Question on SQL Server application upgrades and reducing downtimes 2

[Antzz]

Hi Guys,
We are trying to decrease the downtime for our enterprise applications. I would welcome ideas from all of you on how you do database upgrades(application upgrades not system upgrades like service packs etc.) while minimizing downtimes.

Is there any way you can have your users using the system on one server while you upgrade a second server and then switch them?

Our enterprise application is a combination of web and thick client. So users on the thick clients have to log off and log back in to update their desktops with the latest version. We have this covered but we are still struggling with reducing downtimes on the database side since we use clustering and the database is practically unavailable until we are done with applying the patches(which can be anywhere between 30 mins to an hour).

Thanks and appreciate it.

R

 

[ptheriault]

We never apply patches during normal or peek business hours. We schedule them for weekends or over night and we use a thrid party tool to push the patch to all our sql servers at once to reduce manual intervention. We use Ecora patch manager. We create packages with that patch that will be applied and push it to the servers we want to update.

- Paul
- If at first you don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything.

 

[mrdenny]

When applying patches to a SQL Server you can't apply the script to one node while the database runs on the other node. The SQL Server runs on only a single node at a time. As Paul mentioned you'll want to only install these patches at night of off hours.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)
MCTS (SQL 2005 / Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0: Configuration / Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Configuration)
MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005) / Database Developer (SQL 2005)

My Blog

 

[Antzz]

How about if we get away from clustering and use mirroring instead?

Thanks to both of you for joining this discussion.

 

[ptheriault]

It doesn't matter. When patches are applied services are stopped. Do you not have the ability to patch your servers off hours?

- Paul
- If at first you don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything.

 

[Antzz]

We do have downtime allocation. But I am trying to see how people have zero-downtimes. We support the Healthcare industry which require 24/7 uptimes. Right now we are developing an enterprise product which requires frequent fixes(every 3 weeks). I am just trying to see if there is anyway we can reduce the impact on end users.

Also, just to clarify, I mean custom applications rather than patches for SQL Server, etc.
Thanks Paul.

 

[mrdenny]

You can provide 99.999% up time via the use of planned outages. Planned outages are not deducted from the up time.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)
MCTS (SQL 2005 / Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0: Configuration / Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Configuration)
MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005) / Database Developer (SQL 2005)

My Blog