VMWare Hardware Setup
We are looking at replacing a Microsoft SQL server. SQL is being used by one software. We have approximately 60-70 users. The current server gets overloaded because of disk usage, Processors and memory are fine. Plenty of space just has performance issues, the performance monitor shows the physical disk(Raid 5) is having a hard time keeping up. My question is.....What is the best way to configure the hard drives/controller for a new server? We would like to virtualize it and use the other half as a domain controller or image one of our older server and move it over to the VMware server. Not familiar enough with VMware to know the best practice in this scenerio. How much memory should we get assuming we virutualize? Will both virtual machines be fighting over the same hard drive resources?
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
pgm554,
We will be installing server 2008 and SQL 2008. I read the link, that explains many problems we have had in the past, thanks.
We will be installing server 2008 and SQL 2008. I read the link, that explains many problems we have had in the past, thanks.
If you're doing server 2k8,you might want to look at MS hypervisor as it is built in to the
OS.is free,and has better licensing terms.
If you were thinking the free Vmware product,it is far from being free.
If you want to be able to backup,you need a licensed version with the backup API(gotcha).
OS.is free,and has better licensing terms.
If you were thinking the free Vmware product,it is far from being free.
If you want to be able to backup,you need a licensed version with the backup API(gotcha).
ASKER
If I setup either two Raid 5 arrays or two Raid 10 arrays, one for each virtual machine, will that split the load completely or is the controller still going to be the bottle neck. I've actually never done that before so it may not even be possible. Any thoughts?
not a good idea, for maximum peformance, you need as many spindles as possible
more disks = more spindles = more iops = more performance
its important to create the fatest datastore as possible for ALL VMs for your ESXi host server.
more disks = more spindles = more iops = more performance
its important to create the fatest datastore as possible for ALL VMs for your ESXi host server.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Server 2003 and SQL need to be set up using diskpart because of partition alignment issues in Server 2003 and below.
You can take up to a 30 or 40% performance because of this issue.
Server 2k8 and above do not.
See:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;929491