1. Configuring SQL Server
Mission Critical
Scalable Deployments
Suresh B. Kandoth
Microsoft – Sr. Escalation Engineer

2. Session Objectives And Takeaways
Target systems
High-End CPUs / NUMA
Large memory footprints
High transaction rates
Things you can do today
File Configuration
Trace Flags
Memory Configuration
sp_configure
Windows settings
SQL Server 2016 Changes
Best Practices
KB Article
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Get more throughput from your systems

3. I/O and Database File Settings
RG - IO
Data Files (MDF/NDF)
Growth
Percent MB
Instant File Initialization
SE_MANAGE_VOLUME
Tempdb
Number of Files
Startup Trace Flags
1118 & 1117
Local Fast Storage
In-Memory replacement
non-durable
Buffer Pool Extension
File sizing
X of ‘max srv memory’
Fast storage on all nodes
Config improvements
[SQL 2014 SP ]
Snapshot Files / Sparse
Fragmentation
Latest OS
Large File Record Segment
KB FORMAT /L
ReFS
Same Speed as LDF
Filestream
8.3 naming
Last Updated Time
Garbage Collection
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Good configuration – less pagers & no night calls

4. Transaction Log Configuration
VLF initialization [0x00 or 0xC0 stamp]
# of VLF [Recovery & Restore perf]
VLF size change in SQL 2014
File settings
512 bytes, 4K, 512E
Log shipping, High Availability [KB ]
Flush boundary
(R)ead-(M)odify-(W)rite behavior
Sector size
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Log performance is very critical

5. Latest OS NUMA Improvements
Memory Configuration
-T8048 for CMemThread
Binding Numa In Registry
Vendor Guidance
Numa Affinity
Max Server Memory
Lock Pages
Large Pages
Compatibility
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Memory management isn’t that complicated

6. Plan Cache Other Caches Cache Configuration Increase Size of Cache
Startup Trace Flag 8032
Increase Bucket Count of Cache
Startup Trace Flag 174
Configuration Options
Optimize for Adhoc workload
Forced Parameterization
Other Caches
Security Token Cache
Access check tokens
Access Check Cache Bucket Count
Access Check Cache Quota
Login, User and Context tokens
Trace Flag 4618 & 4610
Log Pool Cache
Startup Trace Flag 9024 to partition pmo
Startup Trace Flag 9023 to limit size
CU fixes for leak & cache management
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Take care of these caches well and they will take care of you

7. Other Scalability Considerations
Download center
Why Latest SP + CU
Spatial
PLE
Eager Writes
Cache contention
DBCC changes
VAS problems
RG fixes
Database Lock Partitioning
Spatial Enhancements
Query Optimizer Changes
Activate QFE (Trace Flag 4199)
Autostats Threshold (Trace Flag 2371)
Table variable recompile (Trace flag 2453)
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The latest build is the greatest !

8. Triple Check Before Upgrade
Fix Levels, SPs and CUs
Trace Flags
Configuration Settings
Firewall
Service Accounts and Settings …
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Do not leave anything behind, it will haunt you !

9. Configure SQL Server on IaaS/VM
Use minimum Standard Tier A2 for SQL Server VMs.
Keep the storage account and SQL Server VM in the same region.
Disable Azure geo-replication on the storage account.
Avoid using operating system or temporary disks for database storage or logging.
Avoid using Azure data disk caching options (caching policy = None).
Stripe multiple Azure data disks to get increased IO throughput.
Format with documented allocation sizes.
Separate data and log file I/O paths to obtain dedicated IOPs for data and log.
Enable database page compression.
Enable instant file initialization for data files.
Limit or disable autogrow on the database.
Disable autoshrink on the database.
Move all databases to data disks, including system databases.
Move SQL Server error log and trace file directories to data disks.
Apply SQL Server performance fixes.
Setup default locations.
Enable locked pages.
Backup directly to blob storage.
Leverage Buffer Pool Extension on VM with SSD
Configure tempdb on SSD when available
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10. Diagnostics Best Practices
PssDiag
SQL Nexus
Sqldumper
WPR
WPA
System
Monitor
Windows
Event Logs
SQL
Error logs
Cluster Logs
System Health Session
Ring buffers
Extended Events
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11. Hot Spot Investigation - Extended Events
Configure sessions
Actions to Capture
Partitioning & Memory
Filters and map values
Process XEvent Data
SSMS aggregate/group/filter
Call stack requirements
Changes in future
Reader, Writer, Sorting
Duration & Time Drift
Incorrect Information
Stability
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12. Changes In SQL 2016 TempDB auto-config Memory Object auto-partition
Query compilation robust
Parallel redo
Multiple Log Writers
soft NUMA auto-config
Schema Changes online
Partition Management
Always On AG
Backup & Restore progress
Query Progress easy identify
Integrity Checks speed up
Query Execution finer control
Recovery progress tracking
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13. Additional references
BPE enhancements in SQL Server 2014 SP1
Sparse file changes and fixes
Virtual log file recommendations and changes
Plan cache changes
Statistics update threshold
Table variable recompile
Query Optimizer changes
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