Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Enterprise Edition Data Warehouse Fast Track using HPE MSA 2052 via Fibre Channel HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server Technical white paper
Technical white paper Page 2 Contents Executive summary... 3 Solution components... 4 Hardware... 4 Software... 6 Solution overview... 7 HPE MSA 2052 configuration... 7 Windows 2016 Server configuration... 10 SQL Server setup... 14 Best practices and configuration guidance for the solution... 17 Changes from Microsoft s SQL 2014 Fast Track v5 documentation... 17 Changing the MSA port mode... 17 Summary... 18 Data Warehouse Fast Track results... 20 Appendix A: Bill of materials... 21 Glossary... 21 Resources, contacts, and additional links... 22
Technical white paper Page 3 Executive summary This white paper provides information for organizations interested in deploying a well-performing, cost-effective Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence (DW/BI) solution. This paper highlights the benefits of deploying HPE MSA 2052 storage for a Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Data Warehouse environment. HPE MSA 2052 provides the storage foundation that is easily managed, highly affordable, and highly scalable. The term Data Warehouse is often used generically to refer to a repository of historical business data. Typical DW/BI activity consists of sequential I/O and is substantially more read intensive than write. High read loads usually occur during database queries, while heavy writes happen mainly during data loads. While both read and write performance are important when designing a capable DW solution, higher priority is given to performance for query analysis than data loads (which can be done at off peak times). The main design criteria for a DW deployment is sequential read performance, specifically the throughput that can be achieved through the storage subsystem, while also maintaining a balance with available compute and storage resources. Microsoft s Data Warehouse Fast Track (DWFT) tool provides a standard method to benchmark query workloads and determine storage performance. The solution in this white paper: Describes testing completed in November 2017 Has been certified by the Microsoft SQL Server 2017 DWFT program Is based on the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server and the HPE MSA 2052 storage array Target audience Readers should be familiar with Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Microsoft SQL Server, and configuring HPE MSA storage. The target audience for this solution include: Customers running a Small and Medium Business (SMB) in the business expansion phase of the maturity model and are seeking a storage solution for their SQL Server DW workload. Some of the issues that these customers face are fast growth of their SQL Server data and rapid queries. Existing or new SQL DW/BI customers who are migrating to SQL Server 2017 Data Warehouse architects Business Intelligence users Database administrators IT planners Document purpose This document provides guidance for configuring Microsoft Windows Server 2016 with SQL Server 2017 and HPE MSA 2052 storage for a Data Warehouse environment. Sizing and performance metrics are also included.
Technical white paper Page 4 Solution components Hardware HPE MSA 2052 storage The hybrid flash HPE MSA 2052 storage system with the new Gen10 ProLiant Branding (Figure 1 and Figure 2) is designed for affordable application acceleration that is ideal for small and remote office deployments. The HPE MSA 2052 storage system provides the combination of simplicity, flexibility to grow now and into the future, and advanced features not expected in an entry-priced array. Start with 1.6 TB of flash capacity included and scale as needed with any combination of solid state disks (SSDs) and high-performance Enterprise or lower-cost Midline SAS-based drives. HPE MSA storage has been the industry-leading entry-storage SAN platform for the past eight years, with nearly 500,000 storage systems sold worldwide. Delivering performance in excess of 200,000 IOPS, the hybrid flash HPE MSA 2052 storage system can save up to 40% with an allinclusive software suite and 1.6 TB of flash capacity included. It is seriously simple and affordable flash storage that provides the most performance for the lowest cost. HPE MSA 2052 performs in excess of 200,000 IOPS for affordable application acceleration Delivers 2x IOPS performance than the previous generation HPE MSA storage Save 40% on the hybrid flash HPE MSA 2052 storage with all-inclusive software and 1.6 TB of SSD capacity included Advanced data services with no experience required Easy to install, easy to use, easy to maintain no storage expertise necessary Automated tiering dynamically responds to workload changes Keep your business running with expanded data protection features New virtualized snapshot technology makes data protection and instant recovery a snap Remote replication with Fibre Channel (FC) and iscsi supports affordable disaster recovery Grow flexibly now and into the future Data-in-place upgrades protect drive investments and eliminate data migrations Start small and scale as needed with any combination of SSD and Enterprise or Midline SAS drives
Technical white paper Page 5 Figure 1. HPE MSA 2052 storage (front facing, bezel, SFF drives) Figure 2. HPE MSA 2052 storage (rear facing, dual controllers) HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server delivers the latest in security, performance, and expandability. It is backed by a comprehensive warranty and ideal for any server environment. Standardize on the industry's most trusted compute platform. The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server is securely designed to reduce cost and complexity with a broad range of compute options. HPE Persistent Memory, optimized on HPE ProLiant servers, offers unprecedented levels of performance for databases and analytic workloads. Run everything from the most basic to mission critical applications, and deploy with confidence. Key features Flexible design allowing your investment to expand as your business needs grow: An adaptable chassis, including new HPE modular drive bay configuration options with up to 30 Small Form Factor (SFF) hard drives, up to 19 Large Form Factor (LFF) hard drives, or up to 20 Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) drive options, along with support for up to three double-wide graphics processing unit (GPU) options. HPE Persistent Memory the fastest persistent memory in the market at terabyte (TB) scale. Redesigned HPE Smart Array Controllers to allow a choice of the most optimal 12 Gb/s controller for your environment and operate in both SAS and HBA mode. Your choice of HPE FlexibleLOM or PCIe standup adapters, which offer networking bandwidth options (1 GbE to 40 GbE) and fabric, so you can adapt and grow to changing business needs. Security innovations: Only Hewlett Packard Enterprise offers industry-standard servers with major firmware anchored directly into the silicon, and with security protection built in across the server life-cycle starting with Silicon Root of Trust.
