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MICROSOFT SQL SERVER CONSOLIDATION SOLUTION FOR DELL EMC UNITY September 2016
ABSTRACT
This paper describes the Microsoft SQL Server database consolidation
solution with Dell EMC Unity storage platform. The solution focuses on the
consolidated environment, high performance databases, copy management,
disaster recovery, and data backup.
H15142
DELL EMC SOLUTIONS
WHITE PAPER
Copyright
2 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
EMC2, EMC, the EMC logo, Connectrix, Data Domain, FAST, FAST Cache, NetWorker, PowerPath, RecoverPoint,
Unisphere, Unity, UnityVSA, VPLEX, are registered trademarks or trademarks of EMC Corporation in the United States and
other countries. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
© Copyright 2016 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Published in the USA.
EMC believes the information in this document is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to change
without notice.
EMC is now part of the Dell group of companies
Contents
3 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Contents
Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Architecture and design ............................................................................................................... 6
Solution configuration .................................................................................................................. 9
Storage provisioning best practices .......................................................................................... 11
Performance validation ............................................................................................................... 13
Copy data management with AppSync ...................................................................................... 17
Data protection and recovery ..................................................................................................... 19
Fast integrated backup ............................................................................................................... 23
References ................................................................................................................................... 26
Overview
4 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Overview
IT organizations need a cost-effective, high performance storage solution for database
management systems (DBMSs), such as Microsoft SQL Server, to support mission-critical
applications. SQL Server databases require a storage solution that is designed for both
low-latency transactional I/O and high-throughput analytic workloads. Workload
consolidation becomes inevitable for IT organizations with decreasing budgets and
increasing pressure to maintain the same or higher level of performance. Dell EMC
Unity™ is the simple, modern, flexible, and affordable storage solution for IT organizations
looking to consolidate their mission-critical database applications.
Unity is a new family of storage systems that helps simplify and modernize the data
center. Unity delivers flexible yet affordable file and block storage for small and medium-
sized IT departments. Unity comes in two variants, Hybrid and All-Flash. The Unity All-
Flash series joins Dell EMC's portfolio of all-flash storage arrays—XtremIO®, VMAX® All
Flash and DSSD™ D5™—to ensure that no matter what a customer needs, EMC has a
solution to affordably fit any data center use case.
Figure 1. Dell EMC Unity Family
Unity is perfect for IT organizations that need a consolidated storage solution for mission-
critical SQL Server applications. Unity is very simple to manage with a clean and
integrated HTML5 user interface that streamlines operations. It offers proactive
management and monitoring through a task-oriented interface that leads the user through
daily operations and integrates with VMware and Microsoft ecosystems. Unity storage has
a modern 2U design with advanced All-Flash configuration for a high performance
system. Its performance meets the requirement of both low-latency transactional I/O and
high-throughput analytics workloads. Unity is highly affordable for any small or medium
sized IT organizations.
This white paper presents methodologies and best practices based on validated test
results for designing a consolidated SQL Server solution for Unity.
Document
purpose
Overview
5 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Unity 300F All-Flash series (identical configuration between production and protection site)
10x 3.2TB SSD drives, RAID5 (8+1) configuration with 1 hot spare
1x 4 ports Fibre Channel (FC) I/O module per SP at 8 Gb
This white paper is intended for IT administrators, storage architects, database
administrators, partners, Dell EMC employees and any other individuals involved in the
evaluation, acquisition, management, operation, or design of a Dell EMC networked
storage environment utilizing the Unity family of storage systems.
Table 1 provides definitions for some of the terms used in this white paper.
Table 1. Terminology
Term Definition
Dell EMC AppSync™ Data-protection software that simplifies and automates the
process of generating and consuming copies of production
data.
Dell EMC DD Boost™ A software option that increases backup performance,
improves backup reliability, improves operational and disaster
recovery, and allows you to better use your current
infrastructure investments.
Fibre Channel (FC) A protocol used to perform Internet Protocol (IP) and Small
Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) commands over an FC
network.
Network-attached storage
(NAS)
A file-level computer data storage server connected to a
computer network providing data access to a heterogeneous
group of clients.
Logical Unit Number (LUN) A block-level storage device that can be shared out using a
protocol such as iSCSI.
Online transaction processing
(OLTP)
A class of information systems that facilitate and manage
transaction-oriented applications, typically for data entry and
retrieval transaction processing.
Pool A repository of disks from which storage resources such as
LUNs and file systems can be created.
Dell EMC RecoverPoint® for
Virtual Machines
A disaster recovery solution for virtualized applications in
VMware environments.
REpresentational State
Transfer (REST)
A lightweight communications architecture style that enables
the execution of discrete actions against web services.
Snapshot A point-in-time view of data stored on a storage resource. A
user can recover files from a snapshot, restore a storage
resource from a snapshot, or provide access to a host.
Storage Processor (SP) A storage node that provides the processing resources for
performing storage operations as well as servicing I/O between
storage and hosts.
Components
Audience
Terminology
Architecture and design
6 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Term Definition
Dell EMC Unisphere®
An HTML5-based graphical user interface used to manage
Unity storage systems.
Unisphere Command Line
Interface (UEMCLI)
An interface that allows a user to perform tasks on the storage
system by typing commands instead of using the graphical
user interface.
Dell EMC and the authors of this document welcome your feedback on the solution and
the solution documentation. Contact EMC.Solution.Feedback@emc.com with your
comments.
Authors: Basuki Winoto, Andrew Vandamme, Joshua Roch, Traci Morrison
Architecture and design
This solution is based on the Unity 300F series storage platform, which is made highly
available across production and protection sites. The solution consolidates 16 Microsoft
SQL Server databases with OLTP-like workloads. The workloads simulate a highly
transactional, real-time application such as an ordering system. Unity All-Flash storage is
used to achieve high I/O throughput while maintaining minimal storage related latencies.
Additional software included in this solution includes AppSync, RecoverPoint for Virtual
Machines, and DD Boost.
The Unity system is available in four different models with two different variants or series.
The platform starts with the Unity 300/F and scales up to the Unity600/F. The suffix F
indicates the Unity All-Flash series. Unity 300F is used in this solution because it meets
the criteria of a modern storage system: simple, flexible, and affordable.
Based on the powerful new family of Intel E5-2600 processors, Unity All-Flash storage
systems implement an integrated architecture for block, file, and VMware Virtual Volumes
with concurrent support for native NAS, iSCSI, and FC protocols. Each system leverages
dual storage processors, 12 GB SAS back-end connectivity, and a multi-core operating
environment to deliver unparalleled performance and efficiency. Additional storage
capacity can be added via Disk Array Enclosures (DAEs).
A detailed view of the Unity 300F specification is provided below.
Model: Unity 300F
Processor: 2x Intel six-core 1.6Ghz
Memory: 48 GB
Array enclosure: 2U DPE with 25x 2.5” drives
Min/max drives: 4/150 drives
Max raw capacity: 1.5 PBs
Max I/O modules: Four modules per SP
Base 12 GB/s SAS back end: 2 x 4 lane
Max SAN hosts: 512
We value your
feedback!
Overview
Hardware
overview
Architecture and design
7 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Max number of LUNs: 500
Max LUN size: 256 TB
Refer to the Unity All-Flash Specification Sheet for more technical details. The drive
configuration is discussed in the next section.
Unity OE
Dell EMC Unity OE offers both block and file provisioning in the same enclosure. Drives
are provisioned into Pools that can be used to host both block and file data. Connectivity
is offered for both block and file protocols. For block connectivity, iSCSI and/or FC may be
used to access LUNs, consistency groups, VMware Datastores (VMFS), and VMware
Virtual Volumes.
All storage resources are provisioned from Pools. A Pool is a collection of physical disks
arranged into an aggregate group, with a form of RAID applied to the drives to provide
redundancy. The Unity All-Flash series uses either a RAID5 (8+1) or a RAID6 (14+2)
configuration.
LUNs are block-level storage resources that can be accessed by hosts over iSCSI or FC
connections. A user can create, view, manage, and delete LUNs in any of the
management interfaces – Unisphere, Unisphere CLI, and REST API. A Pool is required to
provision LUNs. LUNs may be replicated in either an asynchronous or synchronous
manner, and snapshots of LUNs may be taken.
AppSync
AppSync simplifies and automates the process of generating and consuming copies of
production data. By abstracting the underlying storage and replication technologies, and
through deep application integration, AppSync empowers application owners to satisfy
copy demand for operational recovery and data repurposing on their own. In turn, storage
administrators need only be concerned with initial setup and policy management, resulting
in an agile, frictionless environment.
AppSync automatically discovers application databases, learns the database structure,
and maps it through the virtualization layer to the underlying storage LUN. It then
orchestrates all the activities required from copy creation and validation through mounting
at the target host and launching or recovering the application. Supported workflows also
include refresh, expire, and restore production.
RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines
RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines is a hypervisor-based, software-only data protection
solution for protecting VMware virtual machines and their datastores. RecoverPoint for
Virtual Machines enables local and remote replication, allowing recovery to any point-in-
time. RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines consists of a VMware vSphere web client plug-in,
a RecoverPoint write-splitter embedded in the ESX hypervisor, which enables replication
from any storage type to any storage type, as well as a virtual appliance integrated in the
VMware ESXi server environment. RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines supports up to two
non-production copies, local and remote, allowing recovery to any point in time.
Software
overview
Architecture and design
8 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Data Domain Boost for Enterprise Applications
Dell EMC Data Domain®
Boost for Enterprise Applications (DDBEA) is an application-
direct solution that uses an enterprise application data protection framework to provide an
application centric data protection. DDBEA integrates with the following technologies:
Data Domain, a purpose-built backup appliance
DD Boost, software that distributes parts of the deduplication process to the backup server or application clients
SQL Server
As a database server, SQL Server is a software product with the primary function of
storing and retrieving data as requested by other software applications, which may run
either on the same computer or on another computer across a network (including the
Internet). The SQL Server physical components determine how the data is stored in the
file system of the operating system. The selection of the number and types of table
columns and index design has a major impact on the requirements for physical storage.
VMware
VMware vSphere 6.0 provides an ideal platform on which customers can virtualize their
business-critical applications. This solution chooses VMware vSphere 6.0 to consolidate
multiple SQL Server instances.
DiskSpd
The storage performance baseline is tested with DiskSpd Utility based on Microsoft
recommendations. This tool is a feature-rich and versatile storage testing tool that
combines robust and granular I/O workload definition with flexible runtime and output
options, creating an ideal tool for synthetic storage subsystem testing and validation.
For more information, refer to DiskSpd Utility: A Robust Storage Testing Tool.
Table 2 lists the software versions used in this solution.
Table 2. Software versions
Software Version
Dell EMC AppSync 3.0.0.0 PR-3.0.0.0-83
Dell EMC DD Boost and DD/VE 3.2.1.2-522808 and 5.7.30.2-525061
Dell EMC DDBEA (Microsoft application
agent)
3.0.0.0.0 Build 199
Dell EMC RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines 4.3.1.2(h.255)
Dell EMC Unity OE 4.0.0.7329527
Microsoft SQL Server 2012
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.0 3634793
VMware vSphere/ESXi Server 6.0.0 3825889
Solution configuration
9 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Solution configuration
This section provides the architecture diagram and configuration for this solution.
Figure 2 shows the solution architecture diagram.
Figure 2. Solution architecture diagram
The configuration for this solution is provided below.
SQL Server
16x 250 GB VMFS (Data + Temp + Log + OS + SQL Server)
16x SQL server virtual machines (2 vCPUs/32 GB RAM)
Active Directory: local drive
Two domain controllers (2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM)
Storage configuration
Unity 300F All-Flash
10x 3.2 TB SSD
21.97 TB usable
8-port FC (4-ports per SP) with Dell EMC PowerPath®
The storage array in this solution is configured according to the following layout:
1 Pool configured for 21.9 TB
Overview
Initial
configuration
Solution configuration
10 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
32 LUNs at 250 GB thin (used for testing)
1 LUN at 500 GB thin (used for management)
1 LUN at 1 TB thin (used for cloning management)
1 LUN at 250 GB thin (used for management)
Figure 3 and Figure 4 show the system view and storage array.
Figure 3. System view
Storage provisioning best practices
11 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Figure 4. Storage array
Storage provisioning best practices
Storage design is one of the most important elements of a successful SQL Server
deployment. Follow the storage guidelines described in this white paper to achieve a
storage design for optimal reliability, performance, and ease of use.
This section provides general best practices for deploying SQL Server on Unity storage
systems. Because virtualization of a SQL Server environment requires its own set of
considerations, this section also includes guidance on best practices for SQL on VMware.
For the SQL Server configuration, begin by considering the following basic requirements:
OS/SQL Server binaries
In a typical SQL Server implementation, the server is dedicated for SQL Server and
binaries are on the same LUN as the operating system. Follow Microsoft’s
recommendation for the operating system type and SQL Server version and
consider the overhead for applications that you need to install on that server.
Typical LUN sizes for the operating system, SQL Server binaries, and system
databases are 60 GB to 120 GB.
System databases
Overview
General SQL
Server storage
best practices
Storage provisioning best practices
12 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
In most environments, system databases are not frequently changed or modified
and they can be on the same LUN as the operating system. System databases
available in SQL Server 2005 and later versions include Master, Resource, MSDB,
MODEL, TempDB, Distribution, ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB.
Logs for user databases
Logs for user databases typically need low IOPs (mostly sequential writes) and are
typically not very demanding.
Tempdb
Tempdb is a global resource that is shared by all databases within an SQL Server
instance. There are many processes that use tempdb, including:
Temporary objects such as global or local temporary tables, temporary stored procedures, table variables, or cursors.
Internal objects created by the SQL Server Database Engine, for example, work tables to store intermediate results for spools or sorting.
Row versions generated by data modification transactions that use read-committed using row versioning isolation or snapshot isolation transactions.
Row versions generated by data modification transactions for features, such as online index operations, Multiple Active Result Sets (MARS), and AFTER triggers.
Because of the wide range of uses for tempdb, it is not possible to know how
transactional or I/O intensive workloads will affect performance without
performance data collection. When the tempdb database is heavily used, SQL
Server may experience contention when it tries to allocate pages. Depending
on the degree of contention, this may cause queries and requests that involve
tempdb to be unresponsive for short periods of time. Having multiple data files
adds scalability advantages especially for tempdb where activities tend to be
allocation-heavy.
User databases
User database LUNs are typically the main focus for storage design. Thin LUNs are
recommended for effective storage capacity use. The pool is configured with RAID 5 for
balanced performance and protection.
General SQL Server best practices:
Select the Lock pages in memory policy for the SQL Server start account to prevent SQL Server from swapping memory.
Set Autoshrink to Off for data and log files.
Make data files of equal size in the same file group. SQL Server uses a proportional fill algorithm that favors allocations in files with more free space.
Schedule index fragmentation checks and only reorganize or rebuild indexes that will significantly improve performance.
File group and file considerations
File group considerations in SQL Server:
File groups can be accessed in parallel.
SQL Server
basic best
practices
Performance validation
13 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Organize SQL Server data files with similar performance and protection needs into a file group when designing a database.
Create one log file in a typical environment. More log files will not improve performance.
For more information, refer to Using Files and Filegroups.
Basic best practices for storage
The following are high-level basic best practices for storage design:
Plan for performance, capacity, and protection.
When creating a volume in Windows, set the Windows allocation unit to 64 K for SQL Server database and log LUNs.
Use up-to-date manufacturer-recommended host bus adapter (HBA) drivers.
Ensure that storage array software is up-to-date.
Dell EMC strongly recommends using multipathing for availability/redundancy and
throughput optimization.
SQL Server performance characteristics can vary substantially from one environment to
another, depending on the application. These characteristics fall into two general
categories: OLTP generates mostly random read workloads, and data warehouse
generates mostly sequential read workloads. In an OLTP environment, use read/write
IOPs for storage sizing. For a data warehouse environment, use bandwidth (MBs) for
storage sizing.
For accurate performance estimates, work with Dell EMC presales to perform a workload
performance assessment using Mitrend. Mitrend is a pre-assessment tool that helps you
make informed infrastructure decisions using detailed storage utilization, configuration,
and performance information. Run tests in conditions as close to “real world” as possible.
During these tests, use performance monitor logs to capture the characteristics (such as
IOs in reads/second and writes/second and bandwidth in MB/seconds) of the volumes
used to store database files.
Performance validation
The performance and scalability of the array was measured to serve as the baseline.
This test used DiskSpd, which is available from Microsoft
(https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/DiskSpd-a-robust-storage-6cd2f223). This tool
supersedes SQLIO and is recommended for storage testing and validation.
Storage sizing
best practices
Overview
Performance validation
14 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
The solution was tested with the scenarios listed in Table 3 to simulate a sustained
workload from 16 hosts with different block sizes and a different number of hosts.
Table 3. Test scenarios for this solution
Scenario Host count Block size Sequential/random Read/write
ratio
Test #1 –
Baseline
16 8K Random 90/10,
80/20.
70/30
Test #2 –
Different
block sizes
16 8K, 16K,
32K, 64K
Random 70/30
Test #3 –
Different host
counts
8, 16, 24 8K Random 70/30
Throughout the tests, we set a sub-millisecond storage latency as the performance goal.
The following test parameters were chosen to reflect the most common conditions when
deploying a Unity storage system for the database workload:
1. All-Flash (production site), All-Flash (secondary site)
2. Virtualized environment with VMware hypervisor
3. Thin LUNs using block FC protocol
Test results are highly dependent on workload, specific application requirements, and system design and implementation. Relative system performance will vary because of these and other factors. Therefore, you should not use the solution workloads as a substitute for a specific customer application benchmark for critical capacity-planning and product-evaluation decisions.
All performance data contained in this white paper were obtained in a rigorously controlled environment. Results obtained in other operating environments might vary significantly. Dell EMC does not warranty or represent that a user can or will achieve similar performance.
The success criteria for this baseline test are:
The test demonstrated that Unity is capable of showing steady, high performance under a consolidated workload.
The test demonstrated that the solution can perform at <1 ms latency with the defined workload.
The test demonstrated that Unity scales well under the defined workload.
Unity demonstrated steady and high performance under a consolidated workload. Figure
5 shows the baseline workload profile with different read/write ratios.
Requirements
Notes on
performance
results
Results
Performance validation
15 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Figure 5. Baseline workload profiles of 10 percent, 20 percent, and 30 percent writes
Figure 5 shows the three different workloads used in the baseline performance test. All
workloads are random at 8K block size with different read/write ratios. We created three
workloads at 10 percent, 20 percent, and 30 percent writes to reflect common
transactional workloads.
As shown in Figure 6, the test results indicate that we achieved a sub-millisecond
response time goal with the baseline performance test. The goal was achieved in the 10
and 20 percent writes tests. The 30 percent writes test did not meet the goal, but are still
close to the 1 ms mark, which is considered excellent. The test results also indicate that
the high performance can be sustained over a period of 6 hours. At higher write levels, the
response time may pass the 1 ms mark.
Performance validation
16 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Figure 6. Baseline performance of 10 percent, 20 percent, and 30 percent writes
The next test demonstrated the impact of a larger block size to overall performance. Using
the same 16 hosts and 30 percent writes, testing with a larger block size showed an
increase in response time. A larger block size impacted overall performance, as shown in
Figure 7.
Figure 7. Impact of I/O sizes to performance
Table 4 is a summary of scaling impact to performance. Adding hosts to the total workload
in the array increased the overall response time. Table 4 shows that the response time
changed at a slower pace compared to the increase of the workload size. In the range
Copy data management with AppSync
17 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
between 8 to 24 hosts, incrementing the number of hosts by 100 percent causes the
response time to increase by only 33 percent.
Table 4. Response times
Number of Hosts Scale Average Response
Time (ms)
% Response Time
Increase
8 1x 0.68 0%
16 2x 0.90 33%
24 3x 1.09 60%
The test results show that the Unity platform is a great fit for consolidating workloads. It is
a perfect choice for IT organizations looking for affordable and high-performance storage.
Unity 300F, the entry level of Unity All-Flash array, can achieve a steady, sub-millisecond
performance under a sustained workload from multiple hosts. It also scales very well,
which makes Unity the perfect platform for consolidating multiple hosts without
compromising performance.
Copy data management with AppSync
AppSync, integrated with Unity snapshots, simplifies and automates the process of
generating and consuming copies of production data. This solution uses AppSync to
address copy management use cases in a consolidated database environment. AppSync
automatically discovers application databases, learns the database structure, and maps it
through the virtualization layer to the underlying storage LUN. It then orchestrates all the
activities required from copy creation and validation through mounting at the target host
and launching or recovering the application. Supported workflows include refreshing,
expiring, and restoring the production database.
For more information about using AppSync to create and managing copies of SQL Server
databases, refer to Dell EMC AppSync User and Administration Guide.
This section addresses the two main use cases in copy data management with AppSync:
database recovery from copy and copy management for database repurposing. These are
the two most common use cases found in a consolidated database environment. Admins
are required to perform a point-in-time recovery, which requires the admin to create a
copy and recover from the created copy. Admins are also required to create a copy and
mount the created copy for development, testing, or other purposes.
The main objective of this test was to show a simple copy data management operation in
a consolidated database environment.
The operational workflow test was done using the HammerDB tool to simulate SQL
Server activity during copy management work. The test parameter was configured at 5
users per server with 1 million transactions per user to reflect a common database
consolidation scenario.
Overview
Requirements
Copy data management with AppSync
18 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Unisphere, the Unity management software, provided a single, configurable panel to
observe the performance metrics during the copy data management workflow. This
allowed all tests be observed in Unisphere.
Figure 8 shows the Unisphere user interface.
Figure 8. Unisphere user interface
The main success scenario was achieved when the operational test workflow was
completed. Impact to performance is expected, but should not cause any significant
performance degradation.
The two use cases used the following test workflow:
1. Create database copies for backup acceleration:
a. Create SQL service plan: Schedule or select on demand the type of service plan: Gold, Silver, or Bronze.
b. Select Create Copy options: Server backup type Full, Copy, Non VDI – Set Expiration – Choose Storage Preference Snapshot.
c. Run service plan.
2. Restore a database back to production:
a. Select copy.
b. Back up the transaction logs.
c. Restore options.
d. Configure storage.
3. Mount copies.
Figure 9 shows that the backup process required a very short time because AppSync
uses Unity snapshots to create copies. Impact to performance is also observed after copy
creation. Unity performance remained high and still met the requirements of the
Operational test
workflow
Results
Data protection and recovery
19 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
consolidated database environment. Restoring and mounting from the copy are all made
simpler with AppSync integration with Unity snapshots. Administrators can restore and
mount databases from AppSync copies while maintaining steady performance.
Figure 9. Backup process with AppSync using Unity snapshots to create copies
Data protection and recovery
RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines was chosen to address data protection and recovery
because it provides a simple and automated solution, which helps admins easily manage
their consolidated database environment. RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines allows
replication of virtual machines with virtual machine level granularity. RecoverPoint for
Virtual Machines uses a write-splitter embedded in the ESXi hypervisor, which enables
replication.
