How to install multiple sitecore 9.0 instance in different CM servers with single database?

Question

I am installing Sitecore 9.0 instance in 2 CM servers. I have successfully installed Sitecore 9.0 instance in first CM server with the database on a different server.

But when I try to install a new Sitecore 9.0 instance in the second CM server it is trying to create a new database. But I want both my Sitecore instance to use the same database created during the first Sitecore 9.0 instance creation.

Please find below the PowerShell commands used to install Sitecore 9.0

Invoke-SitecoreInstall –Path ‘D:\Sitecore\Sitecore 9.0.1 rev. 171219 (WDP XM1 packages)\XM1 Configuration files 9.0.1 rev. 171219\sitecore-solr.json’
Invoke-SitecoreInstall –Path ‘D:\Sitecore\Sitecore 9.0.1 rev. 171219 (WDP XM1 packages)\XM1 Configuration files 9.0.1 rev. 171219\sitecore-XM1-cm.json’

Answer 1

You can't easily skip the database creation step in sitecore-XP1-cm.json, but as a quick solution you can simply change the SqlDbPrefix parameter when running the installation script on the second CM instance. As a result it will still create another set of databases what you can delete later. And on the successful completion of the Sitecore installation script you will need to change the connection strings on the second CM in ../App_Config/ConnectionStrings.config to point it the databases you want to use.