SQL Server Hardware

Glenn Berry

Available to buy from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Free EPUB version available to download for Simple-Talk site members here.

SQL Server Hardware will provide the fundamental knowledge and resources you need to make intelligent decisions about choice, and optimal installation and configuration, of SQL Server hardware, operating system and the SQL Server RDBMS.

Why read this book?

Relational databases place heavy demands on their underlying hardware and many of these databases are mission-critical resources for multiple applications, where performance bottlenecks are immediately noticeable and often very costly to the business. Despite this, many database administrators are not very knowledgeable about server hardware. Many medium-to-large companies have completely separate departments that are responsible for hardware selection, configuration, and maintenance, and the DBA with no knowledge of hardware is often completely at their mercy.

Likewise, many DBAs are also unaware of the performance implications of the various options and configurations for SQL Server, and the Operating System on which it is installed. Glenn Berry is a highly experienced Database Architect, teacher and SQL Server MVP, and his book is designed to provide the fundamental knowledge and resources you need to make intelligent choices about optimal installation and configuration of SQL Server hardware, operating system and the SQL Server RDBMS. It covers:

• Current, and upcoming hardware, including processors, chipsets, memory, and storage subsystems
• How to evaluate hardware for use with different types of SQL Server workloads
• Strengths and weaknesses of the various versions and editions of Windows Server, and their suitability for use with different versions and editions of SQL Server
• How to install, patch and configure the operating system for use with SQL Server
• SQL Server editions and licenses
• Installing and configuring SQL Server, including how to acquire and install service packs, cumulative updates, and hotfixes
• Methods for quickly and easily upgrading to newer versions of the operating system and SQL Server with minimal downtime

With what you learn in this book, you'll be able to ensure that your SQL Server instances can handle gracefully the CPU, memory and IO workload generated by your applications, and that the operating system and SQL Server itself are installed, patched, and configured for maximum performance and reliability.

About the Author

Glenn Berry works as a Database Architect at NewsGator Technologies in Denver, CO. He is a SQL Server MVP, and has a whole collection of Microsoft certifications, including MCITP, MCDBA, MCSE, MCSD, MCAD, and MCTS, which proves that he likes to take tests. He is also an Adjunct Faculty member at University College, University of Denver, where he has been teaching since 2000, and he has completed the Master Teacher Program. His blog can be found here and he is GlennAlanBerry on Twitter.