Technical white paper Page 6 Millions of lines of firmware code run before server operating system boots and with Run-Time Firmware Validation, enabled by HPE integrated Lights Out (ilo) Advanced Premium Security Edition, the server firmware is checked every 24 hours verifying validity and credibility of essential system firmware. Secure Recovery allows server firmware to roll back to the last known good state or factory settings after detection of compromised code. Additional security options are available with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to prevent unauthorized access to the server and securely store artifacts used to authenticate the server platforms, while the Intrusion Detection kit logs and alerts when the server hood is removed. World-class performance HPE innovation with Intelligent System Tuning optimizes workload performance using customized profiles to tune internal resources, with improved throughput for all workloads including latency-sensitive workloads such as high-frequency trading with jitter smoothing. The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server supports industry-standard technology leveraging the latest Intel Xeon Processor Scalable Family with up to 28 cores, 12 Gb SAS and 3.0 TB of HPE DDR4 SmartMemory. The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server supports up to three double-wide or five single-wide GPUs for workload acceleration. Industry-leading services and ease of deployment The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server comes with a complete set of HPE Technology Services, delivering confidence, reducing risk, and helping customers realize agility and stability. HPE Pointnext Services simplifies all stages of the IT journey. Advisory and Transformation Services professionals understand customer challenges and design an optimal solution. Professional Services enables rapid deployment of solutions and Operational Services provides ongoing support. See HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server on hpe.com for more details. Figure 3 shows a front view of the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server. Figure 3. HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server (Front, SFF) Software The software components used in this test: Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Enterprise Edition Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 17.3
Technical white paper Page 7 Solution overview HPE MSA 2052 configuration HPE MSA 2052 storage was configured with 22 1.6 TB SAS SSDs. A RAID6, 11-drive disk pool was created for both controller A and B. Figure 4 shows the physical drive layout for the HPE MSA 2052 storage. Figure 4. HPE MSA 2052 physical drive layout 38 total volumes were created across both pools, set to Performance tier affinity. Figure 5 shows individual volume information for the HPE MSA 2052 storage. Figure 5. HPE MSA storage individual volume detail By default, the HPE MSA 2052 is configured for Fibre Channel only. If this is not the case, please see Changing the MSA port mode to configure Fibre Channel only mode. To verify Fibre Channel only mode, connect to the HPE MSA Storage Management Utility (SMU). The Ports list should be similar to Figure 6.
Technical white paper Page 8 Figure 6. Shows HPE MSA storage port mode set to FC Host initiators that have already logged in to the system will appear in the host list. Modifying Discovered WWNs to add a Nickname will then allow the host to be added with the Create Initiator action, as shown in Figure 7. Figure 7. HPE MSA storage Create Initiator window Map the HPE MSA 2052 storage volumes to the added initiators, as shown in Figure 8. Figure 8. HPE MSA storage volumes mapped to Windows Server 2016
Technical white paper Page 9 Server configuration The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server for this solution utilized two CPUs (Intel Xeon Gold 6140), with 512 GB of RAM and a 400 GB SSD for the OS. A new feature for the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server includes optimized power profiles in the BIOS for various types of server workloads. Decision Support was selected as this profile is optimized for Data Warehouse workloads. Access the settings from the Intelligent Provisioning Screen (F9) during POST, and select the BIOS Configuration option, as shown in Figure 9. Figure 9. HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server BIOS Configuration The workload profile has a drop-down list to choose from at the bottom of the screen that is not immediately apparent. Use this menu to select the proper server workload. In this case, select the Decision Support profile from the drop-down menu and click the Update button, as shown in Figure 10.
