster-fci-instance-in-windows-azure-iaas-azure-cloud/


Thanks,
Lydia Zhang

Thanks Lydia. Very useful information you have shared. Now have better idea on cluster installation.

• Edited by Malkesh 54 minutes ago