Dedicated SQL Servers & Allowing Other Software on Server

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Dedicated SQL Servers & Allowing Other Software on Server

DBADave

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August 15, 2007 at 8:04 pm

#180396

I'm a big believer in making a database server dedicated to SQL Server, with the exception of standard software such as anti-virus, backup software, etc... A vendor has requested we install an OLE DB provider on one of our database servers and I've initially denied the request. I don't know enough about how OLE DB providers are coded and if it is possible for a provider to negatively impact SQL Server. Am I being overly protective of SQL Server? What are your thoughts?
Thanks, Dave

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Joe Clifford SSCrazy Eights Points: 8739 More actions · Answer 1

Dave -

What is the proposed use of the driver? Usually you would install a driver to allow for the creation of a linked server or to allow a sql server component like SSIS or DTS to access a remote data source... what for this particular driver?

Joe

DBADave SSChampion Points: 10962 More actions · Answer 2

The vendor needs to connect to another vendor's (SalesLogix) OLE DB provider to access data when a user creates Blackberry notes or activities. The provider contains code/procedures that provide the data in a format specific to the vendor (SalesLogix).

Thanks, Dave

Joe Clifford SSCrazy Eights Points: 8739 More actions · Answer 3

Hmmm... that sounds reasonable, a driver to connect to a BES server?

Question would be what/how will the blackberry datasource be polled for notes/activities? A middleware application or DTS package or...?

Joe

DBADave SSChampion Points: 10962 More actions · Answer 4

The vendor would like to use a DTS package that I believe executes a stored procedure using sp_OACreate, etc... The DTS package is being executed from an SSIS package using 2000 backward compatibility mode. If I understand the process correctly the DTS package then communicates to the SalesLogix OLE DB Provider, which in turn communicates to a SQL 2000 server to retrieve/process data. The data is returned to the vendor's DTS package for further processing.

Are OLE DB Providers always harmless? I'm not sure what to look for to determine if it has the potential to cause problems.

Dave

Joe Clifford SSCrazy Eights Points: 8739 More actions · Answer 5

Not necessarily - I just saw a post on here from a user with a problem with another OLE DB driver, sybase I think, running out of memory... odds are that the driver itself is probably harmless/won't cause problems. The OLE DB driver isn't by any chance an Exchange driver is it?

Between the driver and sp_OACreate I'd probably be more concerned about anything using sp_OACreate as a misbehaving application/dll is much more likely to cause problems with the stability/performance of your SQL Server.

What are the chances that you have a development/test environment where the entire thingymabob can be installed tested before you install it on your production server.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736504 More actions · Answer 6

I'd agree with Joe, concerns would be sp_oacreate, not the driver. Drivers do flake, leak memory, etc., but in the past for me that's resulted in not being able to access the data through the driver, no instability in the SQL Server. The downside of fixing it is a reboot.