Database Management; Performance Tuning; Increasing Available Storage In The Nas 8000 - HP StorageWorks 8000 - NAS User Manual

@ filename1 = '\\NAS8000\somepath\somefile.mdf'
:
@filenamex = '\\NAS8000\somepath\somefile.ldf'
The SQL command sp_detach_db takes the specified database "offline" so that it is in a consistent state and
cannot be accessed by any user. Once the database is offline, its data/log files are available to be moved
or copied. It is not necessary to move all of the data files or transaction logs associated with a database.
The data / log files can reside on both the SQL Server and on the NAS 8000; however, please read the
section below on NVRAM for important considerations if the data/log files are to be spread across multiple
systems.
The SQL command sp_attach_db is used to bring a database back "online". The database name, the full
path of the primary data file and the full path of all data/log files that have move or changed names, are
required parameters. The order of the parameters is not significant. The parameter names @filename1,
@filename2... increase sequentially for as many files that need to be named. Please refer to the SQL Server
documentation for more information on the sp_detach_db and sp_attach_db commands as well as on
moving databases.

database management

Utilizing the NAS 8000 for database storage does not substantially change the database administration
tasks. In many instances, use of the NAS 8000 may actually make certain administrative tasks easier. One
example of this could be the backup plan for a mission critical database. In creating and/or maintaining a
database, the only differences are those that have been previously described.

performance tuning

One of the many benefits of utilizing the NAS 8000 as storage for SQL Server databases is that the NAS
8000 will relieve the Windows server's CPU from many of the tasks associated with managing and
accessing direct-attach storage. For example, many server systems use CPU resources to manage (and/or
perform) RAID level protection such as striping or mirroring on their storage. The VA 7xxx storage
subsystem of the NAS 8000 utilizes HP AutoRAID
protecting the data, even from multiple, simultaneous disk failures. The intelligence of the NAS 8000
storage subsystem relieves the CPU of the NAS 8000 from the overhead of many storage tasks, freeing it to
process the data requests from the attached client(s). Performance tuning is an interesting topic as it
involves performance tuning the network, the Windows server(s) and SQL Server to work well with the NAS
8000, rather than just performance tuning the NAS 8000. While the general concepts of tuning a
database homed on the NAS 8000 are the same as for a database stored on Direct-Attach Storage, there
are some differences. However, the general guidelines for performance tuning any database still apply.
There are several tunable parameters that can be accessed through the Command View NAS and
Command View SDM GUIs. It is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss these parameters and how to
tune them. However, there is a white paper (Performance Tuning SQL Server on the NAS 8000) dedicated
to performance tuning including a discussion of NAS 8000 tunable parameters. This white paper is
located off of the NAS 8000 home page. Additionally, there are several product options that can be
implemented to increase data throughput, such as increasing the speed/bandwidth of the network by
adding multiple/faster NIC cards, directly attaching the NAS 8000 to the Windows server through one or
more NIC cards with cross over cables, etc.

increasing available storage in the NAS 8000

Increasing the amount of storage available to a file volume can usually be accomplished without
interrupting service. If there is unassigned space available in the VA 7xxx array, the unassigned space can
be pooled into one or more LUNs. These new LUNs can be added to existing volume group(s), thereby
increasing storage space available to all file volumes within those volume groups. When there is
unallocated space in a volume group, the space can be assigned to any (one or more) file volumes within
the volume group. The size of a file volume can be increased through the Command View NAS GUI, but
cannot be decreased. If all available storage has been assigned, then hard drives can be added to the VA
7xxx enclosure if there are open drive bays. Up to 15 hard drives can be placed in the VA 7100, and up
tm providing RAID levels 0, 1 and 5DP, automatically
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