RedGate client installation on a cluster

AngelaGalper

I registered a SQL Server cluster from the RedGate console and started taking database backups. One of my Windows admins cautioned me that because the client software is installed on C:\ProgramFiles\Redgate ... on the current active cluster only (not on the passive) there is a risk that my cluster might not fail over properly.

This raises two questions:

1. How do I get the client software loaded on the passive node?
2. Do I have to have one license per node, and if so, how would I register it?

Eddie D

Thank you for your post into the forum.

SQL Backup has two major components:

1. SQL Backup GUI - This component is not cluster aware and does not require licensing and activation. It can be installed on as many machines as required including workstations. The GUI is for managing your SQL Backup, backup and restore activities. 2. SQL Backup Server Components - This components does require licensing and activation and this installer is cluster aware. The server Components is the part that performs the work. When installed a service is created on each node called the SQL Backup Agent and 9 Extended Stored Procedures are created in the SQL Instance master database.

To answer your questions:

1. How do I get the client software loaded on the passive node?
2. Do I have to have one license per node, and if so, how would I register it?

Answer 1 - To install the SQL backup GUI on the other node, simply run the SQLBackup_6.5.1.9.exe or the SQLToolbelt Installer.

Answer 2 - The SQL Backup GUI does not require any activation. However the server components do require activation. There are two methods for activating on a cluster. From the SQL Backup GUI ->Tools ->Utilities ->Cluster Activation Wizard or locate an executable called ProductActivation.exe, you will find by default in the GUI install folder \Program Files\Red Gate\SQL Backup 6 or \Program Files (x86)\Red Gate\SQL Backup 6 depending if your system is 32-bit or 64-bit-bit.

Each node of the cluster will require a licensing and activation.

Many Thanks
Eddie

jhboricua

Angela,

I would strongly suggest that you add a disk dependency on the SQLBackupAgent generic cluster service in cluster administrator.

See this thread for reference:

http://www.red-gate.com/MessageBoard/vi ... hp?t=13361

When you install SQLBackup on a cluster the registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Red Gate\SQL Backup\BackupSettingsGlobal\(LOCAL)

is populated with the path of the shared cluster disk you specified during install. There is an issue where if the cluster service for SQLBackup tries to start before the disk resource is online (like during a failover or a reboot), the key will get reset with a local path on the node, effectively wiping the backup history and timeline from the SQLBackup GUI. By adding the disk dependency you'll ensure the service won't attempt to start before the shared disk becomes available.