Setting up the Active/Active cluster

Last published : Aug 26, 2026
Perform the following tasks to configure an active-active SQL Server cluster.

Table: Tasks to set up an active-active SQL Server cluster

Task Description
Install InfoScale Availability and configure the VCS cluster Install InfoScale Availability on all the systems where you want to configure an application for availability and configure a VCS cluster.
For details refer to the InfoScale® Installation and Upgrade Guide .
See About installing the VCS agents .
See Configuring the cluster using the Cluster Configuration Wizard .
Configure volumes or virtual disks for SQL Server For each instance of SQL Server (SQL Server system data files and the registry keys replicated among
cluster nodes), create volumes or LUNs (virtual disks) on the
shared storage.
See Managing storage using NetApp filer .
See Managing storage using Windows Logical Disk Manager .
Install the first instance of SQL Server Consider the following points while you install the first instance of SQL Server\:
- Do not accept the default instance name. Specify an instance name for each SQL Server installation.
- Each SQL Server instance must be assigned a different port. The default port is 1433; ports for subsequent instances are generally assigned in descending order (1432, 1431, 1430, etc.).
- Set a unique internal name for each instance.
- Install SQL Server in the standalone installation mode in a non-clustered environment. From the SQL Server Installation Center, on the Installation panel, choose the New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation option .
- While installing SQL, ensure that you select all the desired features that you wish to configure with VCS. For example, Full-Text Search, Analysis Services, and so on.
See About installing SQL Server on the first system .
Configure the service group for the first SQL Consider the following points as you configure the SQL Server service group for
Server instance the first instance:
- Assign a unique name to the SQL Server service group.
- Pay close attention to the priority order of the systems. For example, if the system priority for the first instance is SYSTEM1 then SYSTEM2; reverse the priority order for the second instance, so that SYSTEM2 has a higher priority.
See About configuring the SQL Server service group .
Configure the service group for user-defined databases, if any You can use VCS to manage user-defined SQL Server databases. Create the required
SQL databases using the SQL Server Management Studio and then make them
highly available with VCS.
See Making SQL Server user-defined databases highly available .
Repeat the SQL Server installation and service group configuration for additional instances To install and configure one or more additional SQL Server instances, follow the
same procedures as when installing the first instance.
Make the same changes to the process, as follows:
- Do not accept the default instance name. Specify a unique instance name for each SQL Server installation.
- Each SQL Server instance must be assigned a different port. The default port is 1433; ports for subsequent instances are generally assigned in descending order (1432, 1431, 1430, etc.).
- Set a unique internal name for each instance.
See About installing SQL Server on the first system .
Consider the following points as you configure the SQL Server service groups for
the additional instances:
- Assign a unique name to the SQL Server service group
- Pay close attention to the priority order of the systems. For example, if the system priority for the first instance is SYSTEM1 then SYSTEM2; reverse the priority order for the second instance, so that SYSTEM2 has a higher priority.
See About configuring the SQL Server service group .
Configure the service group for user-defined databases, if any.
See Making SQL Server user-defined databases highly available .
Verify the configuration See Verifying the service group configuration .