Giant Logfiles (ldf) during loading data into a Memory Optimized table

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Giant Logfiles (ldf) during loading data into a Memory Optimized table

Fecker Elmar

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Points: 289
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August 26, 2013 at 9:06 am

#297262

Hello everyone,
I try to load data into a memOpt table (INSERT INTO ... SELECT ... FROM ...). The source table has a size about 1 Gb and 13 Mio Rows. During this load the LDF File grows to size of 350 GB (until the space if the disk is run out of space). The Server has about 110 GB Memory for the SQL Server reserved. The tempdB doesn't grow. The Bucket Size in the create statement has a size of 262144. The Hash key as 4 fields`(2 fields have the datatype int,1 has smallint, 1 has varchar(200). ) The disk for the datafiles has still space for the datafiles (incl. the hekaton files).
Can anyone guide how can I reduce the size of the ldf files during the load of the data ?

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Sean Lange SSC Guru Points: 286590 More actions · Answer 1

I would recommend breaking this into batches of 10k rows or so. A single insert with 13 million rows is going to kill your logs. This is one of those times that the dreaded cursor or while loop is actually going to increase your performance.

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Jack Corbett SSC Guru Points: 184394 More actions · Answer 2

Sean Lange (8/26/2013)
I would recommend breaking this into batches of 10k rows or so. A single insert with 13 million rows is going to kill your logs. This is one of those times that the dreaded cursor or while loop is actually going to increase your performance.

+1 because even actions on memory-optimized tables are logged unless you specify non-durable. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn133174(v=sql.120).aspx

Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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sql-noob SSC-Addicted Points: 437 More actions · Answer 3

Jack Corbett (8/26/2013)
Sean Lange (8/26/2013)
I would recommend breaking this into batches of 10k rows or so. A single insert with 13 million rows is going to kill your logs. This is one of those times that the dreaded cursor or while loop is actually going to increase your performance.
+1 because even actions on memory-optimized tables are logged unless you specify non-durable. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn133174(v=sql.120).aspx

+2 With above suggestion iwould also suggest to change the recovery model of the database to simple if you can, if not take trasaction log backup in b/w the batches to free up the .ldf file. Some indexes can also be disabled during that load to avoid lots of updates (Indexes can be rebuild again after the load).

Overall Plan your activity accordingly 🙂

Koen Verbeeck SSC Guru Points: 259115 More actions · Answer 4

sql-noob (10/14/2013)
Jack Corbett (8/26/2013)
Sean Lange (8/26/2013)
I would recommend breaking this into batches of 10k rows or so. A single insert with 13 million rows is going to kill your logs. This is one of those times that the dreaded cursor or while loop is actually going to increase your performance.
+1 because even actions on memory-optimized tables are logged unless you specify non-durable. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn133174(v=sql.120).aspx
+2 With above suggestion iwould also suggest to change the recovery model of the database to simple if you can, if not take trasaction log backup in b/w the batches to free up the .ldf file. Some indexes can also be disabled during that load to avoid lots of updates (Indexes can be rebuild again after the load).
Overall Plan your activity accordingly 🙂

Are you sure you can disable the index on an in-memory table?

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sql-noob SSC-Addicted Points: 437 More actions · Answer 5

My bad, the suggestion was for general ETL operations (Large one).

Forgot that it's hekaton.

Fecker Elmar SSC Veteran Points: 289 More actions · Answer 6

Hello,

sorry I didn't mentioned, that I have already set the log model of the database to simple. Even with that configuration the Log growths in this way. I tried the suggestion with divide the data into smaller Batches. I managed that with creating a SSIS Package. In the properties of the 'data flow Task - OLE DB destitnation' it is possible to divide the load into Batches of 10K size. After that the copy of the data into the InMem Table works, without any unnormal growths of the log.

The exciting question will be, how SQL Server will handle this in a Environment, where it isn't possible to set the recovery model to simple (Mirrored Databases / Logshipped Databases). 😉 I hope in the RTM will be a improvent of that behavior.

Fecker Elmar SSC Veteran Points: 289 More actions · Answer 7

The problem is fixed in the CTP 2, according this annoucement.

see:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sqlserver/en-US/c69d826d-0994-44bf-8c17-96d5ff805dad/sql14-hekaton-loading-causes-log-space-to-blow-up?forum=sql14inmemtech

Jack Corbett SSC Guru Points: 184394 More actions · Answer 8

Fecker Elmar (10/23/2013)

The problem is fixed in the CTP 2, according this annoucement.

see:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sqlserver/en-US/c69d826d-0994-44bf-8c17-96d5ff805dad/sql14-hekaton-loading-causes-log-space-to-blow-up?forum=sql14inmemtech%5B/quote%5D

You are still going to have log growth if you load a large amount of data in a single transaction unless you use non-durable table (schema only persisted) as all the inserts will still be logged for durability. I think the best practices for large ETL processes will still hold true for In-Memory OLTP as well.

Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736478 More actions · Answer 9

In production, you would load in batches, and run log backups during the load to keep the size manageable.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004406 More actions · Answer 10

If you really do have the DB in the SIMPLE Recovery Model, try SELECT/INTO or other "minimally logged" technique. Lookup "Minimally Logged" in Books Online for additional requirements for when you're not using SELECT/INTO.

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