How to configure new server

  • HI All, We're trying to configure a new server and I need some input on the best way to do it.

    We have a 64 bit, 40 G of memory, quad processing. 16 hard drives (146 G each) and two raid controller.

    We are thinking of mirroring the c:drive (have had it failed in the past). And installing SQL server on the d:drive (although some components still get installed on the C drive).

    This is one proposed plan: D: drive RAID 5 (780GB), for databases for all sites; on the other controller, E:drive RAID 1 (146) for transaction log, F:drive RAID 1 (146) for Temp, G:drive RAID 5 (420 GB) for database back up and others

    Please give me your feeback.

  • New_to_being_DBA (7/31/2008)


    HI All, We're trying to configure a new server and I need some input on the best way to do it.

    We have a 64 bit, 40 G of memory, quad processing. 16 hard drives (146 G each) and two raid controller.

    We are thinking of mirroring the c:drive (have had it failed in the past). And installing SQL server on the d:drive (although some components still get installed on the C drive).

    This is one proposed plan: D: drive RAID 5 (780GB), for databases for all sites; on the other controller, E:drive RAID 1 (146) for transaction log, F:drive RAID 1 (146) for Temp, G:drive RAID 5 (420 GB) for database back up and others

    Please give me your feeback.

    RAID 10 is the recommended level for txn, data and indexes. If you cannot afford it, try to get transaction logs on 10 at least with data and index on 5. (From the SQL 2005 test book).

    What will you be using this database for?

  • This server will house development and testing databases. Only about 10 to 15 users at a time. Mostly performing development or testing.

  • Also, there will be about 5 databases on there. THe biggest is about 11 G.

  • Make sure you configure SQL Server to make use of the extra RAM:

    AWE Support

    I've been working on documenting a standard install myself. A couple other things I'm looking into that may be of interest to you are:

    Relocating tempdb

    Service Accounts

    Security

  • heftyp (8/1/2008)


    Make sure you configure SQL Server to make use of the extra RAM:

    AWE Support

    I've been working on documenting a standard install myself. A couple other things I'm looking into that may be of interest to you are:

    Relocating tempdb

    Service Accounts

    Security

    You don't need to enable AWE on a 64-bit system. But if you're using Enterprise edition you should set "Lock pages in Memory" for the service acount.

    See also here: http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/tonyrogerson/archive/2007/05/03/using-64-bit-sql-server-2005-lock-pages-in-memory.aspx

    [font="Verdana"]Markus Bohse[/font]

  • Okay, gotcha on the AWE.

    So is the proposed setup that I listed above good enough?

  • Make sure you keep an eye on your transaction log sizes.

    Getting Oracle drivers working on our server was a pain, give yourself some time if you need that.

  • New_to_being_DBA (7/31/2008)


    This is one proposed plan: D: drive RAID 5 (780GB), for databases for all sites; on the other controller, E:drive RAID 1 (146) for transaction log, F:drive RAID 1 (146) for Temp, G:drive RAID 5 (420 GB) for database back up and others

    Please give me your feeback.

    Are you planning on backing up all your databases? Are you going to use compression on those? Your data drive is nearly twice the size of your backup drive.

  • Yes, we plan on backing up about 3 of those 5 databases and compressing them. One database we will keep a week's worth of backup and when zip'ed they are about 1.5Gig each. So that's about 5 X 1.5 Gig.

  • New_to_being_DBA (7/31/2008)


    This is one proposed plan: D: drive RAID 5 (780GB), for databases for all sites; on the other controller, E:drive RAID 1 (146) for transaction log, F:drive RAID 1 (146) for Temp, G:drive RAID 5 (420 GB) for database back up and others

    Please give me your feeback.

    seems reasonable to me although i would rethink slightly and try to end with 1 drive spare. That way if 1 of your arrays has a problem you have a spare drive to rebuild

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