SQL Server 2012 Virtual Lab with Clustering using Hyper-V

**New** This Video was produced to assist and enhance this tutorial Click Here.

*****Many of my methods in this demo are not Production best practices.  This is developed with the intention of teaching how to cluster and install SQL Server on a Windows Cluster.  This is for R&D and Development purposes only, not intended to go to production*****

Objective: Create a Virtual Lab environment to install SQL Server 2012 to a Windows Failover Clustering. After completing this Lab you will be able to perform the following functions.

1. Create and manage Hyper-V Virtual Machines
2. Install and manage Windows Server 2012 (Core and Full Editions)
3. Create and manage shared storage using iSCSI
4. Create and manage Fail-over Clustering
5. Install SQL Server 2012 as a Fail-over Clustering Application/Service

Requirements

Operating System:
Windows 8 Pro, Windows Server 2012, or Hyper-V Server 2012 (Free) as your Hyper-V server
At least 8 GB of RAM
At least 100GB of free Hard Disk Space
At least 3 other licenses for Windows Server 2012

Procedure Overview

Click on the section title to go to the corresponding section and view instructions for completing that portion.

Section 1 (Click Here)

A. Installing Hyper-V Role and Management Tools
B. Create Virtual Switch
C. Create a new Virtual Machine using Hyper-V Manager
D. Create Windows 2012 Full Base Virtual Hard Drive
E. Creating your first SQL Server 2012 Test machine using a Base Windows 2012 Full Installation

Section 2 (Click Here)

F.Install Windows 2012 Core Base Image
G. Creating your first Windows 2012 Core machine using a Base Windows 2012 Core Installation
H. Create your Active Directory Domain and Domain Controller using your new Windows Core VM
I. Adding your VM to the domain you created
J. Create a Windows Core VM for iSCSI

Section 3 (Click Here)

K. Install Fail-Over Clustering and Remote Admin Tools
L. Install iSCSI Initiator
M. Installing iSCSI Virtual Drive
N. Setting up a SQL Cluster – Setting up the Windows Cluster and Shared Storage
O. Setting up a SQL Cluster – Installing SQL Server as a Clustered Instance
P. Add a Node to your SQL Server Cluster