Step 5: Set Up Remote SQL Server for the HPC Cluster

 

Applies To: Microsoft HPC Pack 2012, Microsoft HPC Pack 2012 R2

This topic provides information about setting up SQL Server on a server or servers that are separate from the servers that will run the head node of your HPC cluster. You can set up SQL Server on a single server, or on multiple servers in a SQL Server failover cluster.

Note

This topic describes how to set up a remote installation of SQL Server to support a head node in a failover cluster, which is often a recommended configuration. You can use a local installation of SQL Server instead, that is, where your head node failover cluster runs both SQL Server and HPC Pack. To create this configuration, use the same steps as for a remote SQL Server, except that in the procedure that follows, install and configure SQL Server for high availability on the same servers that you will use for the head node failover cluster. Then, when you reach the next topic, Step 6: Install HPC Pack on a Server that Will Run Head Node Services, do not specify a remote SQL Server instance, but instead specify your local SQL Server clustered instance.

Reviewing requirements

Before performing these procedures, review the requirements for SQL Server that are included in Requirements for HPC Pack in Failover Clusters, earlier in this guide.

For a full list of requirements for installing versions of SQL Server, see Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server.

Setting up SQL Server with remote databases for HPC Pack

To set up SQL Server with remote databases for HPC Pack, use the following topics:

• Requirements to Deploy a Windows HPC Cluster with Remote Databases

• Step 1: Prepare the Remote Database Servers

  Note

  As described in the preceding link, you must create several cluster databases, and later installation of HPC Pack will be simpler if you use the following names for the databases:

  • HPCManagement

  • HPCScheduler

  • HPCReporting

  • HPCDiagnostics

  • HPCMonitoring (required starting in HPC Pack 2012)

  The preceding link also provides details about the recommended sizes for each of the databases and their log files.

Additional references

The following links provide additional information about installation of SQL Server.

• For more information about installing SQL in a failover cluster, see the following topics. For each topic, select the appropriate documentation for your version of SQK Server.

  • AlwaysOn Failover Cluster Instances (SQL Server)

  • Getting Started with SQL Server Failover Clustering 

  • Installing a SQL Server Failover Cluster 

  • How to: Create a New SQL Server Failover Cluster (Setup) 

  • How to: Add or Remove Nodes in a SQL Server Failover Cluster (Setup) 

• For more information about installing SQL Server as standalone server, see Installation of SQL Server.

• For the next step to set up HPC Pack with failover clustering, see Step 6: Install HPC Pack on a Server that Will Run Head Node Services.