SharePoint 2013: how to install named SQL Server instance for new farm

Introduction

This posting captures the steps associated with installing a named instance of SQL Server 2013 Standard as part of building a new SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise farm.  Installation is performed on a virtual machines hosted on Hyper-V 2012.  Prior to initiating this procedure, you must identify the SQL Server Service account that you will use to run the SQL server database engine and agent services.  For this posting, the following stipulations are assumed:

• SQL Server Service account: DOMAIN\spSql
• Server Drives: C:System, D:Data, E:Logs, and F:Backup
• Database aliases have been created on all farm servers intended to host SharePoint

Budget at least an hour to perform the installation and resolve any issues that may present during the installation.  This posting also presents steps for testing the new SQL Server remote connectivity from other farm servers.

Procedure

1. Attach SQL Server 2012 Standard ISO to the VM.
2. Log into the the target VM using an administrator account.
3. Navigate to the installation DVD, right-click on Setup.exe, and then choose Run as administrator.
4. On the left, click Installation
5. Click New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation.
6. Accept defaults until the Setup Role page appears: select SQL Server Feature Installation:
   
7. Click Next.
8. On the Feature Selection page, check these features:
• Database Engine Services
• Management Tools - Basic
• Management Tools - Complete
  
9. Click Next.
10. On the Instance Configuration page, select Named instance, and then enter the name of the new instance.  After enter the name, and moving to a new field (eg, hitting the TAB key), the Instance ID: field will automatically be updated to match what you entered.
11. Click Next.
12. On the Disk Space Requirements page, click Next again.
13. On the Server Configuration page:
1. For the SQL Server Agent and Database Engine services, enter the SQL Server Service account for both.
2. Set the Startup Type to Automatic for all services (include the Browser service).
14. Click Next.
15. On the Database Engine Configuration page:
1. Set Authentication Mode to Windows authentication mode.
2. Click the Add Current User button to add your administrator account.
3. Select the Data Directories tab, and then configure drive locations as indicated in the Introduction to this posting.
16. Click Next.  
17. On the Installation Configuration Rules page, click Next.  At this point, you may experience a common error:
    
    If so, exit this installation; follow this procedure to resolve; then restart the installation.
18. On the Ready to Install page, click Install.
19. On the Complete page, click Close.

Testing

1. Log into a farm server intended to host SharePoint.
2. Go: Control Panel > Administrative Tools > ODBC Data Sources (32-bit)
3. On the User DSN tab, click the Add button.
4. Scroll down to the bottom, select SQL Server, and then click Finish.
5. Enter any name, and then click the down arrow.
6. Enter or select the server name
   
7. Click Next.
8. Accept all defaults and click Next.  At this point, if you experience the following error:
   
   check to make sure that the account you are currently logged in as has been added to the logins for the SQL Server instance and that the account is not locked or has an expired password.
9. Advancement to the next page is all that's necessary to verify successful remote access:
   

References

• SQL Server 2012: Error while enabling Windows feature : NetFx3, Error Code : -2146498298
• SQL Server 2012: How to configure it for access within the SharePoint 2013 Farm
• SharePoint: Cannot connect to database master at SQL Server
• SQL Aliases in the real world