Installing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 in my Home Lab

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

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.

Click OK

Click on Installation

As this is the initial installation click on New Installation

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

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

Accept the license terms, click Next

Click Install

And we’re off.

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

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

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

All clear, click Next

Click Next

Click Next

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

Click Browse

Type in your account name and click Check Names

Click OK

Enter the account password, click OK

Click Next

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

Click Next

Click Next

Click Install

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.