This article contain detailed steps to install SQL server 2008 R2 with best practices and guidelines from Microsoft and other many blogs over the internet, and I try to put all these best practices and guidelines in one article with step by step installation guide.
Pre-Installation Steps
Before install SQL server 2008 R2, we need to check the pre-install requisites:
Operating Systems Requirements:
- Plan to install SQL on a NTFS file system
- Do no try to install SQL Server on a compressed, encrypted or read-only drive, because setup will block the installation
- Do not install SQL Server on a Domain Controller.
- Verify Windows Management Instrumentation service (Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services) is running
- Configure your firewall to allow SQL Server access. Click here for more information about protocols and port numbers
- Create dedicated service account for each service to be installed. Ensure that these accounts are not member of Local Administrator because it will give unnecessary rights to these accounts, see SQL services accounts
- The user account that is running SQL Server Setup must have administrative privileges on the computer, see SQL services accounts
- Group all SQL services accounts in one AD Organization Unit for easy management and understandable hierarchy.
- At least 6.0 GB of disk space are required by SQL Server setup
Additional software requirements and hardware requirements:
- Enable .NET Framework 3.5.
- PowerShell 2.0.
Note: run Windows Updates to get latest updates after install and check all previous requirements.
Ali Nimer Mustafa 