SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive

IBM ESS SAN Experience?

I was wondering if anyone can give any recommendations on configuring disks on a IBM ESS SAN to work the most efficiently with a a highly transactional SQL Server? Here is what I will have in terms of hardware:
(2) Compaq DL 580 Windows 2003 Servers Active Active Clustered 6GB RAM each node Drive letters carved out as follows: G: Data for SQLServer 1
H: Logs for SQLServer 1
I: Master for SQLServer 1
J: Backups for SQLServer 1 K: Data for SQLServer 2
L: Logs for SQLServer 2
M: Master for SQLServer 2
N: Backups for SQLServer 2 Q: Quorum for Cluster
S: MSDTC Disk Drive for Cluster The IBM ESS basically has a bunch of RAID 5 arrays in it and was wondering how the drives
should be spread across the arrays? Should I spread the data drives across as many RAIDs as possible or should I keep the data together, logs together etc. Thanks in advance,
Anthony

Redo the RAID groups if you want really good performance. Put the logs, at a minimum, on RAID 10 dedicated arrays. Use as many drives as you can. RAID 5 should be fine for the data files and tempdb. Just make sure you get enough disks in the combined arrays. It’s always preferrable to have dedicated drives if you’re on a high transaction database system. Also, are you hosting any drives on that Compaq? If you are, take a look at the controller card. You might want a new one. [<img src=’/community/emoticons/emotion-1.gif’ alt=’

‘ />] The one that ships with the DL 580 is crap. MeanOldDBA [email protected] When life gives you a lemon, fire the DBA.

Thanks for your reply Derrick. The only drive on the Compaq is OS, everything else is on the SAN through Fiber. I basically have 5 RAID 5 arrays that the disk team says can’t be changed to RAID 10. They also said that the cache on the drives makes these perform really well (Just regurgitating what they said and dunno if I believe them). Anyhow, I wanted the setup as follows: 1st Array (Split in half for G:,K: Data drives for both SQL Servers)
2nd Array (Split in half for H:,L: Log drives for both SQL Servers)
3rd Array (Split in half for I:,M: Master(System DBs) drives for both SQL Servers)
4th Array (Split in half for J:,N: Backup drives for both SQL Servers) My question is should I split the Data across all 4 arrays instead of the same one and split the logs across all 4 arrays instead of the same one to gain some controller advantage or is just leaving it on the same array fine?

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