IBM Front cover SQL Server 2005 on the IBM Eserver xSeries 460 Enterprise Server Describes how “scale-up” solutions suit enterprise databases Explains the XpandOnDemand features of the xSeries 460 Introduces the features of the new SQL Server 2005 Michael Lawson Yuichiro Tanimoto David Watts ibm.com/redbooks Redpaper International Technical Support Organization SQL Server 2005 on the IBM Eserver xSeries 460 Enterprise Server December 2005 Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page vii. First Edition (December 2005) This edition applies to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 running on the IBM Eserver xSeries 460. © Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2005. All rights reserved. Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Contents Notices . vii Trademarks . viii Preface . ix The team that wrote this Redpaper . ix Become a published author . .x Comments welcome. xi Chapter 1. The x460 enterprise server . 1 1.1 Scale up versus scale out . 2 1.2 X3 Architecture . 2 1.2.1 The X3 Architecture servers . 2 1.2.2 Key features . 3 1.2.3 IBM XA-64e third-generation chipset . 4 1.2.4 XceL4v cache . 6 1.3 XpandOnDemand . 6 1.4 Memory subsystem . 7 1.5 Multi-node configurations . 9 1.5.1 Positioning the x460 and the MXE-460. 11 1.5.2 Node connectivity . 12 1.5.3 Partitioning . 13 1.6 64-bit with EM64T . 14 1.6.1 What makes a 64-bit processor . 14 1.6.2 Intel Xeon with EM64T . 16 1.7 Dual core processors . 17 1.7.1 Why dual core processors. 17 1.7.2 Performance . 18 1.7.3 Software licensing. 19 1.7.4 Comparing with single core. 19 Chapter 2. SQL Server 2005 . 21 2.1 SQL Server 2005 editions . 22 2.2 New and enhanced features of SQL Server 2005 . 22 2.2.1 Database Engine enhancements . 22 2.2.2 Analysis Services enhancements . 23 2.2.3 Additional enhancements and features. 24 2.3 Windows, SQL Server, and 32-bit versus 64-bit . 25 2.3.1 Windows and SQL Server, both 32-bit . 25 2.3.2 Windows 64-bit and SQL Server 32-bit. 26 2.3.3 Windows and SQL Server 2005, both 64-bit. 27 2.4 Windows Server 2003 editions . 27 2.4.1 Comparing Windows Server 2003 editions. 27 2.4.2 Windows Datacenter models . 28 2.4.3 Processor and memory limits . 28 2.5 SQL Server 2005 high availability . 29 2.5.1 Database mirroring . 29 2.5.2 Data partitioning . 30 2.5.3 Support for hot-add memory . 32 2.6 Customer proof of concept . 32 © Copyright IBM Corp. 2005. All rights reserved. iii 2.6.1 Hardware configuration. 32 2.6.2 Software and storage configuration . 33 2.6.3 Results . 34 Chapter 3. Scalability and affinity . 35 3.1 Scalable hardware implementation . 36 3.2 Static Resource Affinity Table . 39 3.3 Affinity in Windows Server 2003 . 39 3.3.1 NUMA optimization for Windows Server 2003 . 39 3.3.2 Process and thread scheduling. 40 3.4 Affinity in SQL Server 2005. 41 3.4.1 SQL Server Operating System . 41 3.4.2 Processor and I/O affinity . 42 3.4.3 Network affinity . 43 3.4.4 Soft NUMA . 46 3.4.5 Memory . 48 3.5 Multiple instances . 49 3.5.1 Resource contention . 49 3.5.2 Clustering issues. 50 3.5.3 Performance . 51 3.5.4 Single or multiple . 51 3.6 Server consolidation . 53 3.6.1 General notion of consolidation . 53 3.6.2 Database server consolidation . ..