White. Paper. Why the Correct Information Infrastructure Is a Crucial Consideration for SQL Server 2012 Implementations

Transcription

1 White Paper Why the Crrect Infrmatin Infrastructure Is a Crucial Cnsideratin fr SQL Server 2012 Implementatins Hw EMC s Offerings Can Fit the Bill By Mark Peters, Senir Analyst March 2012 This ESG White Paper was cmmissined by EMC and is distributed under license frm ESG.

2 White Paper: Why the Crrect Infrmatin Infrastructure Is Crucial fr SQL Server 2012 Implementatins 2 Cntents SQL Server 2012: Applicatin Database and Strage Needs... 3 Intrductin... 3 Applicatin Servers and Enterprise RDBMS Systems a Reminder... 3 Micrsft SQL Server... 3 Why Strage Chices fr Applicatin Databases Matter... 4 Hw EMC Strage Helps Optimize SQL Server ESG Lab Experience with an EMC/SQL Server Cmbinatin... 8 The Bigger Truth... 9 All trademark names are prperty f their respective cmpanies. Infrmatin cntained in this publicatin has been btained by surces The Enterprise Strategy Grup (ESG) cnsiders t be reliable but is nt warranted by ESG. This publicatin may cntain pinins f ESG, which are subject t change frm time t time. This publicatin is cpyrighted by The Enterprise Strategy Grup, Inc. Any reprductin r redistributin f this publicatin, in whle r in part, whether in hard-cpy frmat, electrnically, r therwise t persns nt authrized t receive it, withut the express cnsent f The Enterprise Strategy Grup, Inc., is in vilatin f U.S. cpyright law and will be subject t an actin fr civil damages and, if applicable, criminal prsecutin. Shuld yu have any questins, please cntact ESG Client Relatins at

3 White Paper: Why the Crrect Infrmatin Infrastructure Is Crucial fr SQL Server 2012 Implementatins 3 SQL Server 2012: Applicatin Database and Strage Needs Intrductin S many things in life are dependent n smething else, and intuitively adjusted by varying needs: Maybe yu put different amunts f sugar in yur cffee depending n the size f the mug. Perhaps yu have different flr cverings fr different parts f yur huse depending n the use and wear characteristics. On a mre technical level, DBAs will always think abut respnse times and user prfiles, while strage managers will definitely think abut capacity and backup needs. But is strage always cnsidered really cnsidered when key applicatins such as SQL Server are being implemented and grwn? All t ften, it can be an afterthught. Yet nt nly is strage a crucial fundatinal infrastructure that supprts missin-critical applicatins such as SQL Server, but it als can be smething that actually affects the achieved business value f the applicatin: Gd strage, well implemented, can enhance and ptimize the applicatin. The arrival f the new versin f SQL Server (SQL Server 2012, r Denali as it was called during develpment) is an excellent time t revisit the need t cnsider this crucial dependency. The intent f this paper is neither t explain SQL Server 2012 in full nr t be a buying guide fr all EMC strage prducts. It is simply t highlight enugh infrmatin n each, s that IT managers (if they are nt already ding s) can fcus n the database system and strage hardware relatinship. Dependencies d exist. Als, there is ptimized value t be enjyed. Quite simply, strage must be actively cnsidered in cncert with SQL Server; if nt, it is almst certain that csts will rise and quality f service will decline. Certainly, neither will be ptimized. Applicatin Servers and Enterprise RDBMS Systems a Reminder Almst all mdern applicatins require persistent strage. Many f thse applicatins prcess transactins and retrieve histrical infrmatin abut users, purchases, assets, r mney. These functins are at the cre f mdern cmputing, and mst serius applicatins rely n a database particularly a relatinal database management system (RDBMS) t prvide these functins. All majr RDBMS systems use a versin f SQL (the Structured Query Language ), and the use f RDBMS servers has explded ver recent years. It is nt cnceivable t think f running a significant enterprise r cnsumer applicatin whether clud-based, web-based, client-server r N-tier withut a significant database engine fr strage, transactin prcessing, reprting, and data mining. Naturally, all f that data and thse transactins need t live smewhere, s strage cncerns and abilities g hand-in-hand with the RDBMS discussin. And the same criteria (respnsiveness, availability, scalability) apply t the strage subsystems as well. If a database must be highly respnsive, highly available, r fault-tlerant and able t scale quickly, then s must the underlying strage. Micrsft SQL Server Micrsft s RDBMS is Micrsft SQL Server, r simply SQL Server, which has been built ver apprximately a dzen releases since It has grwn t be ne f Micrsft s flagship enterprise prducts, with multiple billins f dllars f licensing revenue. Accrding t Micrsft, the new SQL Server 2012 is a significant prduct release that helps custmers cntinue t build and supprt missin-critical envirnments, nw with mre cnfidence and efficiency ut f the bx. New tls and enhancements enable breakthrugh insight acrss all levels f the rganizatin, while clud-ready technlgies fr applicatin symmetry acrss server, private, and public cluds help custmers stay agile fr the future. 1 The cmpany prmtes three main pillars f advancement in the new versin: Missin Critical Cnfidence Breakthrugh Insight Clud On Yur Own Terms 1 Surce: Micrsft Crpratin white paper, SQL Server 2012 What s New, July 2011.

