Suggestions for NIC Configurations?

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Suggestions for NIC Configurations?

dajonx

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Points: 6950
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April 1, 2016 at 9:58 am

#312898

Hi,
I am trying to get all my ducks in a row before I upgrade the prod servers and transition from SQL Server 2008 R2 to SQL Server 2016 when it becomes available. The servers will be using Equallogic iSCSI SANs. So, my question is are there any NIC configurations you guys would suggest that I should add to my list of things-to-do on the non-iSCSI NICs? (For example, disabling TCP/UDP Offloading and disabling Jumbo packets)
Any insight is greatly appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to read this!
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colin.Leversuch-Roberts SSC Guru Points: 52643 More actions · Answer 1

If it works why make changes .. also nics belong to windows not sql .. I don't see why you would think network setup would change with a sql version. If you're going to another version of windows then that might be different. As always make sure you have updated your drivers and firmware for you nics.

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004362 More actions · Answer 2

dajonx (4/1/2016)
Hi,
I am trying to get all my ducks in a row before I upgrade the prod servers and transition from SQL Server 2008 R2 to SQL Server 2016 when it becomes available. The servers will be using Equallogic iSCSI SANs. So, my question is are there any NIC configurations you guys would suggest that I should add to my list of things-to-do on the non-iSCSI NICs? (For example, disabling TCP/UDP Offloading and disabling Jumbo packets)
Any insight is greatly appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Make sure they're setup for full duplex, turn off auto-negotiate (speed), and make sure it's matched to the speed of any switches/routers you may have in the chain. Same goes for those.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

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How to post code problems
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Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

dajonx SSCertifiable Points: 6950 More actions · Answer 3

Thank you for the responses!

I just wanted to make sure that the servers will be configured correctly before going into production to prevent future issues.

I did run into this article: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/psssql/2010/02/21/tcp-offloading-again/

Do you think this is best practice or turn it off if that particular issue comes up?

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