MS SQL Server - SQL Server Spec

Author

SQL Server Spec

Skc

2005-09-16, 11:23 am

Is there some kind of "Microsoft Industry Standard" spec of SQL Server?

We have a Dell PowerEdge 4600 with twin Xeon 2.8, 2GB RAM, and x6 146GB SCSI
HDD in RAID 5. We are getting hopeless performance out of the machine for
running customised VB.net import programs for importing around 2000 files a
day.

Furthermore, we have 1 person who is always running SELECT queries on a
table and 4 other users who are looking up data using a custom .NET
application accessing data on this machine.

We are desperate to buy a new machine, so that we can separate the
development machine and import machine, but we are unsure on what kind of
spec we should buy from DELL. Can someone please tell me from their
experience, what kind of server would be suitable (we have no budget so it
can be anything of value) and is there a Microsoft guideline to buying
servers to host SQL2000 and what sort of spec it should be to get the best
optimised speed?

Please send me links and any ideas on this.

Thanks in advance.

skc

Jerry Spivey

2005-09-16, 11:23 am

Check out:

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/top...=555&l=en&s=biz

http://whitepapers.zdnet.co.uk/ 0,3...9000454q,00.htm

HTH

Jerry
"Skc" <Skc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:35BB637B-1081-4CB1-A365- 82CD9CCE01A9@microso
ft.com...
> Is there some kind of "Microsoft Industry Standard" spec of SQL Server?
>
> We have a Dell PowerEdge 4600 with twin Xeon 2.8, 2GB RAM, and x6 146GB
> SCSI
> HDD in RAID 5. We are getting hopeless performance out of the machine for
> running customised VB.net import programs for importing around 2000 files
> a
> day.
>
> Furthermore, we have 1 person who is always running SELECT queries on a
> table and 4 other users who are looking up data using a custom .NET
> application accessing data on this machine.
>
> We are desperate to buy a new machine, so that we can separate the
> development machine and import machine, but we are unsure on what kind of
> spec we should buy from DELL. Can someone please tell me from their
> experience, what kind of server would be suitable (we have no budget so it
> can be anything of value) and is there a Microsoft guideline to buying
> servers to host SQL2000 and what sort of spec it should be to get the best
> optimised speed?
>
> Please send me links and any ideas on this.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> skc

David Gugick

2005-09-16, 11:23 am

Skc wrote:
> Is there some kind of "Microsoft Industry Standard" spec of SQL
> Server?
>
> We have a Dell PowerEdge 4600 with twin Xeon 2.8, 2GB RAM, and x6
> 146GB SCSI HDD in RAID 5. We are getting hopeless performance out of
> the machine for running customised VB.net import programs for
> importing around 2000 files a day.
>
> Furthermore, we have 1 person who is always running SELECT queries on
> a table and 4 other users who are looking up data using a custom .NET
> application accessing data on this machine.
>
> We are desperate to buy a new machine, so that we can separate the
> development machine and import machine, but we are unsure on what
> kind of spec we should buy from DELL. Can someone please tell me
> from their experience, what kind of server would be suitable (we have
> no budget so it can be anything of value) and is there a Microsoft
> guideline to buying servers to host SQL2000 and what sort of spec it
> should be to get the best optimised speed?
>
> Please send me links and any ideas on this.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> skc

I think you might be jumping the gun with the move to new hardware.
Consider performance tuning the queries running on the server. If they
need tuning, adding more hardware won't help matters in the long run.
Also, a server with a single RAID 5 array is not the recommended
approach when you are dealing with writing, as is indicated with your
2,000 imports a day. RAID 5 is the slowest implementation for database
writes. In addition, the fact that you have the OS, the VB.Net import
programs, the database data files, the database log file, and tempdb all
on the same array is asking for trouble. A basic configuration would be
something like a RAID 1 array of two drives for the OS and VB.Net import
programs. A RAID 1, 1+0, or RAID 5 array for the data, and an additional
RAID 1 array for the log files. You're likely overloading the array.
Performance tuning the queries to make sure they are properly optimized
can have a dramatic effect on overall performance. You should also
consider setting a maximum memory limit for SQL Server to make sure
there is enough memory for the import routines. I would also strongly
recommend you consider a change to the RAID design. While RAID 5 does
not exhibit the best write performance, it does read well. One option is
to leave the RAID 5 array in place and purchase 4 additional drives for
the two other RAID 1 arrays for the OS and database log files.

Start with performance tuning since you can do that without any hardware
changes. If you're tuned, but are still not seeing the performance you
expect, check the disk counters in performance monitor and see if the
array is at peak capacity. If it is, you'll need to consider a new array
design. My guess is that based on the load you describe in your post,
the hardware (CPU, memory) is probably good enough.

--
David Gugick
Quest Software
www.imceda.com
www.quest.com

Geoff N. Hiten

2005-09-16, 11:23 am

You don't have enough information for anyone here or even yourself to choose
a new server. Until you know what resource is limiting your performance and
what processes are consuming that resource, you cannot do anything other
than make a blind guess at what you need to improve. Even when you do get
another machine, you won't have any clue how much better it is or how long
before you are back in the same predicament.

I strongly suggest some performance metric collection (SQLH2 is a good
start) and some query performance analysis and tuning. Once you have some
firm numbers, the decision gets a lot easier. You may even be able to
reconfigure your existing server to improve performance, depending on what
the limiting resource is.

--
Geoff N. Hiten
Senior Database Administrator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP

"Skc" <Skc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:35BB637B-1081-4CB1-A365- 82CD9CCE01A9@microso
ft.com...
> Is there some kind of "Microsoft Industry Standard" spec of SQL Server?
>
> We have a Dell PowerEdge 4600 with twin Xeon 2.8, 2GB RAM, and x6 146GB
> SCSI
> HDD in RAID 5. We are getting hopeless performance out of the machine for
> running customised VB.net import programs for importing around 2000 files
> a
> day.
>
> Furthermore, we have 1 person who is always running SELECT queries on a
> table and 4 other users who are looking up data using a custom .NET
> application accessing data on this machine.
>
> We are desperate to buy a new machine, so that we can separate the
> development machine and import machine, but we are unsure on what kind of
> spec we should buy from DELL. Can someone please tell me from their
> experience, what kind of server would be suitable (we have no budget so it
> can be anything of value) and is there a Microsoft guideline to buying
> servers to host SQL2000 and what sort of spec it should be to get the best
> optimised speed?
>
> Please send me links and any ideas on this.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> skc

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