4 White Paper: Why the Crrect Infrmatin Infrastructure Is Crucial fr SQL Server 2012 Implementatins 4 We will start by reviewing each pillar briefly, tgether with its implicatin fr strage envirnments. Missin Critical Cnfidence: Here, Micrsft is fcusing n high availability, r what it refers t as Always On, 2 prmting the five- r six-nines ( %) uptime 3 that can be achieved using SQL Server Thrugh a hst f specific feature additins, Micrsft has designed SQL Server 2012 t be able t meet the mst stringent service level agreements (SLAs) yet remain cst effective. In additin, Micrsft has made huge imprvements in perfrmance (such as a clumnstre index t deliver perfrmance gains in data warehusing scenaris) versus SQL Server Strage Implicatins: There s little pint t having a high-availability database withut an equally resilient strage infrastructure. The same hlds true fr multi-site clustering. The increased perfrmance demands f SQL Server 2012 in turn require increased strage perfrmance capabilities, in rder t avid the strage subsystem becming a bttleneck t verall applicatin perfrmance. Breakthrugh Insight: Having the data is ne thing. Having infrmatin is anther. Being able t act n infrmatin that is understd is yet anther. Bringing users frm data, thrugh infrmatin, int actin r understanding is the secnd crnerstne f the SQL Server 2012 release. Frm better reprting services t mre self-service, and frm enhanced abilities t aggregate data frm disparate surces t cllabratin with tls such as Excel and SharePint, Micrsft is encuraging the design and use f self-service BI (business intelligence) slutins. Advanced semantic search abilities allw unstructured data t be managed alngside a mre traditinally rigid database. Strage Implicatins: All f these advances will apply stress t a strage system, bth frm a capacity perspective (thereby demanding scalability) and frm a mre intensive perfrmance perspective. Mre access t mre data mre dynamically is easy t say and t write, but harder t design and deliver. Clud On Yur Own Terms: Micrsft is psitining SQL Server 2012 t be the data engine f chice fr any and all f the clud designs being used by its custmers. It is ding s by streamlining prcess, supprting mre data types, and s n. Fr the purpses f this paper, perhaps the mst bvius single hallmark f a clud whatever srt f clud it may be is the ability t quickly and easily spin up new instances f (r capabilities fr) wrklads, recnfiguring them almst instantly, usually using stred server templates r snapshts. A key enabling technlgy here is the use f server virtualizatin that divides physical database servers int lgical instances, and thus allws seamless mvement f wrklads as well as a higher utilizatin level f hardware. Strage Implicatins: Flexibility (regarding perfrmance, capacity, pint f management, r interperability) and scalability are the keys t ensuring that strage can be rapidly (re)prvisined as virtual servers are added and remved, and that it can scale with the changing perfrmance demands as SQL Server envirnments grw, in bth physical and virtual mdels. Why Strage Chices fr Applicatin Databases Matter Getting effective results fr any applicatin but especially an applicatin driven by data depends n the careful selectin and marriage f sftware and hardware. N hardware cmpnent is mre imprtant than the strage system chsen. While there are bund t be many applicatin-fcused IT prfessinals wh believe that Micrsft is hitting the ball ut f the park with the release f SQL Server 2012, sme f thse same peple may be very disappinted if they prvisin this best-f-breed RDBMS system with sub-ptimal r limited strage systems. A key cncern is the ecnmic efficiency f strage. In the real wrld, there are precius few instances where ultimate perfrmance must be achieved regardless f cst; in the vast majrity f cases, perfrmance must be balanced with cst. Of curse quality f service als matters, and this frms the ther leg f the stl: Strage matters fr applicatin databases because it can determine, and hpefully enhance, the business results, efficiency, 2 Surce: AlwaysOn is described by Micrsft at 3 Surce: reasn #2.

