SQL

Learning about Licensing

SQL Padre SQL, SQL 2014

So, I was working on a project for my employer trying to determine the best course of action for licensing a new instance of SQL Server (i.e. what is the cheapest way to get it legally).  And I came across something I did not know.

Found deep inside the bowels of a 40 something page document, I learned something new from the Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Licensing Guide. 

SQL Server Developer Edition
SQL Server 2014 Developer Edition is a full-function version of SQL Server software—including all of the features and capabilities of Enterprise Edition—licensed under the Developer Tools model, which is a “per user” model. One license is required for each person that accesses or uses the software.

“Per User” is what I didn’t realize.  If I translate this correctly, I purchase one Developer License and install it on a machine, only I can use it as a development box.  To open it up to a team of developers, each member of the team must purchase a Developer License.  If I have multiple development servers for a multiple person team, this could get expensive.  But hey, it is still cheaper than licensing a server by Cores and most likely cheaper than Server+CAL method.

Write this up as my “learning for the day”!

Some self reflection

SQL Padre SQL

Earlier last month, a contest was brewing to be mentored by Paul Randal (b|t).  Yes, THAT Paul Randal of SQLSkills.  Despite knowing my SQL Server level of proficiency, I figured what the heck, it can’t hurt to try and the worst that could happen is I wouldn’t win.  But in Paul’s quirky fashion, everyone won!  That’s right, I am extremely fortunate to be included in the Mentoring Class of 2015 by Paul Randal. I hope to document this experience here.

Now, that all being said, one of the first requirements beyond the obligatory “hellos” was to complete my homework Work Items.  (Eeek gad, homework?  I haven’t heard that word in a long time, not counting my kiddos of course).

They were simple: #1) Who are you? and #2) What do you want help with?  Are they really that simple though? They both all seem simple enough.  All I have to do is provide basic info about me, what I like to do and simple stuff.

It was the second “Work Item” that really got me thinking.  What do I want help with?  Really?  I could write for days where I need help: both professionally, physically, mentally, personally?  But, I didn’t want to scare Paul away so I kept my answer simplified. 

I want to learn! Knowledge is Power! 

Reflecting back on my experiences and then interacting with others in the SQL community has taught me lesson. I am only but a “notch up” from a novice.  There is so much I should learn about SQL.  I always feel like I am a step behind on everything.  I want to catch up. I want to earn my MCSE SQL 2012.  I want to be able to defend my recommendations with facts and documentation.

So Paul, if you are reading this, strap your boots on because this is going to be one hell of ride; I am dedicating the next year to learning as much as I can about SQL Server administration. And hopefully with your guidance, after this year I can say, I am a “real” Database Administrator!

Lock or not to Lock Pages in Memory, that is the quesiton!

SQL Padre SQL

We all are aware of the “standard practice” of enabling the Security Policy “Lock Page in Memory” for your SQL Server service account.  Just about everywhere you read, it is pretty much standard practice, and so like an red-blooded “Accidental DBA”, I have always used it.

Until today…, well at least for one particular machine!

Let me preface this blog post by saying: I can’t prove nor do I know how to prove that my solutions was the answer to the problem; but it hasn’t been a problem since the change.

 

Problem:

I have a physical 32 core, 448 GB RAM, SQL Server 2012 Enterprise Edition, her after referred to as “The Beast”!  Unfortunately the Beast got it’s legs chopped off at the knees.  Sometime ago, my company bought a new SAN for this server and other shared servers as well.  This new SAN, would be 10K drives with loads of storage. The Beast was used to 15K drives which would hide a myriad of query problems. This new SAN also had what the vendor called “tiered storage”.  A SSD that would be refreshed every night with ~100GB of the most used files actually read from the SAN since the previous 24 hour check to allow quick access.  I personally don’t believe this is a wise configuration for a SQL server with multiple MDF files greater than 400 GB, just sayin’! We have disabled this feature for now.

Anyway, since the new SAN went online, every so often, especially on larger READ queries, the SQL Server would crash and burn. OS RAM was maxed out to the point RDP was not accessible, SQL Server would create a SQL Mini dump referencing page latch issues and the only way to revive it was to execute a remote SHUTDOWN /r command.  This went on for a couple of months.

Solution:

Then I read, Jonathan Kehayias’ article Great SQL Server Debates: Lock Pages In Memory.  It is a little old, but it is still a good read.  Now this got me thinking, quite possibly this policy may not be for every server.  So I researched and researched the whole concept of storing data in memory, dirty pages, and everything I could about how the SQL Engine manage memory, drives and data.

So, with the thought process that my SQL server engine was trying to take more memory from the OS and literally strangle the Beast out of any life by consuming and trying to add more data pages to the Buffer and not releasing older pages, I disabled the policy Lock Pages In Memory. 

Since then, my Beast has been happy Smile.  I have noticed more writes to the MDF file in the last three weeks, not a steady increase just bursts here and there.  I am thinking that is SQL writing dirty pages back to disk, which wasn’t happening before. The Buffer cache is being swapped out with data being used vs. old data at a more consistent rate now.

At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

The Value of Mentoring

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I would like to discuss something that has been missing in my professional career, mentoring.  With a degree in psychology and a master’s in counseling, I stumbled into the IT field after 10 years of food service management. As a member of Generation-X, I have pretty much grown up with the personal computer (although it wasn’t always an IBM clone). So computer technology has always interested me.  But it wasn’t until I developed a Food Inventory Tracking system using SQL Express 2005 and Visual Basic 2005 Express edition, that realized that I could actually make a career out of being a developer. Fast forward 10 or so years, now I am a Database Administrator for a local hospital managing almost 100 SQL Server instances.

Over the years, I have played with all every Express edition Microsoft had to offer (either VB or SQL).  I have learned from doing (and breaking), reading articles, reading online forums, and  reading blogs.  All of these were an attempt to try and further my understanding of SQL Server; but the one that that was missing in all my 10 years of IT work?  A mentor.

A mentor is such a valuable gift and it should be treated as such. Growing up, I had one of the world greatest mentors in my Scoutmaster.  Mr. Emile Oestriecher, was and is to this day the best mentor one could have for life lessons.  Things he taught me by being an example are things that I live by today: honesty, integrity, loyalty and never give up.

In the SQL Server world, a mentor is just as valuable. Someone to pass on knowledge, tips, and experience.  Of course throwing questions at him would be the simplest way to learn; but getting the chance to discuss SQL Server and how to further my knowledge of it would be priceless. Sometimes the hardest part of learning something, if figuring out the best source of knowledge, especially since there are several hundreds of people who write on the subject of SQL Server.

A SQL Server mentor in my mind would be the type of person who would not give you the answers, but turn you in the right direction so you can figure out the answers yourself.  Not making you drink but definitely leading you to the water!

Learning is a never ending task in the world of SQL Server and life!  Having started may career as an “accidental” IT person, more importantly as an “Accidental DBA”, sometimes I feel I am way behind the curve of knowledge. I am hoping a mentor can help straighten that curve by at least putting me down the correct path.

So Paul Randal, I submit my blog post as a request for mentorship! I look forward to discussing with you the topic of “ways to learn”.