Database Server Hardware Architecture

Hi.
I am in the process of "ramping-up" (read: spending more money)
on a home project. To date, I have done the web and database
development on the same machine. I have been advised to put the
DB stuff on its own box. My question is, what kind of box should this
be? What are the essentials when buying hardware for a DB connection
(ie. serverboard vs. workstation motherboard, speen, disk space,
etc).
Thanks for any tips and advice you have."pbd22" <dushkin@.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1175186968.716011.45140@.p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> Hi.
> I am in the process of "ramping-up" (read: spending more money)
> on a home project. To date, I have done the web and database
> development on the same machine. I have been advised to put the
> DB stuff on its own box. My question is, what kind of box should this
> be? What are the essentials when buying hardware for a DB connection
> (ie. serverboard vs. workstation motherboard, speen, disk space,
> etc).
"It depends" a lot on the nature of your data.
However, databases tend to like lots of RAM and fast disk channels.
I'd have at least 2 separate disk channels with RAID 1 (or other raid such
as 10, or 5/50 for data) for data and logs.
And as much RAM as your version of SQL Server can use.
But beyond that, impossible to really advise w/o knowing more about your
database setup.
> Thanks for any tips and advice you have.
>
--
Greg Moore
SQL Server DBA Consulting Remote and Onsite available!
Email: sql (at) greenms.com http://www.greenms.com/sqlserver.html|||Waiting for more infos about your database, i suggest another point of view:
I suppose that "home project" means something developed for your pleasure.
If not, and especially if you intend expose on the Network your Web Server,
it's strongly recommended to protect the dbserver (this probably would be the
meaning of "...its own box"). At the box should added security (firewalling
and so on...)
Gilberto
"Greg D. Moore (Strider)" wrote:
>
>
> "pbd22" <dushkin@.gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1175186968.716011.45140@.p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> > Hi.
> >
> > I am in the process of "ramping-up" (read: spending more money)
> > on a home project. To date, I have done the web and database
> > development on the same machine. I have been advised to put the
> > DB stuff on its own box. My question is, what kind of box should this
> > be? What are the essentials when buying hardware for a DB connection
> > (ie. serverboard vs. workstation motherboard, speen, disk space,
> > etc).
> "It depends" a lot on the nature of your data.
> However, databases tend to like lots of RAM and fast disk channels.
> I'd have at least 2 separate disk channels with RAID 1 (or other raid such
> as 10, or 5/50 for data) for data and logs.
> And as much RAM as your version of SQL Server can use.
> But beyond that, impossible to really advise w/o knowing more about your
> database setup.
>
> >
> > Thanks for any tips and advice you have.
> >
> --
> Greg Moore
> SQL Server DBA Consulting Remote and Onsite available!
> Email: sql (at) greenms.com http://www.greenms.com/sqlserver.html
>
>|||On Mar 30, 3:34 am, Gilberto Zampatti
<GilbertoZampa...@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> Waiting for more infos about your database, i suggest another point of view:
> I suppose that "home project" means something developed for your pleasure.
> If not, and especially if you intend expose on the Network your Web Server,
> it's strongly recommended to protect the dbserver (this probably would be the
> meaning of "...its own box"). At the box should added security (firewalling
> and so on...)
> Gilberto
> "Greg D. Moore (Strider)" wrote:
>
> > "pbd22" <dush...@.gmail.com> wrote in message
> >news:1175186968.716011.45140@.p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> > > Hi.
> > > I am in the process of "ramping-up" (read: spending more money)
> > > on a home project. To date, I have done the web and database
> > > development on the same machine. I have been advised to put the
> > > DB stuff on its own box. My question is, what kind of box should this
> > > be? What are the essentials when buying hardware for a DB connection
> > > (ie. serverboard vs. workstation motherboard, speen, disk space,
> > > etc).
> > "It depends" a lot on the nature of your data.
> > However, databases tend to like lots of RAM and fast disk channels.