5 White Paper: Why the Crrect Infrmatin Infrastructure Is Crucial fr SQL Server 2012 Implementatins 5 and cst-effectiveness achieved by the applicatin. Hwever quality f service is measured be it respnse, availability, data integrity, carbn ftprint, lack f dwntime, cst per query, r whatever the strength f the verall database experience is nly as strng as its weakest link. Having detailed cnversatins abut the needs, expectatins, and planned grwth f the underlying strage system supprting a SQL Server 2012 envirnment is crucial t preclude it being a weak link. Mrever, there are few if any users wh run SQL Server and nthing else. In ther wrds whatever strage a user chses shuld play well in the verall IT sandbx, especially as wrklads are increasingly virtualized and thus required t share server and strage resurces. Bth fr the specific needs f SQL Server and fr the general needs f a data center, when it cmes t strage, users shuld be lking fr chice, flexibility, and advanced features. Hw EMC Strage Helps Optimize SQL Server 2012 The succinct answer t the implicit questin in this sectin s title is that EMC nt nly has a range f prducts thrughly tested t perate with SQL Server, but als that these prducts can cmplement the features f SQL Server 2012 and thereby ptimize the investments made by IT users in the latest versin f the Micrsft database. Just as crucial as the jint technlgies is the cumulative, lng-term investment in cnsulting services and integrated supprt made by bth EMC and Micrsft. Withut having this brief paper becme a lengthy diatribe n every EMC feature and capability, here is a selectin f sme relevant EMC fferings that can specifically address SQL Server needs: VNX: The EMC VNX Series cnsists f high-perfrming unified strage with unsurpassed simplicity and efficiency, ptimized fr virtual applicatins. 4 VNX can help meet the requirements t reduce cst and cmplexity while prviding the pwer and flexibility t meet the demands f virtualizatin, especially when cmbined with FAST Cache which extends the system memry with flash drives fr real-time perfrmance imprvements and FAST VP (see belw fr mre explanatin f bth these tls). SQL Server wrklads can be set up quickly in up t 80% less time by using the autmatic tuning and cnfiguratin available with the VNX platfrm. Cmpared with sme ther strage slutins, VNX can run a SQL Server wrklad three times faster. And when using an all-flash-drive ptin (which may be particularly well suited t a heavily laded OLTP wrklad), users can btain ten times the perfrmance fr nly ne-eighth the cst per TPM (transactins per minute) f an equivalent system with all HDD drives. Fr wrklads centered n data warehusing, EMC has created specific cnfiguratins ideal fr SQL Server. EMC has tested SQL Server extensively n VNX systems, and as a result, it is included in Micrsft s SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehuse Reference Architectures. Symmetrix VMAXe: VMAXe prvides cst-effective multi-cntrller scale-ut architecture, prven VMAX innvatin, and market-leading efficiency. 5 VMAXe was nly intrduced in 2011, yet it has a great pedigree, being built n 20 years f Symmetrix technlgy. Symmetrix VMAXe prvides very high levels f reliability and scalability with its mdular architecture (prviding seamless grwth fr SQL Server infrastructures) and 100% uptime availability guarantees (even when upgrading a cntrller), which maximizes the quality f service. VMAXe is designed s that initial installatin and prvisining f the first terabytes f usable strage can be accmplished in less than fur hurs, nt days r weeks. After the initial setup, VMAXe uses virtual prvisining, which allws anther TB f data t be prvisined in nly abut fur minutes. Data is autmatically mved t the right level f strage (flash, SATA, FC drives), using FAST VP (see belw), which accrding t EMC s figures can yield up t 40% perfrmance imprvement with 40% lwer cst (while the precise statistical interpretatin f these numbers can vary, the pint is that significant efficiency gains are t be expected). This is the prduct fr large, cmplex, missin-critical SQL Server envirnments. And it is a perfect cmplementary prduct as users migrate their SQL Server envirnments t tier-1 data centers

