Help - changing services accounts on a 2005 cluster

[katgirl]

Hi,

Using SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition, sp1

Here is my problem. When I try to use "SQL Server Configuration Manager" on the active node of a 2-server cluster to change the service accounts, I get the following error:

"specified network password is not correct"

I am trying to change the service account to a domain user with "log on as a service" permission - same as we use on all our db servers here.

But for some reason, the password just won't take, and I really don't know what the problem is. (yes, the password is correct!)

A cursory search online points to some kind of bug, but I am hoping maybe someone has a clue what's going on!

Thanks

 

[mrdenny]

Try changing the account in the services control pannel on both nodes. Be sure to add the account into the domain group that you referenced during the install.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000) / MCTS (SQL 2005) / MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[katgirl]

mrdenny,

From what i understand, you are *not* supposed to use services to change the service accounts, because certain permissions won't get set... and in fact, the other dba here did just that (as an experiement) and it broke the cluster. It took the password, though... but it didn't help matters.

As for the second part of your response, I'm not sure what you mean by "add the account into the domain group that you referenced during the install" ? I'm not sure what domain group was referenced during the install, because I didn't do the install.

Anyhow, this has been looked at extensively by the ops people here, no one knows what the problem is. Never had this problem in 2000.

Thanks

 

[mrdenny]

Changing the account in SQL 2005 is much different than in SQL 2000.

Look in the SQL login list. There will be a domain group listed. The account that runs your SQL Server needs to be a member of that group.

The rights that you will need to manually grant if you use the services control pannel are:
Act as part of the Operating System
Adjust memory quotas for a process
Lock pages in memory
Log on as a service
Replace a process level token

There might be a couple of others. Check the local security settings applet. The new account just needs the same rights as the old account.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000) / MCTS (SQL 2005) / MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[katgirl]

thanks mrdenny

actually as it turns out, the password not being accepted through configuration manager problem was a group policy issue. the group policy was overriding the local policies, so the password didn't work for some reason... anyhow our ops guy figured it out

 

[mrdenny]

no problem.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000) / MCTS (SQL 2005) / MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com