3.6.0 MxDB for SQL Server Installation and Administration Guide (5697-7088, December 2007)

Upgrade Production SQL

Servers

This chapter describes how to upgrade production SQL servers and

components of the underlying environment that can affect SQL server

availability. The procedures include upgrades to SQL instances and

general machine upgrades such as Microsoft Windows service packs,

firmware, and third-party software.

The upgrade procedures minimize interruptions to SQL server

availability by leveraging the clustering capabilities of Matrix Server.

Also, if an error occurs, the DBA can restore the original machine state.

General Upgrade Process

The major steps involved in an upgrade are as follows.

1. Plan the Upgrade

It is important to plan upgrades to highly available production SQL

servers. You should define the following:

• Who will perform the upgrade? This person must be experienced with

your environment and with Matrix Server.

• Which applications and users will be affected? An application will be

affected if it has a database residing on a virtual SQL server. Plan to

notify affected users before and after the upgrade.