[This topic is pre-release documentation and is subject to change in future releases. Blank topics are included as placeholders.]

Before starting the installation process for your HPC cluster, you need to prepare the remote database servers for remote access, configure the instance or instances of SQL Server 2008 SP1 where you want to install the HPC databases, manually create the HPC databases in those instances, and create and configure the SQL Server logins for the HPC cluster. The procedures in this topic explain how to perform these tasks.

Important
  • To follow the steps in this procedure, the management tools for SQL Server must be installed on the remote database servers, including SQL Server Management Studio and SQL Server Configuration Manager. Alternatively, SQL Server Management Studio can be installed on a client computer that can connect to the remote database servers.

  • This procedure assumes that you have access and permissions to configure SQL Server 2008 SP1 on the remote database servers. If the remote database servers are not managed by you, contact the administrator of those servers and request that the steps listed in this topic be performed on the servers.
To prepare the remote database servers

  1. If you have not yet installed SQL Server 2008 SP1 on the computers that you want to use as remote database servers, install it by following the steps in Initial Installation (SQL Server 2008) (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=171142).

    Note

  2. If you already installed SQL Server 2008, but you have not yet installed SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 (SP1), install it on all the computers that you want to use as remote database servers. For more information, see SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 in the Microsoft Download Center (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=171145).

  3. If you have not yet created the instances of SQL Server 2008 SP1 where you want to create the HPC databases, create the instances on the remote database servers. For more information, see Instance Configuration (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=177811).

  4. To prepare each instance of SQL Server 2008 SP1 for remote access, ensure the following:

    1. The TCP/IP protocol is enabled for the instance. For more information, see How to: Enable or Disable a Server Network Protocol (SQL Server Configuration Manager) (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=171147)

    2. The Allow remote connections to this server option is enabled for the instance. For more information, see How to: Set Remote Server Access (SQL Server Management Studio) (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=171148)

  5. Configure Windows Firewall on the remote database servers to allow remote access to the database instances. For more information, see How to: Configure a Windows Firewall for Database Engine Access (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=171720).

  6. Ensure that the SQL Server Browser service is running on each remote database server. For more information, see How to: Start and Stop the SQL Server Browser Service (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=171721).

  7. On each instance, create a SQL Server login for the domain account that you will use for the installation of the HPC cluster. For more information, see How to: Create a SQL Server Login (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=171722).

  8. If you want to connect to the databases by using logins that use SQL Server authentication instead of using the login that you created for the domain account, create the logins on each instance. Also, ensure that each instance is configured to accept SQL Server authentication. For more information, see How to: Change Server Authentication Mode (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=171723).

  9. Assign the sysadmin server role for the instance to all the logins that you created for the HPC cluster. For more information, see Server-Level Roles (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=173275).

    Important

    If you install the reporting database on a remote database server, you must create a SQL Server login on the instance where this database was installed for every HPC cluster administrator that you add to your HPC cluster in the future, and assign these logins the sysadmin server role for that instance. If you do not create these logins and assign them the sysadmin server role, the newly created HPC cluster administrators will not be able to access the reporting database, rendering them unable to view reports for the cluster, or retrieve information about some of the cluster-wider properties that are stored in the reporting database.

  10. On each instance, create the HPC databases that you want to install in that instance. For more information, see How to: Create a Database (SQL Server Management Studio) (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=173277).

    To expedite the installation process of HPC Pack, you can assign the HPC databases their default names. By giving the databases their default names, the SQL string that you specify during the installation process requires fewer changes (a SQL string with the default name for each database is suggested during the installation process). The default names for the HPC databases are as follows:

    • Cluster management database: HPCManagement

    • Job scheduling database: HPCScheduler

    • Reporting database: HPCReporting

    • Diagnostics database: HPCDiagnostics

  11. Optionally, configure the initial size and the Autogrowth parameter for each of the four databases, as listed in the following table:

    HPC database Initial size (MB) Autogrowth

    Cluster management

    1024

    50%

    Job scheduling

    256

    10%

    Reporting

    128

    10%

    Diagnostics

    256

    10%

    Also optionally, configure the initial size and the Autogrowth parameter for the log files of each of the four databases, as listed in the following table:

    Log file Initial size (MB) Autogrowth

    Cluster management database log file

    128

    50%

    Job scheduling database log file

    64

    10%

    Reporting database log file

    64

    10%

    Diagnostics database log file

    64

    10%

    For more information, see How to: View or Change the Properties of a Database (SQL Server Management Studio) (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=177370).

Additional considerations

  • One of the most common issues that can cause the deployment of the HPC databases on remote database servers to fail is the incorrect configuration of Windows Firewall on the remote database servers. One way to ensure that Windows Firewall is configured correctly is to connect to each remote database server from another computer (for example, the head node computer) by using SQL Server Management Studio and the SQL Server logins that you created.

  • The following Windows Firewall configurations have been tested to work:

    • Create an inbound rule to allow connections on the TCP port that is assigned to the instance where you created the HPC databases (for example, default port 1433). Also create an inbound rule for UDP port 1434, which is the port that is used by the SQL Server Browser service.

      –OR–

    • Create an inbound rule to allow connections to the sqlservr.exe program for the instance where you created the HPC databases (for example, %Program Files%\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.HPCINSTANCE\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe). Also create an inbound rule to allow connections to the SQL Server Browser service (for example, %Program Files(x86)%\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlbrowser.exe).

    Caution

    You must use a Windows Firewall configuration that complies with the security policies of your organization.
  • Steps for Deploying an HPC Cluster with Remote Databases
  • Step 2: Install HPC Pack 2008 R2 Beta 1 with Remote Databases