Installing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 in my Home Lab

17th March 2012 0 By Simon

I recently decided to upgrade my vSphere 4 lab to vSphere 5, one of the things I did at the time was consolidate my SQL environments to a single platform (I have in the past had SQL 2005, 2008 and various SQL Express environments up for one reason or another), I decided at this time that I was going to install a dedicated SQL server (VM of course) that would be my single source for any db. requirements.

I decided to install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 as this happens to be the latest supported product (Denali having only just come out I am not sure on the number of the products that support it), like most of my environment SQL 2008 R2 will be hosted on a Windows 2008 R2 server joined to my AD domain.

Installing SQL 2008 R2 isn’t taxing, for the most part it’s a next next next but there are a couple of caveats that you need to be aware of, especially if you’re going to be using it as the host for any VMware products.

Using my TechNet subscription I downloaded SQL 2008 R2 to run the installation.

Installing SQL 2008 R2

01

I extracted the files to the local server for no other reason than I didn’t have a mount point active for my ISO’s at the time of building. Double click setup to start the installation setup routine.

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Click OK

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Click on Installation

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As this is the initial installation click on New Installation

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It runs through a check to make sure you can install the SQL Server Setup files, click OK

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As this is a TechNet download I get the version with the product key already embedded into the product, click Next

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Accept the license terms, click Next

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Click Install

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And we’re off.

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Take not of the warning in case you have connectivity issues at some point in the future, click Next

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Rather than a full installation I am going for a Feature Installation, this will let me choose the options to install, click Next

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I am only installing the Database Engine and the Management Tools, if I need anything else in the future I can install it then, click Next

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All clear, click Next

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Click Next

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Click Next

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Click “Use the same account for all SQL Server services”

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Click Browse

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Type in your account name and click Check Names

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Click OK

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Enter the account password, click OK

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Click Next

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I am using Mixed Mode authentication because various VMware products require SQL logins rather than Domain accounts for authentications reasons (VMware View for example), enter the SA password, click Next

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Click Next

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Click Next

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Click Install

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That’s it, a successful installation of SQL Server 2008 R2. The next stage is to re-run the Windows Update (remembering to include other Microsoft products in the update scan) to install any specific SQL related updates.

Once the server is updated it’s ready for use.