Before Installing Failover Clustering (64-bit)

  This topic applies only to SQL Server 2000 (64-bit).

Before you install a Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2000 (64-bit) failover cluster, you must select the operating system on which your computer will run. Note that for the present release, only one operating system is available: the 64-bit versions of the Windows® Server 2003 family. For future releases of SQL Server 2000 (64-bit), additional 64-bit Windows operating systems will be available. You also must install Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS).

Preinstallation Checklist

Before you begin the installation process, verify that:

• Your hardware is listed on the Hardware Compatibility List for the 64-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 family.

  The hardware system must appear under the category of cluster. Individual cluster components added together do not constitute an approved system. Only systems purchased as a cluster solution and listed in the cluster group are approved. When checking the list, specify cluster as the category. All other categories are for OEM use.

  Special hardware compatibility testing is necessary when implementing a failover server cluster on a Storage Area Network (SAN). The entire solution must be on the Multi-Cluster Device Hardware Compatibility List. This is also true when implementing failover cluster nodes in different geographic locations. The entire solution must be on the Geographic Cluster Hardware Compatibility List.

• MSCS has been installed completely on at least one node before you run the 64-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 family simultaneously on all nodes.
  
  
• WINS is properly installed. For guidelines, go to this Microsoft Web site, and search for the following article:

  Q258750 Recommended Private "Heartbeat" Configuration on Cluster Server

• The disk drive letters for the cluster-capable disks are the same on both servers.
  
  
• You have disabled NetBIOS for all private network cards before beginning SQL Server Setup.
  
  
• You have cleared the system logs in all nodes and viewed the system logs again. Ensure that the logs are free of any error messages before continuing.

Also be sure to review the tutorial for Windows Cluster Installation at this Microsoft Web site. For more information about any of these steps, please see your Windows documentation.

For information about installing SQL Server 2000 (64-bit) failover clustering, see Creating a Failover Cluster (64-bit).