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Figuring Hardware Setup for Critical Dbase 1

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pabowen

Programmer
Nov 6, 2002
95
US
I am working on a Critical database system that is currently working on an underpowered server (Compaq DL380, dual 1.2ghz, 6 gbyte memory, Dual Raid 1 Arrays) The server was not originally meant to handle the heavy load this server currently handles.

As a consequence I sit most often at 80% plus CPU usage on both CPU's and often max at 100% causing user timeouts.

Compaq/HP has a Hardware 'Sizer' tool for SQL 2000 that takes your input and recommends hardware configurations.

Some of the input items it wants are:
- Maximum per Hour Transaction Rate
- Maximum number of database connections
- Amount of HD space Reserved for DBase (Current Dbase is @ 2 Gbyte 'when shrunk' - and growing)
- Amount of Space to Reserve for the Transaction Log (at Last look it was about 10gbyte)

The utility Compaq/HP provides assumes you don't already have a system in production. Well, I do and would like to use actual data as opposed to AWAG (A wild arse guess).

How can I measure the Maximum Per Hour Transaction Rate and Maximum number of dbase Connections. Is there an easy way to monitor the system for these, or is there a utility I can use?

Also what considerations should I provide for the Dbase and Transaction Log space?

This server has about 250 Active Users on it constantly, and at least 10 services pushing transactions in the background.

Any Help or Suggestions you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
See sp_monitor in SQL BOL. You could schedule a job to run sp_monitor every hour and store the results in a table. The packets_recieved counter will show how many query batches were received. This should be roughly equivalent to "Maximum Per Hour Transaction Rate."

sp_monitor also proves the total number of coinnections during a time period However, that is not the same as "Maximum number of dbase Connections."

You can use the Performance Monitor to get the max number of connections. You may want to read out "How to Do SQL Server Performance Trend Analysis Part 1: Using Performance Monitor to Log Data" by Brad McGehee."

If you want to get the best answer for your question read faq183-874 and faq183-3179.
Terry L. Broadbent - DBA
SQL Server Page:
 
Try using the system Performance Monitor which supports a number of SQL performance options, including transaction rates, sizes, connections etc. This can be logged to a file at intervals that you specify etc. I have used this a number of times and has been usefull.
 
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