SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive

Database Server setup Suggestions, plz

Hi, We are going to purchase server for our website, this is business critical site and already running at a server with RAID 5.
I have read a lot of documents that RAID 1/10 is better option that RAID 5. I wanted to install Win2k3
SQL2k standard I have 2 databases with total size of 300GB.
1st database holds text based information.
2nd database holds binary based information (uploaded documents). I can only purchase DELL (company policy), and planning to purchase the following server PowerEdge 2850
2xXeon 2.8GHz/2MB Cache 800MHz
2GB Ram (2x1GB)
2x76GB (Raid 1) – will hold OS/SQL datafile
2x76GB (Raid 1) – will hold TempDB/Log files
4x300GB (Raid 10) – will hold both databases (Do I make Raid5 or Raid10?).
Embedded RAID – PERC4 Embedded Integrated
RAID Controller- PERC4ei This system will be used for both Read/Write.
I am going to develop some new reports which will aggregate millions of records to provide statistics information. I can change above setting if some one can advise better solution. All comments are welcome. Regards,
Waqar.

i think people make too much of the RAID 10 vs RAID 5, especially now that most people have soo much memory
the bigger issue is getting a reasonable disk count. 1st, if the above is not the dual core 2.8GHz, get 1 or 2 dual core Xeon 2.8G’s, if only one, you can upgrade later.
get 4GB memory, even if you are on Std Ed, go with S2K5 if possible next, you don’t say whether they are 10K or 15K disks,
i am ok either way, but would advice 74G 10K drives or 36G 15 drives. most important
do not get the big 300G drives,
get more 74G 10K drives or 36G 15K drives i suggest 4 internal drives, 2 SCSI channels,
1-2 of the 3U dual channel U320 SCSI disk enclosures,
put 3-4 disk drives in each SCSI channel, even though it holds 7 per channel get 1-2 dual channel RAID controllers, the PCI Express version preferred. Dell used to have both Adaptec and LSI RAID controllers, if this is still true,
tell Dell you will absolutely not take the Adaptec, throw them out.
if Dell will not allow this, don’t buy the Dell controllers, buy either the LSI or Intel dual channel PCI Express U320 SCSI Raid controllers (both use the same processor, Intel defaults to 512M cache)

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by joechang i think people make too much of the RAID 10 vs RAID 5, especially now that most people have soo much memory the bigger issue is getting a reasonable disk count. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> Totally agree with you Joe regarding the 5 vs. 10. I joke with vendors that if I could buy 15K 9GB drives still, I would. Just LOTS of them. <img src=’/community/emoticons/emotion-1.gif’ alt=’

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joe, you are the man.
As i mentioned, my current DB size is about 300GB and this DB is divided into 2 parts.
What do you advise for setup? Do i create 2x76GB 15k – Raid 1 for OS/SQL installation
2x76GB 15k – Raid 1 for tempdb/log files
How many more raids (what type of Raid 1 or 10) do i create to put other 2 user databases? And keeping in mind size is about 160GB and 140GB and it will grow to some where 500GB. Unfortunatly my current application is developed in SQL2K so i cannot go for SQL2K5.
As advised i will get 4GB RAM and will try to get Dual core Processor. Thank for helping me out.

for 2 active DB’s, my thoughts are:
1 set for OS/SQL & temp (set being 2 disks in RAID 1)
1 set for DB1 logs
1 set for DB2 logs 1 or more sets, your choice RAID 10 or 5, for DB1 & 2 data.
if both are transactional, then its ok for 1 & 2 to share data disks, only must have separate log disks,
if 1 is transactions, the other reporting/DW, then have separate data disks, the exact layout is not important, can have a bunch of disks is a single array group for 1 data file, or you can have a DB with multiple data files
i would put text & image data is a separate file group if this is substantial. i would test both RAID 5 & 10,
do random read + write IO (test read & write separately, don’t both with mixed)
sequential read
and mixed random + sequential this will silence anyone with opinions on 5 vs 10 theory without looking at the actual perf numbers.

Joe, I am not sure how to thank you [<img src=’/community/emoticons/emotion-2.gif’ alt=’

‘ />]. What you will suggest for space? How much i put on each array like 1- How much for OS/SQL/Temp. 2- How much for DB1/DB2 Logs? 3- I will see if i have enough money to create 2 more Array (or else i will create 1). 4- In future we have plan to create multiple statistic report, which will perform a lot of aggregate activity. Will it effect if TempDB is going to be at same drive where OS & SQL are present? Thank you for your valuable information [<img src=’/community/emoticons/emotion-1.gif’ alt=’

‘ />].

check out remote tuning services on www.qdpma.com which is hosted on
http://www.sql-server-performance.com/qdpma if you need outside services, i should be able to it.
even if not, it is information i think you should collect periodically anyways,
learn to use it yourself,
and if you use another outside consultant, they should be able to work with it

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