How to change the password in SQL Clustering? Or Best practices of Password Change on SQL Failover cluster

Best practices of Password Change on SQL Failover cluster 

Important note: This activity is required downtime. Use RDP <Remote Desktop Protocol> to log into each physical node of the cluster

1. Changing password for Windows Cluster services-

Start Run à enter Services.msc à Change password for windows cluster services.

2. Changing password for SQL Services-

Start Run à enter SQLServerManager.msc(SQLServer 2005) or SQLServerManager10.msc (SQL Server 2008)

SQL Server Configuration Manager Change the password for SQL services. Start from Active node. Change First Active instance and change its other passive nodes

To make sure cluster running fine: - Once password changes done on all SQL services on Active and Passive nodes, SQL Instances must need to be failed over.

3. Failover test on Cluster Administrator-



Start Run à entering cluadmin.exe


Once done on all nodes, failover the instances to another node and make the password get effected.


Restart the Cluster services on each node to make the password get effected.


Please comment if you know other way to change the password. - Jainendra Verma