This section covers the data protection and recovery use case with two sites: the
production site and the secondary site. With RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines integration
into Unity, the data protection and recovery scenario can be achieved by replicating the
SQL Server instances at the production site and failing over to the replicas at the
secondary site.
For more information about using RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines to create replica and
failover scenarios, refer to Dell EMC RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Product Guide.
We confirmed the following before starting this use case:
RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines was licensed and registered.
All ESXi clusters that host protected virtual machines or their copies were registered.
All datastores used for copy and production journals were registered.
Virtual machines in the same consistency group did not have the same name.
Overview
Data protection and recovery
20 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
The main objective of this test was to show a simple data protection and recovery operation in a consolidated database environment.
The operational workflow test was done with the HammerDB tool to simulate SQL Server activity during copy management work. The test parameter was configured at 5 users per server with 1 million transactions per user to reflect a common database consolidation scenario.
The test aimed to demonstrate that the solution is capable of performing a complete data protection and failover scenario.
This use case used the following workflow:
1. To protect:
a. Select the virtual machine protection method. Create a consistency group for this virtual machine. Note that adding a virtual machine to an existing consistency group results in journal loss for that group. The best practice is to protect each virtual machine in its own consistency group. Refer to the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines administration guide for more information.
b. Define the production journal and set the advanced production settings.
c. Run protection and observe the status from the Unisphere user interface.
Figure 10 shows the storage activity at production site activity during data
protection process.
Figure 10. Storage activity at production site during data protection process
The consistency group begins an initialization process. The initialization can take
a long time. After initialization, the consistency group becomes active.
Requirements
Operational test
workflow
Data protection and recovery
21 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Figure 11. Failover Wizard
2. To fail over:
a. Define the scope. Select whether you want to test the consistency group or the group set. If there are no group sets, the option is unavailable.
Note: A group set is a collection of consistency groups. In this test, we used the
consistency group and did not create any group sets.
b. Select the image. Select the image to access. You may want to start with the last known valid image.
c. Define the testing environment. The best practice is to avoid IP address conflicts between the production virtual machine and the copy virtual machine by using a dedicated testing network.
d. Complete. Run fail over and observe the status from the Unisphere user interface. Figure 12 shows the storage activity at the secondary site when the failover process is completed and the workload is picked up by the replica.
Data protection and recovery
22 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Figure 12. Storage activity at the secondary site
After failover, the production and copy virtual machine change roles, but the names do not
change. Therefore, after failover, the old production virtual machine should be
<YourVMName>, and the old copy should remain <YourVMName>.copy.
The marking information in the production journal is deleted, the copy journal is deleted,
and the consistency group undergoes a full-sweep synchronization.
Before failing back to the production, the Recovery wizard is displayed, which enables you
to select an image at the production site that predates your failover. You should verify the
image before permanently selecting it as the image you want to fail back to.
The test showed that a complete data protection and recovery use case can be performed
with this solution. The operational steps are simplified with RecoverPoint for Virtual
Machines automation.
RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines integration with Unity creates a simple data protection
and recovery system in a consolidated database environment. In this scenario, multiple
database server virtual machines are protected on the secondary site with RecoverPoint
for Virtual Machines. Both protection and failover workflows are automated. Figure 13
shows the performance impact during each data protection process and failover process.
Results
Fast integrated backup
23 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Figure 13. Performance impact during each data protection process and failover process
Fast integrated backup
Data Domain (DD) Boost aggregates multiple links into dynamic interface groups between
the application and Data Domain system. DD Boost is a perfect choice for a fast
integrated backup solution. With DD Boost, the server only sends unique data segments
to a Data Domain system.
DD Boost for Enterprise Applications (DDBEA) uses DD Boost technology for client-side
deduplication to deliver faster application backups. It also has an agent that integrates
with SQL Server.
In a consolidated database environment with Unity, DDBEA dramatically improves the
network utilization efficiency by reducing the amount of data transferred over the network.
