The current SKU is invalid - SQL Server 2008

This is an error you might get when when you try to install SQL Server 2008 or 2008 R2 to add a node to a failover cluster. As mentioned in the Microsoft KB Article:

FIX: Error message when you try to add a second node to a SQL Server 2008 failover cluster: "The current SKU is invalid"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957459

This problem occurs when you install SQL Server 2008 from a deployment share that uses a custom Defaultsetup.ini file, and this custom file includes the product key for SQL Server 2008. Additionally, this problem may occur when you install a second node for SQL Server 2008 from installation media that has a custom Defaultsetup.ini file that includes the product key.

While the resolution provided in the KB article to install CU1 for SQL Server 2008 might be the best step forward, unfortunately it did not seem to work for us. So we planned a work-around and it did work for us.

Even i have another solution. I had applied Service pack 3 (SP3) prior to add node and it worked perfectly fine.
https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/363036/add-node-to-sql-server-failover-cluster-failed-with-invalid-sku-error

Warm Regards,

Chhavinath Mishra 

Sr. Specialist Database Administrator

SQL Server 2008/2012 Reporting Services service doesn't start after the installation

The error message you are getting when you try to start SSRS:

"The request failed or the service did not respond in a timely fashion."

Modify the registry to increase the default time-out value for the service control manager. To increase this value to 60 seconds, follow these steps:
       1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit,and then click OK.
       2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control.

       3.  In the right pane, locate the ServicesPipeTimeout entry.


            Note If the ServicesPipeTimeout entry does not exist, you must créate it. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
2. Type ServicesPipeTimeout, and then press ENTER.
3. Right-click ServicesPipeTimeout, and then click Modify.
4. Click Decimal, type 180000, and then click OK.
   This value represents the time in milliseconds befor

            Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
 Check that SSRS service can be started now...

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/mariae/archive/2012/11/12/reporting-services-service-doesn-t-start-after-the-installation-of-ms12-070-security-patch.aspx

SQL Server: SQL server 2012 - Unable to open SSMS after installing Visual Studio 11 Developer

Issue: SQL server 2012 - The application cannot start

Last Thursday I installed SQL Server 2012 client tools on the Windows 8 Dev and everything was working fine. Then after few days, I installed the Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview.

The next morning after I booted up, I have not been able to launch SQL Server 2012.

Solution:

https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/690773/after-installing-visual-studio-11-my-sql-server-denali-cannot-be-opened

This happens after installing SQL Server 2012 (Code named "Denali CTP3") or later, running SSMS successfully, then (later) install VS11 Dev Preview, and then run SSMS.

Dev11 Preview improperly recognize SQL Server Denali SSMS as a version 11 application and it updates the current user’s setting in SSMS registry key during the setup. This issue occurs only when Dev11 Preview is installed after the installation of SSMS.

SQL Server 2012 SSMS has a built-in security and resiliency feature for any corrupted configuration in HKCU registry key. The corrupted registry keys can be simply deleted then SSMS automatically reconstructs it with correct values during the next startup procedure.

• Start regedit.exe

• Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\SQL Server Management Studio

• Delete 11.0_Config

• Restart ssms.exe

SQL Server: Code Name along with year of release

You'll always feel good when you learn/know new things and it is very much true with people who want to learn more and more.

I already knew couple of code name for recent releases so thought to list down all including SQL Server 2014 and share with all of you.

Please see the below list to get code name along with year of release.

SQL Server Release	Project Code Name	Year of Release
SQL Server 4.21	SQLNT	1993
SQL Server 6.0	SQL95	1995
SQL Server 6.5	Hydra	1996
SQL Server 7.0	Sphinx	1999
SQL Server 2000 (32-bit)	Shiloh	2000
SQL Server 2000 (64-bit)	Liberty	2003
SQL Server 2005	Yukon	2005
SQL Server 2008	Katmai / Akadia	2008
SQL Server 2008R2	Killimanjaro	2010
SQL Server 2012	Denali	2012
SQL Server 2014	Hekaton	2014

Hope it will help you at some point. 

