"No mapping between account names and security IDs was done" error message while SQL Server 2008 Setup on a Hyper-V VM

While installing SQL Server 2008 on a Hyper-V VM you may encounter following problem: setting accounts for SQL Server services you’ll get an error box with message

"No mapping between account names and security IDs was done"

The account data: domain, login, password are correct, but the message comes over and over again and doesn’t let continue the setup.

In this situation there’s a good time to check if the VM to install SQL Server is using a copied VHD. Once the VHD is just copied (for example, you are installing a domain, setup a blank VHD and copy it to deploy different domain member machines) you have to change the machine ID for each (!) VM to deploy.

To change the ID before installing SQL Server 2008 in the VM with copied VHD use the built-in Windows tool SysPrep.

Using SysPrep on the VM do not forget to check the box “Generalize”. You will need to enter keyboard, location and probably some additional settings on the next VM start.

Enjoy!

PS: BTW, the best way is still to setup the machine fro SQL Server from scratch, I guess.

UPD: Good article here: http://macraem.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/no-mapping-between-account-names-and-security-ids-sql-server-install-and-sysprep-generalize/

Another way to check database version before automatic deployment

With VS2008 (GDR) / 2010 / 2011 you may use automatic deploy scripts built with VS and based on vsdbcmd.

If you track the database version inside of your database (for example, in a separate table), you may need to check the current database version before incremental update – in some cases you may support the update only for dedicated versions and above and not for older versions.

You can force deployment break in the pre-deployment script after check for database version – if the database version is not supported for update:

--- get database version from current database

select @CurrentVersion =[PARAM_VALUE] from [MySystemParameters]
   where
   [PARAM_NAME] = 'DBVERSION'

--- check the version and break the deployment if the version is not supported

--- the sample is simplified: in real life you will check major version, minor version, build number etc.

if not ( @CurrentVersion >= @MinSupportedVersion)
   begin
      raiserror ('Current database verison is not supported and cannot be updated',18,0)
      set noexec on
   end

When you start the script on the target box, the deployment break looks like following:

Enjoy!

Microsoft SQL Server product management says “Good Bye” to Itanium

Yes, the announce, the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 is the last version with Itanium support is true. The announced SQL Server successor version (Codename “Denali”) does not support Itanium anymore.

Change your IA64 machines (if you have any) to x64 boxes and enjoy SQL Server “Denali” as CTP1.

Free books from Microsoft Press

Information from Microsoft Press web site:

After the release of Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 in September, here’s an updated list of some of our free eBooks:

• Free eBook: Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 (10 chapters by Patrice Pelland, Pascal Paré, and Ken Haines)
• Free eBook: Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (10 chapters by Ross Mistry and Stacia Misner)
• Free eBook: Programming Windows Phone 7 Series (DRAFT Preview) (6 chapters by Charles Petzold)
• Free eBook: Petzold’s Programming Windows Phone 7 (Special Excerpt 2) (newer than the eBook above; 11 chapters by Charles Petzold)
• Free eBook: Own Your Future: Update Your Skills with Resources and Career Ideas from Microsoft (8 chapters by Katherine Murray)
• Free eBook: Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions (Second Edition) (6 chapters by Mitch Tulloch)
• Free eBook: First Look Microsoft Office 2010 (14 chapters by Katherine Murray)
• Free eBook: Windows 7 troubleshooting tips (short eBook by Mitch Tulloch)
• Free eBook: Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2 (9 chapters by Charlie Russel and Craig Zacker)
• Free eBook: Deploying Windows 7, Essential Guidance (10 chapters from the Windows 7 Resource Kit and 6 TechNet articles)

Download books and enjoy!