I have posted this into the SQL group and Windows 2003 server group, but if this is a hardware issue or OS, thought I might try this one as well.
We were having performance issues in all our applications and in order to try and determine if it was an application, the server, the cluster setup, sql setup, etc, we purchased a new, high powered server to test the application that was showing the slowest performance.
The new server has 2x Quad Core Intel Xeon Processors, 4Gb RAM (3 allocated to SQL), Dual NC373i Multifunction Gigabit, Eight 72GB 15K hard drives (2 RAID 1 for OS, 2 RAID 1 for sql logs and 3 RAID 5 for sql data) on Windows 2003 Enterprise. We are running SQL 2000 Enterprise with SP#4.
We ran a test for an hour with all users actively using the application. I ran CPU Object: % Total Processor Time, Memory Object: Pages/Sec counter, PhysicalDisk Object: Avg. Disk Queue Length, PhysicalDisk Object: Avg. Disk Sec/Transfer and Buffer Cache Hit Ratio.
The memory (avg 0.729, max 66.137 only 3 spikes), processor (avg 3.19, max 13) and bugger cache (avg 99.848, max 99.884) are all performing well.
However, the Avg disk queue for the data drive was averaging 5.838, with max of 166.110 (over 20 spikes hitting over 100 on the graph) and the avg disk sec/transfer averaging 0.103, max of 0.757 and graphs are identical to disk queue.
From what I've read, there is something wrong. Even though the application was performing well during this time, the disks are either not performing well, or the application is somehow not performing well?
We are going to be moving our other applications to this server, so if we already have red flags on the disks, it's some concern to me.
Since I am not a hardware gal, nor did I develop the application that is causing these spikes, is there anything anyone can suggest?
We were having performance issues in all our applications and in order to try and determine if it was an application, the server, the cluster setup, sql setup, etc, we purchased a new, high powered server to test the application that was showing the slowest performance.
The new server has 2x Quad Core Intel Xeon Processors, 4Gb RAM (3 allocated to SQL), Dual NC373i Multifunction Gigabit, Eight 72GB 15K hard drives (2 RAID 1 for OS, 2 RAID 1 for sql logs and 3 RAID 5 for sql data) on Windows 2003 Enterprise. We are running SQL 2000 Enterprise with SP#4.
We ran a test for an hour with all users actively using the application. I ran CPU Object: % Total Processor Time, Memory Object: Pages/Sec counter, PhysicalDisk Object: Avg. Disk Queue Length, PhysicalDisk Object: Avg. Disk Sec/Transfer and Buffer Cache Hit Ratio.
The memory (avg 0.729, max 66.137 only 3 spikes), processor (avg 3.19, max 13) and bugger cache (avg 99.848, max 99.884) are all performing well.
However, the Avg disk queue for the data drive was averaging 5.838, with max of 166.110 (over 20 spikes hitting over 100 on the graph) and the avg disk sec/transfer averaging 0.103, max of 0.757 and graphs are identical to disk queue.
From what I've read, there is something wrong. Even though the application was performing well during this time, the disks are either not performing well, or the application is somehow not performing well?
We are going to be moving our other applications to this server, so if we already have red flags on the disks, it's some concern to me.
Since I am not a hardware gal, nor did I develop the application that is causing these spikes, is there anything anyone can suggest?