Server configuration

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Server configuration

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PiMané

Posted Wednesday, February 06, 2013 3:56 AM

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Hi,

I've a customer that has a weird infrastructure implemented to store his customers databases.
He has 4 SQL Servers, with 1 Quad Core AMD CPU, +/-22GB RAM.
On each server he has an instance with approximately 1300 databases.
The total size of the databases is 140GB... Usually there are 600 to 800 connections to the SQL Server (each).
The worst part is the SQL Server machines are virtual and the databases files are on the virtual machine disk!!! w00t

Useless to say it has loads of PAGEIOLATCH_SH, ASYNC_IO_COMPLETION, CXPACKET, ASYNC_NETWORK_IO probably from having 2600 database files on the SAME virtual disk (the data files and log files and system files are all on the same disk...).
The CPU "pressure" from SUM(signal_wait_time_ms) / SUM (wait_time_ms) of the sys.dm_os_wait_stats is almost 25%.. loads of CPU pressure...
The databases are from an ERP application and the ad-hoc options isn't active on SQL and other parameters can be optimized, and the database has lots of unused indexes (that help the IO problems but not the main cause...).

My questions are:
1. Regardless the disk system (they can afford a "decent" SAN so I'll advise them do get on) is it best to have one SQL Server machine (physical) with 4 AMD CPU and 88GB RAM or 2 SQL Server (half CPU and memory each) on a cluster configuration? Nowadays they don't have server fail safe so a cluster would provide them that but the machine configuration would be a little "worst"..
2. I read on this forum, just can't find it now, that AMD CPU had issues with SQL Server (some AMD CPU parameter, BIOS configuration or SQL configuration, just don't know witch one .... ). (AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 6172)

Thanks,
Pedro

If you need to work better, try working less...

Post #1416383

PiMané

Posted Wednesday, February 06, 2013 6:00 PM

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An update,

Probably an instance with 88GB won't be "useful" since its Standard Edition (only supports 64GB).
But 2 instances with 44GB each should do the work...

Thks
Pedro

If you need to work better, try working less...

Post #1416775

SQL Pizza

Posted Thursday, February 07, 2013 6:36 AM

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I hope it's 64Bit? What licences do "they" have :D?

Greetz
SQL Pizza

sometimes you dont see the pizza for the toppings...
seek and ya shall find...

Post #1417040

PiMané

Posted Thursday, February 07, 2013 9:02 AM

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Standard Edition (limited to 64GB) and 64bits.

Pedro

If you need to work better, try working less...

Post #1417148

SQL Pizza

Posted Thursday, February 07, 2013 9:18 AM

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I mean how many licences? Are these processor licences?

Greetz
SQL Pizza

sometimes you dont see the pizza for the toppings...
seek and ya shall find...

Post #1417178

PiMané

Posted Thursday, February 07, 2013 12:23 PM

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Not an issue.
If necessary to buy licenses they'll buy, but the hardware is "still".

Thanks,
Pedro

If you need to work better, try working less...

Post #1417306

SQL Pizza

Posted Friday, February 08, 2013 12:31 AM

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So if it's a prodution environment it's always better to use a cluster for high availibility. The momentary solution is not clustered, is it?

Greetz
SQL Pizza

sometimes you dont see the pizza for the toppings...
seek and ya shall find...

Post #1417485

PiMané

Posted Friday, February 08, 2013 3:08 AM

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No, they don't have server fail safe..
will a cluster active/passive with 2 CPU (8 cores) and 44GB but with the 4 instances, have performance gain over the actual structure (1CPU, 22GB RAM, 1 instance with 1000 databases)?

Thanks,
Pedro

If you need to work better, try working less...

Post #1417553