Building perfect SQL Servers every time, presented at Northern New Jersey user group on 9/16.

1. Building Perfect SQL
Servers
Joey D’Antoni, Solutions Architect Every Time
Anexinet

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5. Joey D’Antoni
Joey has over 15 years of experience with a wide variety of data platforms, in both Fortune
50 companies as well as smaller organizations
He is a frequent speaker on database administration, big data, and career management
He is the co-president of the Philadelphia SQL Server User’s Group
MSCE, Business Intelligence
He wants you to make sure you can restore your data
Joeydantoni.com – Blog, Slides

6. SQL Server Installation

7. What Happens?
Is it really that bad?

8. Set Max Memory
The default
setting
for max
server
memory is
2147483647
MB (2.1
Petabytes!!!)
If this setting
is not
changed SQL
Server will
attempt to
grab all of the
memory on
the box
This can lead
to paging of
the Windows
O/S
The one
exception is
very large
memory servers
(> 128 GB)
Windows
generally needs
about 6-8 GB to
run comfortably
Best Practice
is to allocate
80% of
memory to
SQL Server
Minimum
Memory
doesn’t need
to be set

9. Parallelism

10. Configure MaxDOP
Default setting is 0 which uses all
available processors in parallel
query execution
This can lead to CXPACKET and
Scheduler waits
Best Practice
• For servers > 8 CPUs = MAXDOP=8
• For servers < 8 CPUs = MAXDOP 0
to n (where N=CPUs per NUMA
node)
• SharePoint and Dynamics
MAXDOP=1

11. Cost Threshold for Parallelism
This is a your mileage may
vary setting
The default of 5 is generally
too low for everything
except pure OLTP
Start with 50 and move from
there

12. Model Database

13. Change Model File Sizes
Initial Size and Autogrowth are way too small
initially
There is no right number—base on roughly how
big your databases will be
Definitely, change autogrowth to remove
percentage growth and go with fixed value
Goal is to avoid file system fragmentation

14. Change Model Recovery Model
Recovery By default—Model is in full recovery mode
Typically I set to simple—if a database
needs to be in full recovery mode, set it
manually
If you need databases in full recovery mode
be sure to set up transaction log backups

15. Add Files to TempDB
If the number of logical processors < 8
then number of TempDB Files = number of
CPUs (but start with 4)
If logical processors > 8, then number of
TempDB Files = 8
• If contention continues add files in multiples of 4
All TempDB files should be the same size
and have same autogrowth settings
Consider using trace flags (1117,1118)

16. TempDB Contention
Source—Confio TempDB and Latch
Contention

17. Database Mail
Required for notifications
and alerts
Requires an SMTP server
•For demo purposes I use
Google’s
•Speak with your Exchange
admin

18. Create SQL Agent Alerts for Critical Errors
Ensures you get notified
when something bad
happens on your server
Know that problems are
happening before your
users do
Can tie alerts to actions
and/or pages

19. Backup Compression
This costs a little bit
of CPU—but your
backups and
restores will greatly
benefit
In Standard Edition
from 2008 R2
forward

20. Instant File Initialization
SQL Server will by default
zero out a data file on a
growth
Grant Windows permission
to SQL Server process
account to “Perform Volume
Maintenance Tasks”

21. Remote Dedicated Administrator
Connection
Provides dedicated CPU,
memory and scheduler
By default, only works via
RDP or physically on server

22. Maintenance
The built in maintenance plans
in SQL Server aren’t bad—they
just aren’t good
Ola Hallengren SQL Server
Maintenance Solution
CheckDB, Index Maintenance,
Statistics, Backups Ola.hallengren.com

23. Patch SQL Server
Find out the current Service Pack and Cumulative Update
level (sqlserverbuilds.blogspot.com)
Patch your server—no time like install time
If you are using SQL Server 2012 and up:
• Updatesource parameter
• Can use Windows Update (MU)
• Or local source UNC or local path

24. The Cloud
ALL OF THE ABOVE APPLIES TO AZURE VMs!

25. Standards Are Important

26. Standards
Having written build standards is important
Consider everything
• Drive Locations
• Standard Volume Sizes
• Storage
• Editions, settings, builds
• O/S
• HA and DR options
• Security
Revisit standards at least every 6 months

27. Standards Cont’d
Standard HW is good and can really help
Work with Sys Admin teams for guidance on O/S level

28. Exceptions

29. Process Automation

30. Infrastructure Server
This is optional—but can
be really handy
• Store installation files
• Use as update source for
SQL Server installs
• Use as metadata and
monitoring hub for your
environment
Should be very secured

31. Virtual Machines
This can get a little
complicated
I’ve taken two approaches
• Install SQL at build time
(messy)
• Clone VM and make
changes
• You may want different
settings

32. Trust But Verify
Even though you doing this
great process
Still verify everything
• Leverage your infrastructure
server
• Build Pretty Reports

33. Building A Private Cloud
Case Study
• Make Decisions for 80%
of your environment
• SQL Server Components
aren’t bad—Windows is
a little trickier
• This process had more
management/sprawl
issues than technical
ones

34. Private Cloud
User
Interface
(Intranet)
Service
Management
Layer (System
Center, Others)
Backend
Infrastructure

35. Lessons Learned
Capture Owner Info
Acknowledge servers may not be managed
Release a little bit of control

36. Summary
Do this stuff
Automate and Repeat
Your Servers will love you
Slides joedantoni.wordpress.com
Twitter @jdanton
Email jdanton1@yahoo.com