QLogic 10000 Series Accelerating Microsoft SQL Server Beyond Large Server Memory - Manual

SN0430970-00 Rev. A 02/14 1
White Paper
The QLogic 10000 Series Adapter Provides
Greater Benefits Than DRAM Caching
The QLogic FabricCache™ 10000 Series Fibre Channel
Adapter addresses the shortcomings of server-based DRAM
caching and accelerates the performance of SQL databases
to new levels.
KEY FINDINGS
Acceleration of Microsoft SQL Server databases is driven by the
performance capability of the storage solution. While server-based
Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) caching can accelerate SQL
performance, it has several limitations. The QLogic FabricCache 10000
Series Fibre Channel Adapter addresses the shortcomings of server-based
DRAM caching and accelerates the performance of SQL databases to new
levels. By integrating Fibre Channel storage network connectivity, sharable
flash caching, and full hardware offload, the QLogic FabricCache 10000
Series Adapter makes caching I/O data from SQL entirely transparent to
the host, improves scalability, and reduces complexity.
INTRODUCTION
Storage I/O limitations are the primary performance bottleneck for
enterprise database applications like Microsoft SQL Server. Recent
advancements in multi-core CPU technology have only served to widen
the gap between processors and storage performance. SQL database
administrators have long been searching for ways to accelerate and scale
performance as the size of the database and the number of users grows
larger. Caching has evolved to be the most effective method to accelerate
SQL performance, and there are several ways to implement caching.
This paper compares two of the methods: server DRAM caching and
sharable, server-based, flash-based caching as supported by the QLogic
FabricCache 10000 Series Adapter. The information provided includes
guidance on when it is appropriate to use DRAM caching and when it is
advantageous to use the FabricCache Adapter to accelerate Microsoft SQL
Server application performance.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
With the volume of data worldwide expected to grow by 50 percent
each month, new challenges are being created for companies that
are determined to get the highest performance from their database
resources while increasing efficiencies wherever possible. With
dropping DRAM prices, a tempting solution may be to use large
amounts of server DRAM as cache for Microsoft
® SQL Server ®
database acceleration. While this method can provide positive results,
the approach is not without burdens and limitations. Among them,
DRAM cache is “captive” to the individual server it is housed in.
Thus, it is not sharable with clustered server groups. DRAM cache is
cost-prohibitive for larger-sized databases when specialized servers
or ultra-high density DRAM modules must be employed. Combined,
these drawbacks prescribe that the best use for DRAM caching is for
smaller databases in single-node servers where database sizes and
high-availability requirements are not expected to evolve significantly.
QLogic ® FabricCache™ 10000 Series Adapter delivers an optimized
solution to address enterprise application acceleration challenges
head on. It transparently combines enterprise server I/O connectivity
with industry-standard, flash-based storage to enable sharable,
server-based caching. This shared caching architecture provides
dramatic and scalable performance improvements for today’s
virtualized and distributed workloads. The enterprise workloads span
the data center and run complex, business-critical applications like
online transaction processing (OLTP) and online analytical processing
(OLAP) on Microsoft SQL Server databases. The QLogic 10000
Series Adapter is a distinctive approach to server-based caching and
addresses the problems of using large amounts of server DRAM for
caching SQL databases.
Accelerating Microsoft SQL Server Beyond
Large Server Memory