SQL on VMWare

  • We're planning to use VMWare to host an OLTP SQL database cluster. Here's our plan .

    OS's, SQL logs and SQL data will have their own LUNs.

    We have a few questions for SQL experts:

    Do you see any problems with this design or even putting SQL on a VMware environment? We're looking at 10K concurrent users with short, bursty queries.

    Anyone running OLTP SQL on VMWare? Please share any pointers on what to look for and what to expect in a VM environment.

    Thanks in advance

  • Hello, me again.

    God this guy Russel likes Dell doesn't he? Not on the payroll by any chance is he? 😀

    Just one piece of advice, don't do it!!

    If a machine starts to get the need for the sort of resources you will consume, it probably shouldn't be a VM??

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • rdecker (8/18/2010)We're looking at 10K concurrent users with short, bursty queries.

    Like in "10K concurrent requests to the database"?

    Better to get Microsoft involved in the project.

    _____________________________________
    Pablo (Paul) Berzukov

    Author of Understanding Database Administration available at Amazon and other bookstores.

    Disclaimer: Advice is provided to the best of my knowledge but no implicit or explicit warranties are provided. Since the advisor explicitly encourages testing any and all suggestions on a test non-production environment advisor should not held liable or responsible for any actions taken based on the given advice.
  • Or

    Better NOT to get Microsoft involved in the project! 😀

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • Yes, 10K concurrent users. We're a little reluctant to call MS or and other third party at this point, it's just too involved.

  • not too mention wildly expensive!

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • Virtualization of anything only helps when what you are virtualizing is UNDER utilizing, or expected to under utilize hardware resources.

    If your 10K users/connections would normally tax a physical server then the overhead of virtualization along with the sharing of resources with other virtual servers then virtualization will not help.

    That said, if you have already been running a physical server for this and find that it is being seriously under utilized then you may be ok.

  • Perry Whittle (8/18/2010)


    Hello, me again.

    God this guy Russel likes Dell doesn't he? Not on the payroll by any chance is he? 😀

    Just one piece of advice, don't do it!!

    If a machine starts to get the need for the sort of resources you will consume, it probably shouldn't be a VM??

    Perry, I relayed your message to Russel and he's laughing. He said he wish that he's getting paid by Dell with his IT blueprints. That's a lot of free publicity for them. The fact is most of the work are from real networks. We'd love to cover more HP, IBM, Cisco or even Apple servers. We'll get there eventually.

  • rdecker (8/18/2010)


    Perry, I relayed your message to Russel and he's laughing.

    Not as much as I am I bet 😀 :crazy:

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • rdecker (8/18/2010)


    Yes, 10K concurrent users. We're a little reluctant to call MS or and other third party at this point, it's just too involved.

    I can understand that.

    If that's the case I assume you have a team of real Senior guys including - but not limited to - Systems architect, Database architec, Data modeler and Software architect with proven experience in high-end systems.

    A system able to support 10K concurrent database requests is not your everyday project.

    Good luck

    _____________________________________
    Pablo (Paul) Berzukov

    Author of Understanding Database Administration available at Amazon and other bookstores.

    Disclaimer: Advice is provided to the best of my knowledge but no implicit or explicit warranties are provided. Since the advisor explicitly encourages testing any and all suggestions on a test non-production environment advisor should not held liable or responsible for any actions taken based on the given advice.
  • Good way of looking at it Jerry.

  • PaulB-TheOneAndOnly (8/18/2010)


    A system able to support 10K concurrent database requests is not your everyday project.

    Good luck

    True, and IMHO certainly not a virtualisation candidate either!!

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • Ah, those Dell R900s.

    We bought a couple of nice shiny new R900s when they were first released.

    Within a month the motherboards from both of them had to be replaced.

  • It's a hit and miss with any hardware really. It's how much you pray to make it work :). What about the r710 or r715?

  • I don't know about the r715 or r710 but our lab and prod datacenters are full of 2950s... good workhorses.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 22 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply