Doing research before you implement is great, but in the end it comes down to the final decisions you make.
With many organizations already exceeding 75% server virtualization (source: Gartner), and much attention focused on the IT infrastructure underneath virtualized Microsoft SQL Server environments, there is a wealth of good guidance out there to help you steer the right course.
If you haven’t started down the path to a virtualized SQL environment or haven’t refreshed technology lately, let me synthesize what I’ve read and learned from talking to hundreds of companies. I’ll also direct you to at least one thing that will definitely provide you with a significant ROI.
As the proliferation of database instances occur, many midsize organizations galvanized around a core set of needs: reducing costs, improving ease of use, and improving performance. These organizations often picked Microsoft SQL Server because the license costs are low, SQL Server is integrated nicely with other Microsoft products they use, and there is a big pool of SQL administrator talent that is reasonably priced. However, they consistently mentioned that the desired outcome was only met if their IT infrastructure improved performance and utilization with each software license they deployed. They also mentioned, that results were only achieved if their infrastructure did not increase storage capacity linear to the number of database copies kept and if the infrastructure was exceptionally flexible to accommodate changes as they arose.
A virtualized SQL Server environment that uses Dell EMC Unity storage systems delivers these results. Unity is a highly intelligent, multicore & port optimized, All-Flash designed storage system. It provides high levels of performance for low-latency transactional I/O and high-throughput analytic workloads. It allows organizations to do more work with their existing SQL Server licenses or any new licenses bought. Unity also provides the ability for each application developer to have their own database instances without the organization experiencing a matching increase in storage costs and capacity. Regarding simplicity, with over 90+ integration points with VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V, Unity’s UI is exceptionally easy to use. For example, a DBA can choose to manage Unity through Microsoft System Center or VMware vCenter, never touching the Unity UI at all.
I invite you to learn more about why Dell EMC Unity is the best storage solution for virtualized SQL Server environments. You can get the salient points from a quick read of the Solution Overview, “Dell EMC Unity for Microsoft SQL Server: Optimized all-flash storage for virtualized SQL environments” or by watching the short video, . If you want detailed implementation guidance you can read the whitepaper “Microsoft SQL Server Consolidation Solution for Dell EMC Unity”.
I’m confident you will find these new documents beneficial, whether you are embarking on a virtualized Microsoft SQL Server journey for the first time or reengineering.