A full backup traditionally takes a long time, requires as much space as the original data,
and consumes bandwidth as large as the data being transferred. DDBEA eliminates these
pain points from the backup process.
For more information about using DD Boost and DDBEA to optimize backup performance,
refer to Efficient Backup and Long-Term Retention for Microsoft SQL Server White Paper.
The main objective of this test was to show a fast and efficient backup operation in a
consolidated database environment.
The operational workflow test was done using the HammerDB tool to simulate SQL
Server activity during the backup process. The test parameter was configured at 5 users
per server with 1 million transactions per user to reflect a common database consolidation
scenario.
Overview
Requirements
Fast integrated backup
24 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
The test aimed to demonstrate that the solution is capable of performing a complete fast
integrated backup process. It also aimed to demonstrate that the Unity storage platform
combined with DD Boost is a cost-effective backup solution for consolidated database
environments.
This use case used the following workflow:
1. To back up:
a. Start the initial backup for all data.
Figure 14. Data Domain System Manager
b. Update day 1 to 7. Simulate an incremental daily backup for 7 days. See Table 5 for the data reduction comparison.
c. Run a full backup.
2. To restore:
a. Restore from backup.
Unity storage performance during the backup process can be observed directly in the
Unisphere user interface, as shown in Figure 15.
Operational test
workflow
Results
Fast integrated backup
25 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Figure 15. Performance while running the entire backup process
Backup efficiency is gained from the data reduction. Table 5 shows the data reduction
comparison in each backup session. The smaller backup size resulted in the overall
reduced backup duration because it only needed to write a reduced size from the original
dataset. The second full backup duration is also shorter compared to the initial full
backup.
Table 5. Data reduction comparison in each backup session
Backup Round Total Dataset Backup Size Backup Duration
Initial Full Backup 114.0 GiB 61.7 GiB 14m 25s
Incremental Backup –
Day 1
118.8 GiB 64.4 GiB 01m 01s
Incremental Backup –
Day 2
128.5 GiB 67.3 GiB 01m 13s
Incremental Backup –
Day 3
143.0 GiB 69.9 GiB 01m 20s
Incremental Backup –
Day 4
162.3 GiB 72.6 GiB 01m 45s
Incremental Backup –
Day 5
186.5 GiB 75.4 GiB 01m 53s
Incremental Backup –
Day 6
215.5 GiB 78.1 GiB 02m 11s
Incremental Backup –
Day 7
249.3 GiB 80.9 GiB 02m 26s
Full Backup 397.0 GiB 81.7 GiB 07m 06s
References
26 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Table 6 shows that a full restore requires about the same duration required for the initial
full backup.
Table 6. Full restore
Restore Total Dataset Backup Size Restore Duration
Full Restore 397.0 GiB 81.7 GiB 14m 25s
Figure 16 shows a detailed view from the backup and restore workflow.
Figure 16. Detailed view from the backup and restore workflow
DDBEA improved the backup efficiency from backup data reduction at the application
level. The overall backup size achieved a significant reduction. In this example, it realized
a reduction ratio of 4.86 with seven daily incremental simulated backups and one full
simulated backup. With a reduced amount of backup data, the restore process also
realized the benefit of a shorter, full restore duration.
References
The following documentation provides additional and relevant information. Access to
these documents depends on your login credentials. If you do not have access to a
document, contact your Dell EMC representative.
Dell EMC AppSync User and Administration Guide
Dell EMC Data Domain Operating System Command Reference Guide
Dell EMC Data Domain Operating System Administration Guide
Dell EMC RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Administrator’s Guide
Dell EMC
documentation
References
27 Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity
Dell EMC RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Installation and Deployment Guide
The following documentation on the VMware website provides additional and relevant
information:
Architecting Microsoft SQL Server on VMware vSphere
The following documentation on the Microsoft website provides additional and relevant
information:
Using Files and Filegroups
SQL Server 2016 Technical Documentation
Microsoft SQL Server Best Practices and Design Guidelines for Dell EMC Storage Solution Guide
VMware
documentation
Microsoft
documentation
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