SQL2008R2 cluster w/ several Named Instances -- shared storage best practice?

Planning four node SQL2008R2 cluster; three named instances. Each named instance requires exclusive use of a drive letter on shared storage. Does the names instance need all it's files (data, logs, tempdb) on that exclusive drive? Or can
it use a drive shared by all 3 instances. E.g. U:\SQLBackup\<instance-name>\...
Thanks,
Bob

You will need at least one drive for each instance + 1 one for cluster Quorum (unless you go for fileshare).
My recommandation would be:
Instance1
E:\SQLDataFiles
F:\SQLLogFiles
G:\SQLTempFiles
Instance2
H:\SQLDataFiles
I:\SQLLogFiles
J:\SQLTempFiles
And so on. If you are considered that you might run out of drive letters you could make a single Drive letter pr. instance and then attach the 3 drives as mountpoints into this drive. That way you will save 2 letters pr. instance.
As for just using one single drive pr. instance with all 3 kinds of files: Don't go there - the performance gain of splitting then into 3 drives as laid out above, is at least 50% in my experience. Remeber also to format the sql drives with NTFS blocksize
of 64K
Regards
Rasmus Glibstrup, SQLGuy
http://blog.sqlguy.dk

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Hello,<o:p></o:p>
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Please mark this reply as the answer or vote as helpful, as appropriate, to make it useful for other readers

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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa174903(v=sql.80).aspx
Please mark this reply as the answer or vote as helpful, as appropriate, to make it useful for other readers

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POSSIBLY NOT RELEVANT...?
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