Database Reference
In-Depth Information
nonvirtualized database, and you should not treat it any differently from when you install
the database on a physical infrastructure.
To illustrate the point that you should treat a virtualized database installation in the
same way you would a physical implementation, let's look at some common things you
would normally take into consideration during an installation and see if they change in
any way.
1.
Make sure the physical hardware and software configuration is sufficient to
support the version of SQL Server you are about to install.
In a virtualized infrastructure, this still holds true. You would want to make sure
the virtual machine is sized appropriately. Does it have enough RAM to support
the database version you are about to install? Is the operating system version and
patch level appropriate? Is there enough disk space? Do you have at least the
minimum X86 or X64 processor speed required?
2.
It is important to make sure the Disk layout and IOPS requirement as configured
are adequate to meet the demands the database will place upon the storage layer.
Taking into consideration the storage layer available to you, will the IOPS
capability of the disk meet the requirements of the database? What is the optimal
way to lay out the database with storage infrastructure available to you? When
laying out the database, where should TempDB be placed? Where should the
transaction logs be placed? Where should the Data and Index segments be placed?
These considerations are the same for both the physical implementation of the
database and the virtual implementation of the database.
3.
Does the account where the database is installed from have the appropriate
Permissions assigned to it to support the database installation?
When you install a SQL Server database, it's important to make sure the account
you are installing from has the appropriate permissions. Anyone who has ever had
to deal with a permissions problem knows firsthand how important this is. This is
just as important an issue for when a database is virtualized.
As you can see, these and many more considerations are the same when installing any
SQL Server database. If you take the same care you would to install a database on a
physical infrastructure, all will go well. The important thing is to make sure the
environment, both the physical host and virtual machine, is sized to give the database the
resources it needs when it needs them.
Tip
When installing your database on a virtualized infrastructure, follow the same
installation guidelines you would on a physical infrastructure.
