Upgrading SQL Server 2012 or SQL Server 2014 to a service pack

This section describes how to install the latest service packs for SQL Server 2012 or SQL Server 2014 in a InfoScale disaster recovery environment.

Before upgrading SQL Server

Consider the following points before you proceed with the upgrade:

Upgrading SQL Server

Consider a three-node disaster recovery cluster setup; Node A, Node B and Node C. Node A and Node B are on the primary site while Node C is on the secondary site. The SQL service group is online on Node A.

The upgrade involves upgrading SQL Server on all the nodes at the primary site first and then on the nodes at the secondary site. Veritas recommends that you perform the upgrade in the specified order, one node at a time.

To upgrade SQL Server to a service pack, perform the following steps:

  1. Stop the replication between the primary and the secondary site.

    If using Volume Replicator for replication, from the VEA Console right-click the Secondary RVG and select Stop Replication from the menu that appears.

  2. On Node A where the SQL Server service group is online, take the SQLServer, MSOlap and SQLServer-Agent resources offline.

    Using the VCS Cluster Manager (Java Console), on the Service Groups tab, right-click the resource and then click Offline.

  3. From Services.msc ensure that all the SQL services and the SQL services for which VCS resources are configured are stopped.
  4. Use the VCS Cluster Manager (Java Console) and perform the following steps on the SQL Server service group on Node A (active node):
    • Take the RegRep resource offline.

      On the Service Groups tab, right-click the RegRep resource and then click Offline from the menu that appears. Click Yes in the confirmation pop-up box to take the RegRep resource offline.

    • Disable the RegRep resource.

      On the Service Groups tab, right-click the RegRep resource and then click Disabled from the menu that appears.

    • Except the storage resources (MountV and VMDg) take all the resources offline.

    • Freeze the service group.

      On the Service Groups tab, right-click the service group and then click Freeze > Persistent.

  5. Install Microsoft SQL Server Service Pack on Node A.
  6. If a FILESTREAM resource is configured in the SQL service group, verify if a FILESTREAM share exists on the node and then delete it.

    Run the following commands from the command prompt:

    • net share

      This command lists all the shares on the node.

    • net share share_name /delete

      Here share_name is the name of the FILESTREAM share.

  7. Using VCS Java Console, right-click the SQL Server service group and select Unfreeze.
  8. Fail over the SQL service group to Node B and perform the following steps on Node B, in the given order:
    • Except the storage resources (MountV and VMDg) take all the resources offline.

    • From Services.msc ensure that all the SQL services and the SQL services for which VCS resources are configured are stopped.

    • Freeze the service group.

  9. Rename the SQL folders on the shared storage and copy the backed up SQL Server directories to the shared storage.

    The SQL Server data files available on the shared storage are upgraded during the SQL upgrade on Node A. Before you begin to upgrade SQL on Node B, you must rename the folders containing the upgraded SQL data files and restore the initially backed up SQL Server directories. If you do not restore the initially backed up SQL Server directories, then the SQL upgrade on Node B may fail indicating that the SQL Server data files are already upgraded.

  10. Install Microsoft SQL Server Service Pack on Node B.
  11. If a FILESTREAM resource is configured in the SQL service group, verify if a FILESTREAM share exists on the node and then delete it.

    Run the following commands on the command prompt:

    • net share

    • net share share_name /delete

      Here share_name is the name of the FILESTREAM share.

  12. Unfreeze the service group on Node B and enable the RegRep resource.
  13. Bring the service group online on Node B.
  14. Start the replication between the primary and the secondary site.
  15. Switch the service group to the node on the DR site (Node C).

    From the Cluster Manager (Java Console), on the Service Groups tab, right-click the service group and then click Switch To > Remote Switch.

  16. Stop the replication between the primary and the secondary site again.
  17. Perform the following steps on Node C, in the given order:
    • Except the storage resources (MountV and VMDg) take all the resources offline.

    • Disable the RegRep resource and freeze the service group.

    • Rename the SQL folders from the shared storage and copy the backed up directories to the shared storage.

    • Install Microsoft SQL Server Service Pack.

    • Verify if a FILESTREAM share exists on the node and then delete it using the following command:

      net share share_name /delete

    • Unfreeze the service group and enable the RegRep resource.

  18. Start replication between the primary and secondary site.
  19. Switch the service group back to Node B (last upgraded node) on the primary site.

    This completes the SQL Server upgrade.

    Note:

    You must bring the SQL service group online on Node B first. This is because the replication service group is online on Node B. You can then switch the SQL service group on any node on the primary site.