QLogic 10000 Series Accelerating Microsoft SQL Server Beyond Large Server Memory - Manual (Page 4)

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© 2014 QLogic Corporation. Specifications are subject to change without notice. All rights reserved worldwide. QLogic, the QLogic logo, and FabricCache are trademarks or registered trademarks of QLogic Corporation. Microsoft and SQL Server are registered trademarks of Microsoft
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White Paper Accelerating Microsoft SQL Server Beyond
Large Server Memory
DISCLAIMER
Reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the validity and accuracy of these performance tests. QLogic Corporation is not liable for any error in this
published white paper or the results thereof. Variation in results may be a result of change in configuration or in the environment. QLogic specifically
disclaims any warranty, expressed or implied, relating to the test results and their accuracy, analysis, completeness or quality.
The tables on page 3 compare limitations of DRAM caching to the QLogic
FabricCache 10000 Series Adapter and provide three examples that
illustrate when DRAM caching or the QLogic FabricCache 10000 Series
Adapter
is the appropriate choice to accelerate Microsoft SQL Server.
Note: Example 3 (in the table on the previous page) points out the need for
further analysis. In general, for existing server platforms with limited DRAM
capacity expansion, DRAM caching can be a good choice for smaller-sized
databases where the growth rate is low to moderate. Higher growth rates
or larger database sizes will require more DRAM for effective performance
acceleration. Higher amounts of DRAM will require more costly server
platforms and perhaps a need for higher density DRAM modules. These
modules come with a greater price per GB, and should be purchased from
the server vendor to maintain warranty and support. Adding DRAM to
existing servers near-term, then replacing these servers with higher-end
versions that can support higher DRAM capacities, is one way to keep
pace with growing database sizes, but it is much more expensive and
resource intensive in the long run than using the FabricCache Adapter from
the start. In the end, the decision is between the cost of the QLogic 10000
Series Adapter versus the cost of DRAM, the Fibre Channel Adapter, and
any server replacement.
SUMMARY
The use of DRAM caching for accelerating the performance of a Microsoft
SQL Server database can be an effective tool under the following
conditions:
• Non-clustered or non-virtualized single server configurations
• Databases sizes under and not expected to exceed 600GB
• Enough DRAM to cache 30 percent of the database size
• The aggregate cost of any server, DRAM, and SAN Host Bus Adapter
acquisitions is less than the cost of FabricCache Adapter
The QLogic FabricCache 10000 Series Adapter provides cost-effective
acceleration of Microsoft SQL Server databases under the following
conditions:
• Single-server configurations with database sizes above or expected to
grow beyond 600GB
• Clustered or virtualized multi-server configurations with any size
database