Warm Regards,
Chhavinath Mishra 
Sr. Specialist Database Administrator

MCITP

SQL Server Configuration Manager – Cannot connect to WMI provider – Invalid class [0x80041010]

Problem:

I am getting this error message - "Cannot connect to WMI provider. You do not have permission or the server is unreachable. Note that you can only manage SQL Server 2005 and later servers with the SQL Server Configuration Manager. Invalid class [0x80041010]" when trying to launch SQL Server Configuration Manager.

Had an instance been uninstalled? (Not necessarily the one you are connecting too)? If so, the workaround is mentioned below.

Workaround:

To work around this problem, open a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

mofcomp "%programfiles(x86)%\Microsoft SQL Server\number\Shared\sqlmgmproviderxpsp2up.mof"

Note For this command to succeed, the Sqlmgmproviderxpsp2up.mof file must be present in the %programfiles(x86)%\Microsoft SQL Server\number\Shared folder.

For executing the command make sure that you have to log in as an administrator.

The value of number depends on the version of SQL Server: nnn

Microsoft SQL Server 2012	110
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2	100
Microsoft SQL Server 2008	100
Microsoft SQL Server 2005	90

After you run the Mofcomp tool, restart the WMI service for the changes to take effect. The service name is Windows management Instrumentation.

Warm Regards,

Chhavinath Mishra
Sr. Specialist Database Administrator

MCITP

SQL Server : Logical CPU Count

Scheduler is a component of SQLOS which evenly distributes load amongst CPUs.

scheduler_id – ID of the scheduler. All schedulers that are used to run regular queries have ID numbers less than 1048576. Those schedulers that have IDs greater than or equal to 1048576 are used internally by SQL Server, such as the dedicated administrator connection scheduler.

SELECT  cpu_count / hyperthread_ratio AS physical_cpu_sockets

FROM    sys.dm_os_sys_info ;

SELECT  cpu_count FROM    sys.dm_os_sys_info ;

SELECT  hyperthread_ratio FROM    sys.dm_os_sys_info ;

SELECT  * FROM    sys.dm_os_sys_info ;

Brgds,

Chhavinath Mishra

Sr. Database Administrator

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)

SQL Server : Change the startup accounts (Service account) for SQL Server services in cluster

While working on a project to build SQL Server 2 node cluster, I have seen that few times we have requirement to change the service account post installation of SQL Server 2008/R2 or 2012 due to any reason like same account is used with other instance and now business need to have separate account which should be dedicated to that particular instance only.

In case of Standalone instance, this task is quite simple as we need to change the account from SQL Server configuration and restart the underlying services to ensure that change is effective from that point of time.

In case of cluster, We have 2 sets of services ( if we are having 2 node cluster) or more than that depending upon how many nodes cluster we are running with.

We need to make changes only on Active node and then this change will be effective automatically on all passive nodes.

Step1:  On active node, GO to Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Configuration Manager

Step2:  In SQL Server Configuration Manager, click SQL Server Services

Step3:  Click Properties then click the Log On tab and select a Log on as account type

Step4:  After selecting the new service startup account, click OK

Step5:  Now, either take the SQL Server resource group offline and then bring it online or restart the server if you are running only single instance

Hope it will help you.

P.S: While changing service account to a new domain user by SQL Server Configuration Manager in a clustered SQL Server instance, “the server threw exception 0x80010105” may arise. Please follow below article which I found very helpful and hope it would be helpful to you as well if you face same issue.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sql_server_reflections/archive/2012/08/28/unable-to-change-the-service-account-of-a-clustered-sql-server-instance-the-server-threw-exception-0x80010105.aspx

Brgds,

Chhavinath Mishra

Sr. Database Administrator

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)