I can't get SQL 2000 Server to see a newly added disk in a 2-node Windows 2000 cluster

November 23, 2008 2:48 PM

I have a 2-node Windows 2000 Enterprise Server Cluster running SQL 2000 Server. I've added a new Disk Resource to the cluster. The two servers can see the new disk and failover is seamless. However, SQL Server does not see the new disk. I cannot move a database to the new disk, change the backup location to the new disk, etc. What steps are required to get SQL to see the new disk?
posted by eratus to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

How are the resource groups setup in Cluadmin? Is the instance of SQL in the same resource group as the new drive?
posted by kaydo at 5:27 PM on November 23, 2008

Response by poster: @kaydo Yes, they are in the same resource group.
posted by eratus at 6:27 PM on November 23, 2008

A few assumptions/questions:

1. You're trying something similar to this
2. Before your attempted action that the box you're on can see the drive ok as a local resource (i.e. it's not failed over to the other node?). Does the disk resource show online in cluadmin? Can you see it in explorer or the disk management console?
3. When you say they're in the same resource group, stuff like MSDTC and SQL server service dependencies etc are all in that bucket also?
4. What happens when you say SQLserver can't see the drive? How are you trying to re-map it?

posted by kaydo at 7:29 PM on November 23, 2008

Response by poster: There are two existing shared drives, R: and T:. The R: drive is where the database resides. The T: drive holds the transaction logs and backups. I'm running out of space on the T: drive, which is why I've added the new drive. The new drive is the Z: drive.

#1 - I will want to do that eventually. For the moment all I want to do is change the SQL backup location to the newly added drive.

#2 - The new drive shows up perfectly for both servers, in Windows Explorer, Disk Management, and in the correct Resource group under Cluster Administrator.

#3 - There are two groups. The 'Cluster' group contains the Cluster IP Address, Cluster Name, Quorum disk, and the MSDTC. The second group is where the shared drives appear, along with SQL and the necessary dependencies. The two existing shared drives have no dependencies, and neither does the new drive, the one that SQL can't see.

#4 - In the SQL Administrator Console, I'm looking at the Backup locations, Database Maintenance Plans, Transactions log locations, etc. I cannot select the new drive. I can only see the two existing shared drives.
posted by eratus at 5:37 AM on November 24, 2008

Response by poster: I found an effective workaround. In the TSQL command that backs up the database and transaction log, it references [Backup_Location], which is defined in the Backup section of SQL Enterprise Manager. I modified the TSQL command.

BACKUP DATABASE [database1] TO [Database1 Backup]...

became

BACKUP DATABASE [database1] TO DISK = 'Z:\Database1_Backup\database1.bak'...

This worked like a charm.
posted by eratus at 7:58 AM on November 24, 2008