6 White Paper: Why the Crrect Infrmatin Infrastructure Is Crucial fr SQL Server 2012 Implementatins 6 FAST VP, FAST Cache, VFCache: Helping imprve SQL Server 2012 perfrmance and reduce csts, three innvative technlgies frm EMC leverage flash technlgy t imprve TPM, IOPS, and respnse time, while minimizing the perfrmance-tuning effrts required f SQL Server DBAs: Fully Autmated Strage Tiering fr Virtual Pls (FAST VP) is autmatin sftware that puts the right data n the right strage at the right time. In terms f applicability t SQL Server, this is what drives and balances perfrmance with ecnmic efficiency. The sftware is based n accurately understanding user envirnments an effrt that invlved mre than 30 PhDs, hundreds f custmers, mre than 4,000 applicatins access t infrmatin, almst ne millin vlumes f infrmatin, mre than 2 PB f custmer statistics, and mre than 54 billin I/O transactins. The result f all this engineering and analysis is FAST VP, a sftware tl that makes the strage platfrm stand up and dance, maximizing perfrmance while keeping csts in check. FAST VP is deplyed with bth EMC VNX and Symmetrix VMAXe. FAST VP allws varius types f data t be autmatically placed n the mst apprpriate type f strage, ensuring that the ht data in the SQL Server database is kept n flash strage, while data that is nt used frequently is stred n lwer-cst media. FAST Cache is a strage perfrmance ptimizatin feature that prvides immediate access t frequently accessed data. FAST Cache cmplements FAST VP by autmatically absrbing unpredicted spikes in applicatin wrklads. FAST Cache uses enterprise flash drives t extend existing cache capacities up t 2 TB. FAST Cache mnitrs incming I/O fr access frequency and autmatically cpies the mst frequently accessed data frm the backend spinning disk drives t the cache. It is simple t cnfigure, easy t mnitr, and able t deliver a significant perfrmance increase fr all SQL Server read and write wrklads. EMC s new VFCache is a server flash caching slutin. It uses intelligent caching sftware and PCIe flash technlgy t reduce latency and increase thrughput t dramatically imprve SQL Server perfrmance. The caching ptimizatin within VFCache autmatically adapts t changing SQL Server wrklads by determining what data is mst frequently referenced and prmting it t the server flash cache. The result is that the httest data autmatically resides n the PCIe card in the server, prviding significantly faster respnse time t the request frm the SQL Server database. Backup and Deduplicatin: Many custmers are mving away frm traditinal tape-based backup tward backup t disks. EMC ffers a wide range f backup tls t accmmdate varius appraches. It is als a market leader in deduplicatin, which can depending n varius factrs including retentin time reduce the amunt f data strage required by 10X t 30X n average, reduce the replicatin bandwidth required by up t 99%, reduce vlume f data mved by up t 95%, and reduce the CPU lad by up t 80%. As SQL Server 2012 envirnments are deplyed, IT rganizatins shuld evaluate their backup frequency, SLAs, and data-change rates t determine if deduplicatin culd psitively affect their backup and recvery times as well as lng-term strage csts. Frm the perspective f a SQL Server DBA, deduplicatin seamlessly integrates int the existing backup methdlgies that they are already familiar with tday. EMC backup and recvery slutins include EMC s Data Dmain deduplicatin strage systems, which scale frm less than 40 TB t mre than 28 PB f lgical capacity. Data Dmain systems can integrate directly with SQL Server as a disk backup target r thrugh backup sftware, including EMC Avamar r EMC NetWrker. EMC Avamar is a deduplicatin backup sftware and system ptimized t backup virtual machines, remte ffices, NAS systems, and laptps. Avamar integrates int SQL Server by using an Avamar agent n the SQL Server, which ensures applicatin-cnsistent backups and recveries. EMC NetWrker is EMC s unified backup and recvery sftware that leverages Micrsft s Vlume Shadw Cpy Service (VSS) framewrk t prvide prtectin fr all Micrsft applicatins, including SQL Server. NetWrker is tightly integrated with Avamar and Data Dmain, while it als supprts lng-term retentin requirements with backup t tape.

