Managing a “0 Downtime” Shop

Managing a “0 Downtime” Shop Chris@SQLShaw.com

About Me • 15 years as a DBA (Wells Fargo, Anthem, Yellow Pages, Pulte…) • SQL Server MVP • SSWUG Conference Chair(2008-2010), SQL Connections Track Chair (2008-2009) • Chris@sqlshaw.com • http://www.linkedin.com/in/christophershaw • Twitter - SQLShaw

Session Pace • We have a long way to go and a short time to get there…. • Answers on my blog….. • If you want to talk more about something STOP me. • I may ask to take something offline. Find me after the session or at lunch

Agenda • Challenges • What is really the most important? • Recoverability • Stability • Performance

What are the Challenges are you seeing? • Bigger databases take longer to maintain. (Backups, Re-indexing, upgrades,… ) • Higher the availability the higher the price tag. (Disk space technology for a cluster is not going to be cheap) • Global Economy  Global Business/Customers  around the clock availability • Resources become harder to manage • SQL Server standard will become more challenging (table partitioning, database mirroring, backup compression, TDE) • Insufficient test environments (buy really cool hardware now do it twice) • Lack of head count • Growth Pains (fighting policies, technology debt) • Example…

Now What? • Define what is really important and prioritize it. Here is my list. (This could be different for each of us) • Recoverability • Stability • Performance • What have I done now and in the past to make sure that the priority list is actually being addressed.

Step One • Management database • Determine coverage times, how do you accommodate for odd hours • Third Party tools • Management companies • Hosting companies • What are the sore spots?

Recoverability • Backups • Full Diff  T-Log • Compression • Third Party Products • File Groups • Retention Policies • Practice Restores • Plan your tests, and test your plans • Backup your staff

Stability • Redundancy • High Availability • Role Segregation • Maintenance • Why DBCC • How do you re-index • DMV’s • Change Management • Security

Performance • Monitoring • Database Design Creep • Recording your counters • Business measurements • Partitioned Tables\Partitioned Views • Your database to manage your database • Performance Indicators • Drive Space • Index fragmentation • Business counters

Added Resources • Chris Shaw Blog - http://chrisshaw.wordpress.com/ • Glenn Berry - SQL Server Diag - http://glennberrysqlperformance.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!45041418ECCAA960!7086.entry • Paul Randal - HA with SQL Server 2008 White Paper – http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee523927.aspx • Features/editions SQL Server 2008 -http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645993.aspx • SQL Server Central -http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Disaster+Recovery/is0downtimepossible/600/ • Michelle Ufford- http://sqlfool.com/

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Thank you for attending this session and the 2010 PASS Summit in Seattle

Managing a “0 Downtime” Shop