During one of my consultancy related to Always On availability group deployment, I faced an interesting issue. They wanted to install two standalone SQL Server instances on both nodes of the Windows Server 2008 R2 cluster for a specific reason. Interestingly, they informed that this used to work fine with SQL server 2008 R2 but in SQL server 2014 is failing with an error.
I checked the summary file and found the message about install error.
Overall summary:
Final result:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Failed: see details below
Exit code (Decimal):Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â -2061893616
Exit facility code:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1306
Exit error code:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 16
Exit message:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The directory J:\SQLSERVER\MSSQL12.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA is not a valid path.
Standalone SQL Server on WFC cluster cannot have files on shared disk locations.
Start time:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2018-02-04 08:51:28
End time:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2018-02-04 08:52:58
Requested action:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Install
I searched on the internet and found that one way to achieve this is to first install standalone instances without the Windows cluster and then create windows cluster. In case cluster is already created then we can evict the node, install SQL Server on evicted node and then join the node back to Windows Cluster (WSFC)
Both of above methods would work but my client was looking for more options where they need not break the cluster etc.
WORKAROUND/SOLUTION
- Here are the other workarounds which I provided where they can install SQL Server without breaking cluster.
Rather than breaking cluster, we can stop cluster service on the node before installing standalone SQL Server instance. We just need to make sure that drive (J: in our example) is accessible from the node when service is stopped. This would give feeling to installation that this is a standalone node and it would work. - We can also try installing it via command prompt (I didn’t get chance to test this)
Setup.exe /q /ACTION=Install /FEATURES=SQL /INSTANCENAME=MSSQLSERVER /SQLSVCACCOUNT=”<DomainName\UserName>”
/SQLSVCPASSWORD=”<StrongPassword>” /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS=”<DomainName\UserName>”
/AGTSVCACCOUNT=”NT AUTHORITY\Network Service” /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS
Have you found any other solution for this install error? Please share with other readers via comments.
Reference:Â Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)
3 Comments. Leave new
Hi
They can add disks to the cluster that is not shared , like the c:\ drive is not shared on the cluster. Similar to setting up availability groups , you have a windows cluster but the disks are not shared.
I have not come across this situation.
Hi Pinal, Stopping Cluster Service didn’t work to me..!! We dont want to choose NODE evict option as well. Mine is 3rd node which was having SQL Standalone installation only but do to some reason I had to reinstall it now. Other 2 nodes are ActivePassive cluster in another DC, This 3rd node is in a different DC for HARD using AAG. The installation I am trying on 3rd node used for DR purpose. Well, Can we can simply use the Drive (D or C) which is not shared drive, ofcourse even others too not shared drive but due to part of cluster group seems it throwing this error.once the installation is done, probably we can move User DB’s Data and Log file location and Tempdb location (without) any issues (thats my assumption). However I didnt try this yet. Planning to do so.. what you suggest please. ? There should be any other reason for this error .??