Installing SP3 on a failover cluster.

[SQLBill]

I just finished installing SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3 on my two node active/passive cluster. Here's what I learned:

It's pretty easy, but there were two things that I needed to do and one of them I mis-interpreted the directions.

1. In cluster manager, any resources, etc. that are not a part of the SQL Server instance (backup programs, etc) need to be OFFLINE.

2. Make sure you are running the SP on the OWNER node! I did not do this for the first instance. I figured they meant to run it on the node that has the server online. NOPE - they mean what they say...the one that OWNS the group containing the virtual server. If you goof like I did, it will give a message that it failed to install properly on the cluster. Just start services, fail over and re-install. But if you do it properly the first time, you won't have that problem.

It took me a total of 10 minutes for the install. I had to reboot each node when I finished.

-SQLBill

 

[jaeddy]

That's good to know regarding the owner node. Missed anything referring to that in the articles I found.

 

[SQLBill]

It was in the Readme.htm file, section 3.10 Installing on a Failover Cluster. But the wording was somewhat vague. Here's the quote:

2. Run the service pack from the node that owns the group containing the virtual server that you are going to upgrade. This installs the service pack files on all nodes in the failover cluster.

end of quote.

It was the '...owns the group...' that threw me off. I didn't read it literally, I assumed that they meant the node where the group online. So much for ASSUMING!

-SQLBill