> > I'd have at least 2 separate disk channels with RAID 1 (or other raid such
> > as 10, or 5/50 for data) for data and logs.
> > And as much RAM as your version of SQL Server can use.
> > But beyond that, impossible to really advise w/o knowing more about your
> > database setup.
> > > Thanks for any tips and advice you have.
> > --
> > Greg Moore
> > SQL Server DBA Consulting Remote and Onsite available!
> > Email: sql (at) greenms.com http://www.greenms.com/sqlserver.html
Thanks all for your advice. Gilberto, indeed this is a stand-alone DB
server
but, per your firewalling suggestion, would you advise putting an
additional
router in between the connection from the web server and the DB box?
Or,
should the operating system's own firewalling software be sufficient
protection?
thanks again.|||Honestly i have poor skill in firewalling software; however i think that a
separated firewall would work better, considering that in this case you let
both your servers (application and DB) better devoted to their natural
"vocation", not spending CPU and resources do defend your network against
intrusions.
Gilberto
"pbd22" wrote:
> On Mar 30, 3:34 am, Gilberto Zampatti
> <GilbertoZampa...@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> > Waiting for more infos about your database, i suggest another point of view:
> > I suppose that "home project" means something developed for your pleasure.
> > If not, and especially if you intend expose on the Network your Web Server,
> > it's strongly recommended to protect the dbserver (this probably would be the
> > meaning of "...its own box"). At the box should added security (firewalling
> > and so on...)
> > Gilberto
> >
> > "Greg D. Moore (Strider)" wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > > "pbd22" <dush...@.gmail.com> wrote in message
> > >news:1175186968.716011.45140@.p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> > > > Hi.
> >
> > > > I am in the process of "ramping-up" (read: spending more money)
> > > > on a home project. To date, I have done the web and database
> > > > development on the same machine. I have been advised to put the
> > > > DB stuff on its own box. My question is, what kind of box should this
> > > > be? What are the essentials when buying hardware for a DB connection
> > > > (ie. serverboard vs. workstation motherboard, speen, disk space,
> > > > etc).
> >
> > > "It depends" a lot on the nature of your data.
> >
> > > However, databases tend to like lots of RAM and fast disk channels.
> >
> > > I'd have at least 2 separate disk channels with RAID 1 (or other raid such
> > > as 10, or 5/50 for data) for data and logs.
> >
> > > And as much RAM as your version of SQL Server can use.
> >
> > > But beyond that, impossible to really advise w/o knowing more about your
> > > database setup.
> >
> > > > Thanks for any tips and advice you have.
> >
> > > --
> > > Greg Moore
> > > SQL Server DBA Consulting Remote and Onsite available!
> > > Email: sql (at) greenms.com http://www.greenms.com/sqlserver.html
>
> Thanks all for your advice. Gilberto, indeed this is a stand-alone DB
> server
> but, per your firewalling suggestion, would you advise putting an
> additional
> router in between the connection from the web server and the DB box?
> Or,
> should the operating system's own firewalling software be sufficient
> protection?
> thanks again.
>|||On 29 Mar 2007 09:49:28 -0700, "pbd22" <dushkin@.gmail.com> wrote:
>I am in the process of "ramping-up" (read: spending more money)
>on a home project. To date, I have done the web and database
>development on the same machine. I have been advised to put the
>DB stuff on its own box. My question is, what kind of box should this
>be? What are the essentials when buying hardware for a DB connection
>(ie. serverboard vs. workstation motherboard, speen, disk space,
>etc).
Besides other good advice, know that SQLServer likes multiple
processors. A single dual-core is good and might do you for a start,
but depending on your anticipated load, more might be (much) better.
When things go mondo you'll want to go 64-bit, but that's probably
overkill at the moment. Say, 4gb RAM would be a good start.
If the database is large and the contents valuable, you'll need some
backup plans. These days it's probably easiest to buy a stack of USB
drives and/or burn DVDs regularly, but do plan ahead!
Again, if the system is likely to be heavily loaded, gigabit LAN is a
good thing, too.
J.