7 White Paper: Why the Crrect Infrmatin Infrastructure Is Crucial fr SQL Server 2012 Implementatins 7 Frm Faster Recvery t Active-Active Availability: With SQL Server becming pervasive, ensuring fast recvery is a key requirement fr mst IT rganizatins. EMC ffers advanced recvery slutins that permit crss-database applicatin cnsistency as well as active-active availability. EMC RecverPint integrates with SQL Server fr industrial-strength applicatin prtectin in bth physical and virtual deplyments. It prvides intelligent, dynamic synchrnus and asynchrnus replicatin fr maximum availability and has advanced bandwidth-reductin technlgy and integrated WAN deduplicatin t make the mst f the available bandwidth. RecverPint prvides DVR-like recvery f replicated data t any pint in time and autmated recvery f SQL Server 6 t any event in time. It supprts federated applicatins fr clud deplyments and is available with a cluster enabler ptin fr use with Micrsft clusters. VPLEX: Many SQL Server 2012 users are glbal in nature. Optimizing the utilizatin f IT resurces is crucial, yet traditinal ptins such as migrating applicatins are labr intensive and fraught with the risk f lst prductivity, data, r even revenue. VPLEX is a high-end strage federatin tl that enables HA and cntinuus availability acrss distance and acrss hetergeneus strage platfrms. Neither data center walls nr vendr chices need t be limitatins t prviding seamless uptime and transactinal integrity as SQL Server instances mve r are accessed acrss infrastructure, time znes, r data centers. EMC Cnsulting: Smething f a hidden gem, EMC Cnsulting helps rganizatins manage their cmplex issues f infrmatin management by prviding nt nly business insights and guidance, but als custm cde develpment when needed, data warehusing advice and services, and analytics. EMC Cnsulting can als prvide assistance t custmers migrating t SQL Server 2012 frm Oracle, DB2, Sybase, r previus versins f Micrsft SQL Server. Naturally, EMC Cnsulting can als recmmend ptimum uses fr EMC s wide range f capabilities. Perhaps this culd mean taking advantage f Accelerated Micrsft Data Prtectin (EMC ffers tls fr advanced nn-disruptive business cntinuity and disaster recvery acrss virtual machines, be they VMware r Hyper-V envirnments). Or it might be implementing the use f snapshts ptimally t prduce clnes f SQL Server wrklads and enable easy, fast cpies f real-wrld data that DBAs can use in a variety f ways, such as testing and develpment. EMC and Micrsft: The extent and depth f inter-cmpany relatinships (especially with industry giants like Micrsft and EMC) can smetimes be taken fr granted. But it shuld nt be verlked. While everyne claims t be a BFF ( best friend frever ) with ppular partners such as Micrsft, the facts and numbers d the talking better than mere assertins. EMC is a Glbal Alliance Partner f Micrsft. It has mre than 19 Micrsft Gld and Silver Certified Partner Cmpetencies. And it has been recgnized as Micrsft Partner f the Year an impressive 21 times. Naturally, many EMC cnsultants are certified as Micrsft MVPs, MCPs, and Certified Architects. Of mre imprtance t SQL Server users, EMC Cnsulting has cmpleted hundreds f SQL Server engagements, including award-winning user experience designs. The tw vendrs have been jintly engineering and testing their prducts fr years (including interperability, management links, and certificatins f EMC hardware, sftware, and supprt services fr SQL Server 2012). The bttm line is that SQL Server is an aggressive applicatin when it cmes t the demands it can place upn strage. EMC s abilities and its suitability fr the SQL Server wrld are centered in its breadth (bth in terms f scalable prducts and varied, advanced features) and its depth (in terms f supprt and cnsulting capabilities, and the crprate relatinship with Micrsft). 6 RecverPint als wrks with Micrsft Exchange and ther applicatins. This paper s fcus is SQL Server nly.

