MS has published the versions of Windows and the supported upgrade paths. Here’s my take.
Windows Server 2003
SQL Server Denali, Upgrading, Supported Platforms, and You
Patching Clustered SQL Server Instances with SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2
Learn how to properly update a clustered instance of SQL Server 2008 or SQL Server 2008 R2. See the whitepaper for ALL of the details!
Scripting the Addition and Removal of Cluster Nodes as Possible Owners of a Resource
Find out how to properly script adding and removing nodes from a resource in a failover cluster
SQL Server Failover Clustering Now Supported Under Virtualization for Production Use! (And A Final TechEd Update)
Clustering Virtual Machines in Production Yesterday (5/19/09), the KB article which details the support policy for SQL Server failover clusters was officially updated to include support for clustering guests/Virtual Machines … including in production. So anyone who talked to me at TechEd last week, I was right until yesterday Now a couple of points which the KB does not say currently (and I hope it will): 1. Don’t put both… Read More
SQLHA Experts Tip #6
Allan Hirt
Partner
Follow:
Benchmark/baseline performance from the start and continue to do it throughout a solution’s lifecycle. Usage (such as the number of users, which adds load) will change over time and you should be able to understand what “normal” looks like to anticipate problems as well as keep track of usage for future capacity planning.