Rebuilding System Databases on a cluster

I am having trouble rebuilding the SQL 2005 system databases on my cluster.

The Cluster hardware failed completely and I am recovering from scratch (but only 1 node at this time)

The Win2K3 OS is recovered and communicating with the domain.

Cluster services have started and the quorum is online.

The clustered SQL instance is offline because there is no master.mdf present.

I run the setup command as per BOL:

start /wait setup.exe /qn VS=<VSName> INSTANCENAME=<InstanceName> REINSTALL=SQL_Engine REBUILDDATABASE=1 ADMINPASSWORD=<StrongPassword> SAPWD=<NewStrongPassword> SQLACCOUNT=<domain\user> SQLPASSWORD=<DomainUserPassword> AGTACCOUNT=<domain\user> AGTPASSWORD=<DomainUserPassword>

The Summary.log reports the following:

Machine: CLUSTER1

Product: Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Product Version: 9.00.1399.06

Install: Successful

Log File: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Files\SQLSetup0001_CLUSTERSVR1_SQL.log

--

Setup succeeded with the installation, inspect the log file completely for status on all the components.

However the Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\DATA directory is empty.There are no system databases.

Without a rebuilt Master I cannot bring the clustered SQL instance online to then restore my database backups.

Any ideas?

D.

I believe (need to refresh some dusty brain-cells) that the system databases would need to be built on the shared volume(s) that are part of the clustered instance Resource Group. Otherwise, when the instance failed over, it would not be able to find its system databases.

So, Have you looked there to see if the system databases were rebuilt?

What is the response when you attempt to bring the SQL group online in the cluster admin?

What is in the SQL log and system Event log?

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The system databases are stored on one the shared drives, and this is where I am looking for my rebuilt databases to be placed.

If I search the whole system it does not find a Master.mdf file

The SQL group will not come online because it cannot find the Master.mdf (Application Event Log).

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If the SQL Group will not come online, how can you check the shared disk for the master database?

Master.mdf should also be on the shared drive which is part of the SQL group.

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Sorry for the confusiuon (and the delay in replying)

The shared disk resource comes online so I am able to browse it.

The SQL Server resource within the group will not come online because Master.mdf is not there.

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Please post the results of CLUSTER GROUP/PROP

so that I can see how things are layed out.

|||Did you find a fix for this as i'm having exactly the same problem and its driving me crazy.

Thanks

Liamsql