Technical white paper Page 10 Figure 10. HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server Decision Support Workload Profile Windows 2016 Server configuration As there were multiple Fibre Channel paths between the server to the storage (two dual-port HPE SN1200E FC HBAs in the server and two 4- port FC controllers in the HPE MSA 2052, as shown in Figure 11), the MPIO feature was installed. This allows optimal multipath performance between the HPE MSA 2052 and the server. Adding this feature on the Windows 2016 server will require a reboot. Figure 11. DWFT test environment
Technical white paper Page 11 Initially the HPE MSA 2052 will show up in the Discover Multi-Paths tab as HPE MSA 2050 SAN, and should be added as a multipath device, as shown in Figure 12. Once again, the server will require a reboot after the device has been added. Figure 12. Windows Server 2016 MPIO Device list When formatting a partition or volume that is used for SQL Server data files, Microsoft recommends a 64-KB allocation unit size for data, logs, and tempdb, as shown in Figure 13. Please note that using allocation unit sizes greater than 4 KB does not allow the use of NTFS compression on the volume. Although not recommended, SQL Server does support read-only data on compressed volumes. A total of 38 volumes were presented to the server by the HPE MSA 2052 (20 x 500 GB for the DWFT database, 18 x 250 GB for tempdb). Figure 13. Windows formatting options for HPE MSA volumes Figure 14 shows formatted volumes as they appear in Disk Management on the server.
Technical white paper Page 12 Figure 14. HPE MSA volumes in Windows Disk Management tool Volumes from the HPE MSA 2052 were configured as NTFS mount points in Windows instead of drive letters, as required by the DWFT testing tool. These are shown in Figure 15. Figure 15. Added HPE MSA 2052 volumes as they appear on the server
Technical white paper Page 13 Windows power options were set to high performance, as shown in Figure 16. Figure 16. Windows Server 2016 Power Options
Technical white paper Page 14 SQL Server setup The SQL Server 2017 Enterprise Edition installation options only included the database engine and client connectivity tools, as shown in Figure 17. Figure 17. SQL Server 2017 installation options The client tools, SQL Server Management Studio, are downloaded and installed separately. The following settings are specific to the Microsoft DWFT documentation. Changes from Microsoft s SQL 2014 Fast Track v5 documentation provides changes from the DWFT documentation that no longer pertain to SQL Server 2017. By default, SQL sets Degree of parallelism to auto (0), which uses all logical processors on the server. A 1 TB database was generated with the Fast Track Reference Point client for testing with two CPUs, consisting of 20 total files, with each having its own MSA volume. 18 total tempdb files were created, one per HPE MSA volume, as shown in Figure 18. SQL best practices recommend anywhere from ¼ to ½ the number of tempdb files to the number of CPU cores. In this test, two CPUs had a total of 36 cores, so half the number of tempdb files were used.
Technical white paper Page 15 Figure 18. SQL Server 2017 Database Properties for tempdb Note Half of the Data Warehouse Fast Track tests use column store indexes and the configuration information below is critical to testing. Changes from Microsoft s SQL 2014 Fast Track v5 documentation also details the following important configuration change: In the Windows Local Group Policy Editor, Lock pages in memory was set to the service account being used for SQL server, as shown in Figure 19. This is used in conjunction with SQL Server startup switch -T834. If this setting is used with the column store indexes, it will also cause memory use past the Memory Grant settings and adversely affect server performance. Refer to Microsoft KB article 3210239 for details. Enabling the Lock pages in memory setting alone in group policy does not affect column-store-based tests.
Technical white paper Page 16 Figure 19. Lock pages in memory policy In the SQL Resource Governor, Memory Grant was set to 12%, following the DWFT testing guidelines for two physical processors, as shown in Figure 20. Figure 20. Resource Governor Properties SQL memory was set to 118 GB (out of 512 GB total system RAM), following the DWFT testing guidelines for two physical processors, as shown in Figure 21.
Technical white paper Page 17 Figure 21. SQL memory configuration Best practices and configuration guidance for the solution Changes from Microsoft s SQL 2014 Fast Track v5 documentation At the time of this writing, there was no Microsoft Fast Track document for SQL 2017. The following SQL Server changes were documented by HPE storage engineers. SQL 2017 no longer requires any of the startup switches (-E, -T117, and -T118) referenced in the Fast Track v.5 User guide documentation, due to optimizations that are now enabled by default. Lock pages in memory is enabled via the Group Policy editor. SQL service user should be added to the user permissions list. Enabling Large page allocation with startup flag -T834 is used in conjunction with the Lock pages in memory setting listed above, FOR ROW STORE INDEXES ONLY. Enabling this startup switch with column store indexes will cause memory allocation past the Memory Grant setting and severely affect server performance. Refer to Microsoft KB article 3210239 for details. Enabling the Lock pages in memory setting alone in group policy does not affect column-store-based tests. Changing the MSA port mode If using a Fibre Channel switch, make sure that the ports are zoned properly to allow the HPE MSA 2052 and HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server to communicate with each other. If the HPE MSA 2052 has been previously configured for iscsi only or mixed mode, the ports should be set to FC only. Changing the host protocol on the HPE MSA can only be done using the command line interface (CLI). 1. Connect to the HPE MSA 2052 CLI by following the instructions in: Connecting to the HPE MSA CLI management port. 2. Log in to the CLI and verify the port mode by entering the show ports command, as shown in Figure 22.