8 White Paper: Why the Crrect Infrmatin Infrastructure Is Crucial fr SQL Server 2012 Implementatins 8 ESG Lab Experience with an EMC/SQL Server Cmbinatin The Micrsft adcenter business intelligence infrastructure is a great example f the cmbined value f Micrsft SQL Server and EMC strage. EMC Symmetrix and Micrsft SQL Server 2008 have been used t create the massively scalable fundatin fr the Micrsft adcenter Business Intelligence (BI) platfrm. The adcenter platfrm, which in 2009 delivered $1.9 billin in nline advertising revenue 7 frm Micrsft and partner prperties (e.g., Bing and MSN), was upgraded t accmmdate a massive wave f new grwth as Yah search and nline advertising began mving t the platfrm in ESG Lab visited with the adcenter BI team in Bellevue, Washingtn. Interviews with Micrsft and EMC emplyees were used t assess the extreme scalability f the adcenter BI infrastructure. In an in-depth audit, 8 ESG Lab cnfirmed that the cmbinatin f Micrsft SQL Server and EMC Symmetrix can handle this massive prject, its enrmus grwth, and its stringent service-level requirements n a mment-t-mment basis. Wrapping SQL Server and EMC Symmetrix technlgy in tier-1 prcesses and prcedures, the Micrsft adcenter team has created a BI infrastructure with tier-1 uptime and perfrmance. They enabled the platfrm t take n Yah s advertising, cntinued t supprt 30% annual grwth, and managed t reduce the ttal cst f the strage infrastructure by 69% ver five years. ESG Lab Vice President Brian Garrett, wh audited the adcenter BI infrastructure, said he is cnfident that the adcenter BI infrastructure will be even faster and mre reliable with SQL Server Surce: Micrsft 10K, July Surce: ESG Lab Reprt, Micrsft adcenter Business Intelligence Infrastructure: Pwered by EMC Symmetrix VMAX and Micrsft SQL Server 2008, Nvember 2010.

9 The Bigger Truth White Paper: Why the Crrect Infrmatin Infrastructure Is Crucial fr SQL Server 2012 Implementatins 9 A lng cnclusin here wuld d a disservice t three very simple pints. First, the new and grwing abilities f SQL Server 2012 will drive value fr users as lng as the strage infrastructure has the flexibility and advanced functins t adequately supprt the dynamic needs f this applicatin. Secnd, this means that it is abslutely crucial fr IT rganizatins t cnsider strage when planning and implementing SQL Server 2012, nt t leave it as an afterthught r assumptin. Third, EMC ffers market-leading technlgies, prducts, services, cnsulting, and supprt that nt nly can supprt SQL Server 2012, but als can help it deliver enhanced value in terms f quality f service and ecnmic efficiency.

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