clustering Exchange and SQL server using one SAN drive

I'm planning to use Exchange Server 2003 and SQL server 2000 in a clustered
solution (windows 2003) with 2 nodes.
One node should contain the active Exchange resources. The other node should
contain the active SQL server resources. If one node failes the other node
should run all Exchange AND SQL server resources.
I am using a SAN (HP MSA500) solution for data storage. In our cluster
server this is assigned as the physical disk resource "Disk D:". This disk
resource was added to the default group "Cluster group".
I need to store my data from both Exchange Server and SQL server on this
"Disk D:". However, this disk resource is joined to only one node. The
D-drive is only available on the node which is active for the "Cluster
group".
Question: is it possible to use the D-drive for both nodes at the same time?
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks in advance for your answer.
Arnoud Muggen
You have a hardware configuration issue. Microsoft clustering uses the
shared nothing model. You simply can't have the D Drive on both nodes at the
same time.
Start all over. Carve up your MAS500 into volumes. Clustering will use these
volumes as drives.
Next issue, its really not a good idea to run Active(SQL)/Active(Exchange)
on a two node cluster. During a failure the remaining system is going to
take a pretty big performance hit. Let alone having the SQL & Exchange bits
on the same machine at the same time. Yuck and not a best practice,
especially if you care about performance.
I suggest you get Virtual Server 2005 or VMWare and create a test cluster to
learn more about configurations. Knowledge is very handy with clusters.
I also hear that www.clusterhelp.com has several custom detailed training
classes coming up in NYC & Denver. You may want to looking to them for help

Cheers,
Rod
MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering Website
http://www.msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
http://www.clusterhelp.com - Cluster Training
"Arnoud Muggen" <webmaster_n_o_s_p_a_m_@.act-one.net> wrote in message
news:eZkgekp6FHA.1724@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> I'm planning to use Exchange Server 2003 and SQL server 2000 in a
> clustered
> solution (windows 2003) with 2 nodes.
> One node should contain the active Exchange resources. The other node
> should
> contain the active SQL server resources. If one node failes the other node
> should run all Exchange AND SQL server resources.
> I am using a SAN (HP MSA500) solution for data storage. In our cluster
> server this is assigned as the physical disk resource "Disk D:". This disk
> resource was added to the default group "Cluster group".
> I need to store my data from both Exchange Server and SQL server on this
> "Disk D:". However, this disk resource is joined to only one node. The
> D-drive is only available on the node which is active for the "Cluster
> group".
> Question: is it possible to use the D-drive for both nodes at the same
> time?
> What am I doing wrong?
> Thanks in advance for your answer.
> Arnoud Muggen
>
|||Everything clear, thanks. I'll start the installation all over again.
Thanks for your help
Arnoud
"Rodney R. Fournier [MVP]" <rod@.die.spam.die.nw-america.com> wrote in
message news:%23as4D8q6FHA.3120@.tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> You have a hardware configuration issue. Microsoft clustering uses the
> shared nothing model. You simply can't have the D Drive on both nodes at
the
> same time.
> Start all over. Carve up your MAS500 into volumes. Clustering will use
these
> volumes as drives.
> Next issue, its really not a good idea to run Active(SQL)/Active(Exchange)
> on a two node cluster. During a failure the remaining system is going to
> take a pretty big performance hit. Let alone having the SQL & Exchange
bits
> on the same machine at the same time. Yuck and not a best practice,
> especially if you care about performance.
> I suggest you get Virtual Server 2005 or VMWare and create a test cluster
to
> learn more about configurations. Knowledge is very handy with clusters.
> I also hear that www.clusterhelp.com has several custom detailed training
> classes coming up in NYC & Denver. You may want to looking to them for
help[vbcol=seagreen]
>
> Cheers,
> Rod
> MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
> http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering Website
> http://www.msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
> http://www.clusterhelp.com - Cluster Training
>
> "Arnoud Muggen" <webmaster_n_o_s_p_a_m_@.act-one.net> wrote in message
> news:eZkgekp6FHA.1724@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
node[vbcol=seagreen]
disk
>