Technical white paper Page 18 Figure 22. HPE MSA port mode list via CLI Fibre Channel only mode 3. Use the set host-port-mode FC command to change the controller mode, as shown in Figure 23. Figure 23. HPE MSA CLI command to change port mode Summary This white paper highlights how Hewlett Packard Enterprise can deliver a DWFT solution for Microsoft SQL Server 2017 that enables customers to deploy a reliable, tested, and validated configuration. It combines the industry-leading HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server with the entry-level HPE MSA 2052 storage array to provide a Microsoft-certified SQL Server 2017 DWFT solution. This solution provides the following benefits: Rapid time-to-value with Microsoft-validated DWFT configuration for SQL Server 2017 Outstanding performance on the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server with the leading entry-level HPE MSA 2052 storage array Competitive enterprise features at an SMB price point Simplified solution with one vendor for the entire scalable stack
Technical white paper Page 19 High-availability offerings from all areas of the hardware setup Complete customer support for purchasing, setting up, and configuring both hardware and software solution components Best practices for 40 TB user-rated capacity Flexible storage solution with ability to expand capacity as your business needs grow. HPE MSA 2052 storage can expand to support up to seven additional drive enclosures. Power efficiency with over 4,000 MB/sec logical scan rate user query throughput, which includes reads from RAM/buffer cache Accelerated performance with over 3,600 MB/sec measured I/O throughput as a calculated midpoint of the Scan Rate Physical and the Scan Rate Logical rates HPE s SQL Server Data Warehouse Fast Track solutions eliminate the complexity of sizing server and storage and provide a set of certified data consumption rates with competitive benefits. Customers can now take full advantage of their hardware investment by deploying a flexible and robust SQL Server Data Warehouse solution, all while staying within budget and focusing on their business goals.
Technical white paper Page 20 Data Warehouse Fast Track results Figure 24 shows the Microsoft DWFT certification results. Figure 24. Microsoft DWFT certification results
Technical white paper Page 21 Appendix A: Bill of materials Listed below are the major components used in testing this solution. This is not an exhaustive requirements list. For example, power and cabling details are not listed as these items are often different for each organization. Table 1. Hardware bill of materials Qty Part Number Description HPE ProLiant Server 1 868703-B21 HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 8 SFF CTO Server 16 815100-B21 HPE 32GB 2Rx4 PC4-2666V-R Smart Kit 2 872344-B21 HPE 480GB SATA 6G MU SFF SC DS SSD 2 826878-L21 HPE DL380 Gen10 Intel Xeon-Gold 6140 (2.3GHz/18-core/150W) FIO Processor Kit 2 Q0L14A HPE StoreFabric SN1200E 16Gb Dual Port Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter 1 804331-B21 HPE Smart Array P408i-a SR Gen10 Ctrlr 1 733660-B21 HPE 2U SFF Easy Install Rail Kit 2 865408-B21 HPE 500W FS Plat Ht Plg LH Pwr Sply Kit 1 871148-B21 Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Standard Edition ROK 16 Core HPE MSA 2052 Storage 1 Q1J03A HPE MSA 2052 SAN Dual Controller SFF Storage 22 N9X91A HPE MSA 1.6TB 12G SAS Mixed Use SFF (2.5in) 3yr Warranty Solid State Drive 2 N9X96A HPE MSA 800GB 12G SAS Mixed Use SFF (2.5in) 3yr Warranty Solid State Drive 1 C8R24B HPE MSA 16Gb Short Wave Fibre Channel SFP+ 4-pack Transceiver (Includes four x 16Gb SW FC SFPs) HPE Networking 1 C8R08A HPE SN6000B 16Gb 48-port Bundled Fibre Channel Switch Glossary IOPS - Input/Output Operations Per Second DWFT Data Warehouse Fast Track SSMS SQL Server Management Studio SMU Storage management utility SSD Solid state drive
Technical white paper Page 22 Resources, contacts, and additional links HPE links: HPE MSA 2052 Storage HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server HPE Reference Architectures HPE Servers HPE Storage HPE Networking Microsoft links: Microsoft SQL Server Microsoft Data Warehouse Fast Track SQL Server To help us improve our documents, please provide feedback at hpe.com/contact/feedback. Learn more at HPE Data Storage hpe.com/storage Sign up for updates Copyright 2017 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for Hewlett Packard Enterprise products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. Hewlett Packard Enterprise shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Server are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. a00037408en_us, December 2017, Rev 1