SQL Server and SAN questions

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SQL Server and SAN questions

Tejwant Kaur-333539

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June 18, 2006 at 5:52 pm

#74996
Hi Guys,
Could you please help me with the following questions:
1. We are implementing SAN in our environment, and it is quite new to me. What are the things I should look at as far as SQL Server is concerned?
2. We will be setting up Active/Passive clustered servers for the major servers (both quad processor and 4 GB) and one standby server for the same at a remote location. (dual processor and 2 GB of RAM). So, the 1st DRP (with same configuration as production) is at the same site, and the 2nd DRP (with less no. of servers and 2GB of RAM) is at a remote location. The remote location will have SAN implented.
3. Our Databases are quite huge, about 300-400 GB in size. Is that considered as VLDB? IS there anything specific I should be concentrating on?
4. The databases will be moved to new servers where the name of the server and the drive letters will be changed. Can you suggest what I need to do to move them and run them successfully. Is there an article I can read?
5. What is AWE? and When do we need to enable it?
6. The new servers have 4GB of RAM. What settings I need to change for the system to recognise it?
Thanks heaps in advance.
Regards.

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Tejwant Kaur-333539 SSCommitted Points: 1647 More actions · Answer 1

Also, the names of the servers are going to be different eg: Production server is server A, 1st DRP is Server B and the 2nd DRP is server C. Won't these affect the Sql Server Agent in case of a DRP? Is a DRP scenario the same as if we were moving the databases from one server to another? How does it work?

EdVassie SSC Guru Points: 60472 More actions · Answer 2

There are a lot of questions here. I can only answer some of them.

If all the servers you want to replicate to will be SAN-attached, you should look at SAN replication before you consider SQL replication. SAN replication is generally more efficient than SQL replication, and additionally the processing load of doing the replication is within the SAN rather than within Windows.

We do not use clustering but do use SAN replication for our active/passive databases to/from GB and US. To keep Windows happy, the passive LUNs are not mounted on Windows and the databases are Offline within SQL. At failover time we run scripts to stop replication, put the LUNs online to Windows, wait while Windows builds its file cache, then put the databases Online to SQL. This works fine for us and is very reliable. We do a weekly failover in our Test system and monthly failover in Production.

For the size of your databases, 4GB looks to be a small amount of storage. You need to do some performance benchmarking with 4GB memory, and with (say) 8GB memory and AWE enabled. Your databases are large for SQL, but not so big you have to start using VLDB techniques to get them to perform.

What would be FAR better is to go 64-bit and have 16GB or more memory. It sounds like you are buying new servers, and if you stay on 32-bit it is now likely you will need to upgrade to 64-bit to support the application before the finance people think the servers have fully depreciated.

Original author: https://github.com/SQL-FineBuild/Common/wiki/ 1-click install and best practice configuration of SQL Server 2019, 2017 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008 R2, 2008 and 2005.

When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor they call me a communist - Archbishop Hélder Câmara

Steve-3_5_7_9 SSChampion Points: 10832 More actions · Answer 3

3)

Transaction Logs should be on their own drive and LUN

Multiple datafiles, should be on their own seperate LUN's.

TempDB should be on it's own LUN, or at least different from the transaction log LUN.

This is where having a good working relationship with the SAN administrator can really help.

Tejwant Kaur-333539 SSCommitted Points: 1647 More actions · Answer 4

Thanks Guys.

I am going to work very closely with the SAN Administrator, but he is new to SAN as well. So, the work of learning and understanding has been split between the two of us. My Manager has asked me to provide him with all sorts of SQL information.

I am definitely considering setting up separate LUNs for all different logs and data files. And thanks for the other idea of DRP on SAN.

What about the server names that are different on all DRP servers? How the jobs still work?

sqlgiant SSC Eights! Points: 985 More actions · Answer 5

I encourage you to check out the following two articles;

For more detail on SQL Server/SAN configuration specifics;

http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/hscott/asanprimer.asp

For your Clustering questions;

http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/bknight/stepbystepclustering.asp

I completely agree that you need to be planning for 64-bit OS implementation, so no point in exploring AWE. With a DB that size, time to get to the future now!

Stuart

"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast. In the pool where you least expect it, will be a fish" - Ovid

sqlgiant SSC Eights! Points: 985 More actions · Answer 6

Tejwant -

This article by Brian is a good functional description of Cluster configuration;

http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/bknight/clustering_a_sql_server_machine__2.aspI

I have only done Active/Passive Failover clustering on a shared SAN.

Stuart

"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast. In the pool where you least expect it, will be a fish" - Ovid

Tejwant Kaur-333539 SSCommitted Points: 1647 More actions · Answer 7

Great, that's exactly what we want to do. Thanks I have read the articles recommended. It definitely clears some doubts.

Can anyone tell me whether the 2nd DRP be able to work as a standby server? Doesn't the 2nd DRP server need to be the same configuration as the production server? (Question 2.1 from my original list of questions)

Thanks heaps again.