The document is an introductory guide on SQL Server for SharePoint users, emphasizing the crucial role of SQL performance in SharePoint functionality. It covers topics such as common problems faced by non-dedicated database administrators, configuration tips, maintenance strategies, and resources for further support. The author also discusses best practices for database management and troubleshooting specific issues related to SharePoint databases.

1. SQL Server for
SharePoint geeks
A gentle introduction
Thomas Vochten • September 8, 2011

2. About Me
• SharePoint Infrastructure Consultant at
Atos (before Siemens IT Solutions & Services)
• Accidental DBA
• Lousy .NET developer
thomasvochten.com
@thomasvochten

3. What we’ll cover
• Disclaimer
• Who needs a DBA anyway?
• Importance of SQL for SharePoint
• The SQL Landscape
• Configuration tips
• Common problems
• Troubleshooting Tips
• Counter Intelligence
• Resources

4. Disclaimer
• There are no exact truths in SQL
• The standard answer always is...

5. PART 1 - SETTING THE SCENE

6. Who needs a DBA anyway?
• A quick poll...
Who manages a production SQL instance
that isn’t a *real* DBA?
• Don’t worry - you’re not alone...
Meet the “Accidental” or
“Involuntary” DBA

7. Common Problems
• Data and log file management
• Backups
• Corruption
• Performance troubleshooting
• Index fragmentation
• Configuration issues

8. Importance for SharePoint
• SharePoint performance = SQL performance
• All your data is in a database
• The’re a lot of them:

9. SharePoint Databases
Other Important Considerations
• Capacity planning
• Performance planning
• HA / DR requirements
• Information Architecture
• Limits & Boundaries: from 100 GB to 200 GB to 4 TB and
beyond

10. Why SharePoint makes DBAs cry
• GUIDs all over the place
• Don’t touch! support policy

11. Getting rid of the GUID
• Grey wizard is good
• White wizard is bad

12. SQL Landscape
Software Requirements
• SharePoint 2010 requires 64 bit all the way
• SQL Server 2008 R2 is your best friend
• Other 2008 or 2005 editions are supported too
Editions
• Standard or Enterprise?

13. Standard vs Enterprise
• Hardware
Standard Enterprise
# CPU 4 8
Memory 64 GB 2 TB
• Enterprise-Only
• Snaphots
• TDE
• More online operations
• PowerPivot

14. What about RBS?
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should
Pro
• Potentially cheaper storage
• Move-SPSite (after SP1)
• Disk I/O optimizations
Cons
• Backup / restore complexity
• Not supported together with mirroring
• General operational burden
• 3rd party software

15. A case for RBS
• Heavily focused on document libraries
• The vast majority ( >70%) of those files exceed 1MB in size.
• The SharePoint content databases holding these files are
relatively large ( >200GB) now or in the immediately
foreseeable future
• You have Disaster Recovery tools that are either directly RBS
aware, or have processes designed to synchronize backups
• You have highly skilled, expert SQL and Windows
administration staff that is currently or has the capacity and
directive to be well trained in RBS use, administration, and
troubleshooting
[Source: Chris Mullendore, MSFT PFE]

16. PART 2 - CONFIGURATION TIPS

17. Pre Setup (1)
• Use the latest service pack
• Consider the latest cumulative update
• Different databases: different I/O needs
TempDB
Logs
Search DB’s
Content DB’s

18. Pre Setup (2)
• Use a normal domain user account as service account
• Learn about instant file initialization
• Learn about “lock pages in memory”
• Check partition alignment
• Perform a stresstest with sqlio

19. Setup
• Choose the right product features
• Change the default database paths
• Put TempDB in the right place immediately
• Only use Windows Authentication Mode

20. Post Setup
• Make sure SQL Server Agent is started
• Check Windows Firewall
• Explore server & database options
• Minimum & maximum memory usage
• Set fill factor to 80% for SharePoint
• MAXDOP to 1 for SharePoint
• Backup compression
• Autogrowth settings
• # of database files per database
• Model database (not for SharePoint)
• Create and test SQL aliases on your SharePoint servers
• Pregrow your SharePoint databases!

21. Maintaining SQL
• Check database integrity weekly with DBCC CHECKDB
• Look at index fragmentation
• Learn about Maintenance Plans
*Source: “Database Maintenance for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products” (revised)+

22. Caution
• Shrinking database files: are you sure?
• Autoshrink: the exception to the “it depends” rule
It’s evil!

23. Common Problems, Revisited
Most common issues
• Data and log file management
• Backups
Due to lack of understanding of
• Recovery models and their influence on space and backups
• Backup types (full, differential & logs)
Recovery models
• Choosing between SIMPLE or FULL recovery model and what
they bring to the table

24. Troubleshooting Tips
Learn how to use the tools
• Perfmon
• Activity Monitor
• PAL
• Profiler
Learn the basics, like
• Don’t restart SQL server in case of corruption
• Don’t detach and reattach problematic databases

25. Counter Intelligence
Get to know your SQL server, fast!
• Blitz! scripts by Brent Ozar
• Diagnostic scripts by Glenn Berry

26. Resources
Where do I go for SQL help?
Paul Randal (blog | twitter)
Kimberly Tripp (blog| twitter)
Brent Ozar (blog| twitter)
Glenn Berry (blog| twitter)
Fancy some blogs?
http://thomaslarock.com/rankings
Get help – fast!
#sqlhelp on Twitter
We now have #sphelp too you know 

27. Quick Wins Summary
• Partition Alignment
• Instant File Initialization
• Databases & logs on different spindles
• Multiple datafiles, but not for TempDB or for logfiles
• Tune server memory usage
• Fill factor to 80%
• MAXDOP to 1
• Tune autogrowth settings
• Use SQL aliases
• Presize your databases
• Check integrity often
• No shrinking of data files (autoshrink is evil)
• Know the recovery models & their impact on drive space

28. Thank you