SQL Server Dual Processor

  • Although I'm a SQL newbie so to speak, I thought it would be better to post my question here as its a bit deep.

    We are a government agency and due to budget constraints basically end up learning what we need to know when we need to know it.

    We have a Windows 2003 dual processor server which we use for SQL. We purchased one processor license of SQL 2000 and later purchased a single processor license of SQL 2005 (SQL 2000 was no longer available from our vendor). Our network admin said that we could use the SQL 2005 license, but install SQL 2000. So, I then installed SQL 2000 Server a 2nd time on the same server. I wasn't that sure what I was doing, so I can only assume that SQL is running on both processors. My first question would be how do I know if that's the case?

    Moving on the the more complicated portion of my post, here is our scenario. Due to a specific application (a CMS product for our websites) that we have I need to have at least one instance of SQL 2005 installed (we have a maintenance contract which includes free upgrades of the CMS and the latest release requires SQL 2005). Unfortunately we are under a purchasing freeze and cannot afford to purchase a 2nd license of SQL 2005. So, next question. Can you run SQL 2000 and SQL 2005 on the same machine and if so, how does that work with the processors? Does one processor run SQL 2000 and the other runs SQL 2005? Also, if you can do this, how do I uninstall one of the SQL 2000 processor setups (Like I said before I'm not even sure if I installed the 2nd license correctly, so it may only be running from one processor.

    My boss asked me if we ran into a worse case scenario if we could just run SQL 2005 on one processor and not do anything with the 2nd one until next year. Which I'm sure we could do, but not sure how to proceed.

    Can anyone answer the above questions and in addition fill me in on what my options are and what you would recommend in this situation? Thanks!!!! :w00t:

  • Hi Selaine,

    On your question about running SQL 2000 and 2005 on the same box, the answer is yes, you can do that. And for setting the instance to use only one processor, the answer is also yes.

    Just to clarify, you have one SQL 2000 license and 1 SQL 2005 license, right ? and you want to have SQL 2000 and SQL 2005 up and running ? Well, based on the server I'm guessing you have and (only 2 procs), your applications will run slowly specially if you only let SQL use 1 proc... Of course, this is just a performance thing...

    To accomplish this in SQL 2005, open SQL Server Management Studio, right click the instance and click on Properties. Then, on the Server Properties page, go to Processors, uncheck "Automatically set processor..." and "Automatically set I/O..." and the just uncheck the 2nd processor. I don't have a SQL 2000 instance installed, so I cannot tell you the setp-by-step with the exact words, but it's similar to this. You open Enterprise Manager, right click on the instance, properties and then search the processor affinity there.

    Hope this helps,

    Alejandro

    Alejandro Pelc

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