Reconfigure storage on 2008 Server (Ent) cluster

I have built a pair of Win2008 Ent (x64) servers as a failover cluster. Local
disk as the OS, and an EMC SAN for the shared storage. This is a clean
install, with only the Failover Cluster Feature, and MSDTC added, with the
cluster created but nothing installed. SQL Server is the target application
for the cluster.

Unfortunately, once the SQL group started looking at it, they've found the
disk partitioning requirements are completely wrong and I need to completely
reconfigure the shared storage--even the SAN array needs to be redone.

What is the best/recommended steps to remove the shared storage (including
quorum/witness) without going back to square one. There is no data to keep,
I'd just rather not go through a re-install if I don't need to.

Thanks
-sc

Does the witness disk also need to be re-configured? If so, I would just
change the quorum model to Node Majority and then delete all the disk
resources in the cluster. If not, just delete the disk resources from the
cluster.

Once the disks are deleted from cluster, remove them from the host and
re-configure them as needed. When complete, add the disks back and partition
them as needed, and then add them to back into the cluster....you should
also re-run cluster validation just to ensure that the disks still pass the
validation tests.

Regards,
John

Visit my blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/jtoner

"scottrell" <> wrote in message
news:6C9AAACB-5DDC-4E3A-955D-...
>I have built a pair of Win2008 Ent (x64) servers as a failover cluster.
>Local
> disk as the OS, and an EMC SAN for the shared storage. This is a clean
> install, with only the Failover Cluster Feature, and MSDTC added, with the
> cluster created but nothing installed. SQL Server is the target
> application
> for the cluster.
>
> Unfortunately, once the SQL group started looking at it, they've found the
> disk partitioning requirements are completely wrong and I need to
> completely
> reconfigure the shared storage--even the SAN array needs to be redone.
>
> What is the best/recommended steps to remove the shared storage (including
> quorum/witness) without going back to square one. There is no data to
> keep,
> I'd just rather not go through a re-install if I don't need to.
>
> Thanks
> -sc

The quorum is on the SAN/shared storage and will be removed with the array. I
will look into Node Majority, thanks.

Do I need to do anything with the cluster itself, such as take it offline or
even remove it?

Thanks again
-sc


"John Toner [MVP]" wrote:

> Does the witness disk also need to be re-configured? If so, I would just
> change the quorum model to Node Majority and then delete all the disk
> resources in the cluster. If not, just delete the disk resources from the
> cluster.
>
> Once the disks are deleted from cluster, remove them from the host and
> re-configure them as needed. When complete, add the disks back and partition
> them as needed, and then add them to back into the cluster....you should
> also re-run cluster validation just to ensure that the disks still pass the
> validation tests.
>
> Regards,
> John
>
> Visit my blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/jtoner
>
> "scottrell" <> wrote in message
> news:6C9AAACB-5DDC-4E3A-955D-...
> >I have built a pair of Win2008 Ent (x64) servers as a failover cluster.
> >Local
> > disk as the OS, and an EMC SAN for the shared storage. This is a clean
> > install, with only the Failover Cluster Feature, and MSDTC added, with the
> > cluster created but nothing installed. SQL Server is the target
> > application
> > for the cluster.
> >
> > Unfortunately, once the SQL group started looking at it, they've found the
> > disk partitioning requirements are completely wrong and I need to
> > completely
> > reconfigure the shared storage--even the SAN array needs to be redone.
> >
> > What is the best/recommended steps to remove the shared storage (including
> > quorum/witness) without going back to square one. There is no data to
> > keep,
> > I'd just rather not go through a re-install if I don't need to.
> >
> > Thanks
> > -sc
>
>
>

"scottrell" <> wrote in message
news:8B339BD0-0C2C-448E-AEF9-...
> The quorum is on the SAN/shared storage and will be removed with the
> array. I
> will look into Node Majority, thanks.
>
> Do I need to do anything with the cluster itself, such as take it offline
> or
> even remove it?

If you are using a node majority quorum, then you don't have any disks, and
you don't have any applications or services configured in your cluster, so
there is no need to worry about it.

--
Russ Kaufmann,
MVP, MCSE: Messaging and Security, MCT, MCITP, MCTS and other stuff

ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp

I'm in the same situation but my cluster does have SQL Server installed and
its in production. I need to change the disk where the quorum was installed
to a smaller disk like 5gb. Also I have to change the cluster disk for
msdtc. Any ideas as to what is the best way to do this?
Thanks in advance.

"Russ Kaufmann" wrote:

> "scottrell" <> wrote in message
> news:8B339BD0-0C2C-448E-AEF9-...
> > The quorum is on the SAN/shared storage and will be removed with the
> > array. I
> > will look into Node Majority, thanks.
> >
> > Do I need to do anything with the cluster itself, such as take it offline
> > or
> > even remove it?
>
> If you are using a node majority quorum, then you don't have any disks, and
> you don't have any applications or services configured in your cluster, so
> there is no need to worry about it.
>
> --
> Russ Kaufmann,
> MVP, MCSE: Messaging and Security, MCT, MCITP, MCTS and other stuff
>
> ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
> Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
> Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp
>

"Alex_DBA" <> wrote in message
news:16F08021-9FA6-479B-8BA8-...
> I'm in the same situation but my cluster does have SQL Server installed
> and
> its in production. I need to change the disk where the quorum was
> installed
> to a smaller disk like 5gb. Also I have to change the cluster disk for
> msdtc. Any ideas as to what is the best way to do this?
> Thanks in advance.

For the quorum you can do:
1. a simple move to the new disk using the properties on the cluster
2. a move to MNS and then to a new disk

As to the MSDTC, the easiest method that I have found is to simply delete
the old one and create a new one on the new disk after moving the quorum.

--
Russ Kaufmann,
MVP, MCSE: Messaging and Security, MCT, MCITP, MCTS and other stuff

ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp