SQL Cluster Install 'Network binding order' warning

When installing SQL Server 2008 on a cluster you may get a 'Network binding order' warning.

To identify why the setup is reporting this error:

1. Open your ..\Setup Bootstrap\Log\..\Detail.txt file
2. Navigate to the 'Network binding order' rule section

Below shows that 'Local Area Connection* 9' was top of the list, when it should have been 'public'

The problem is that sometimes you cannot see the device or cannot get the correct order despite using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955963.

So what can you do?
1. Run regedt32
2. Navigate to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip\Linkage'
3. Right click on 'Bind' and select 'Modify'

4. Move the correct Device (identified in Detail.txt) to the top of the list and that is it.

Using VirtualBox to resize a virtual disk

Recently I needed to resize the C drive on a Windows 2008 R2 virtual machine from its existing 10GB to 20GB.

I performed the following steps using VirtualBox v4.

1. Execute from the command prompt (Note the Virtual Machine was Powered Off)
VBoxManage modifyhd C:\VM_Test_Env\Servers\W2K8R2-04.vdi --resize 20480

2. Start the virtual machine.

3. In Disk Management – right click the C drive – select Extend Volume – follow the Wizard prompts.

You should end up with a larger C drive.

WinDbg & mdmp files

Often you see mdmp files in the Log folder from when SQL Server has an issue.

The below steps, which use WinDbg, may be able to assist you find the cause of the issue.

1. Download and install Microsoft .NET Framework 4 (Standalone Installer) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/confirmation.aspx?FamilyID=0A391ABD-25C1-4FC0-919F-B21F31AB88B7

2. Download Windows SDK http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/bb980924

3. Install the below option

4. Open WinDbg and add path to symbol files

SRV*c:\symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

5. Open the mdmp file

6. Run !analyze -v

The FAULTING_IP field shows the instruction pointer at the time of the fault and is the most probable cause for the issue.

7. Use lmvm to get more information on the module and then search the net for issues with the object e.g. for above you would use lmvm msvcrt

 

More information on the various outputs from ‘!analyze  -v’ can be found here http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff560201%28v=vs.85%29.aspx