Problem

Today, I have a request to create a new database on two-node SQL Server 2016 failover cluster instance, which is in an active/passive configuration. I connected to the clustered SQL Server instance and ran the CREATE DATABASE command similar to the one below:

USE [master]
GO

CREATE DATABASE [MyDatabase]
 CONTAINMENT = NONE
 ON  PRIMARY
( NAME = N'MyDatabase_001_Data', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA_MyServer\MyDatabase.mdf' , SIZE = 2097152KB , MAXSIZE = 2097152KB , FILEGROWTH = 262144KB )
 LOG ON
( NAME = N'MyDatabase_001_Log', FILENAME = N'E:\LOG_MyServer\MyDatabase_log.ldf' , SIZE = 4390912KB , MAXSIZE = 2048GB , FILEGROWTH = 262144KB )
GO

However, when I executed the command, I received the following error:

Msg 5184, Level 16, State 2, Line 1
Cannot use file 'E:\DATA_MyServer\MyDatabase.mdf' for clustered server. Only formatted files on which the cluster resource of the server has a dependency can be used. Either the disk resource containing the file is not present in the cluster group or the cluster resource of the Sql Server does not have a dependency on it.
Msg 1802, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
CREATE DATABASE failed. Some file names listed could not be created. Check related errors.

Reason for error

This error is self-explanatory. This error occurs when the disks resources containing SQL Server database data and log files are not added as a dependency of the SQL Server cluster resource.

Solution

• Open the Failover Cluster Manager snap-in.
• Select the SQL Server resource, open the Properties dialog box, and use the Dependencies tab to add the disk to the set of SQL Server dependencies.
• Next, click OK to save the setting and to close the Properties dialog box.