Home > Workload Solutions > SQL Server > White Papers > SQL Server 2019 Best Practices on PowerEdge Servers and PowerStore T Model Arrays > Storage array
The PowerStore storage array is cloud-enabled and offers enterprise-rich data services like snapshots, replication, and many other features in a small footprint. The PowerStore storage array is highly tuned by default and does not require intensive manual tuning. In the PowerStore 5000T configuration used, there were 21 NVMe drives, each 1.92 TB in size.
Complete details of the PowerStore 5000T configuration are described in the following table:
Table 3. PowerStore 5000T configuration details
Processors | 2 x Intel® Xeon® Gold 6130 CPU @ 2.10 GHz per Node |
Cache size | 4 x 8.5 GB NVMe NVRAM |
Drives | 21 x 1.92 TB NVMe SSD |
Total usable capacity | 28.3 TB |
Front-end I/O modules | 2 x Four-Port 32 Gb FC |
Many production database systems use dedicated infrastructure. In validating the SQL Server best practices, all the Dell infrastructure was reserved for the database. No parallel workloads were running and competing for CPU, network, and storage resources. Validating best practices in a dedicated environment helped to eliminate variables that might impact test results. We understand that many environments have been consolidated and challenges can arise in tuning one database system on shared infrastructure.
The implementation of best practices might improve performance in consolidated systems, but the positive gains may not be as significant due to the shared resources. Using these best practices can mitigate some challenges by integrating Day 1, Highly Recommended configuration practices as part of provisioning an SQL Server database. As the database ecosystem is transformed by using best practices, the overall system performance may rise, and consolidated systems might perform more efficiently. Best practices offer the enterprise the ability to deploy a database with the optimal design and ecosystems with the capability to drive improved efficiencies.