SQL & Exchange Take it to the ring

Hello all,

one of my clients has recently been provided with a new version of the
Financial Planning software, which uses SQL server rather than the
server-side data files. Previously we have never had any issues with memory,
but we are finding that the system is becoming slower & slower, and is
starting to drop connections to other third party applications, which
utilise fox-pro databases.

The current config is:
Dell Poweredge 2500
P3 800 x 1
1024Mb Ram (4x256)
3 x 32 Gb SCSI Raid 5

My question is to find out what the most effective solution may be from the
following:

1. Somehow limit the memory allocation of the SQL database.
2. Throw another 1024 (2 x 512) Memory into the box
3. Change over the CPU to a faster 1.4Ghz (What issues can I expect with
this option)

Thanks in advance.

Henry
Tue Nov 09 23:32:07 CST 2004

Paul, I'd boost the RAM Definitely, and move the SQL Server DBs to the
RAID 5 if they aren't already there. FP S/W shouldn't be -that- big a
CPU hit, but you might want to check it during typical load.

--
Henry Craven {SBS-MVP}
Melbourne Australia

"Paul Mac" <noreply@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:uqpYgNuxEHA.2200@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Hello all,
>
> one of my clients has recently been provided with a new version of the
> Financial Planning software, which uses SQL server rather than the
> server-side data files. Previously we have never had any issues with
memory,
> but we are finding that the system is becoming slower & slower, and is
> starting to drop connections to other third party applications, which
> utilise fox-pro databases.
>
> The current config is:
> Dell Poweredge 2500
> P3 800 x 1
> 1024Mb Ram (4x256)
> 3 x 32 Gb SCSI Raid 5
>
> My question is to find out what the most effective solution may be
from the
> following:
>
> 1. Somehow limit the memory allocation of the SQL database.
> 2. Throw another 1024 (2 x 512) Memory into the box
> 3. Change over the CPU to a faster 1.4Ghz (What issues can I expect
with
> this option)
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>

Greentko
Tue Nov 09 23:56:23 CST 2004

your situation was almost identical to mine only in the Ram dept.
I'll say you should change then box completely but your constraints may
differ.

Before you do anything view the admin console and check the amount of ram
remaning


Ram bump it up to 2GB and look at getting a xeon box or similar faster chip.

Questions:

How many users:
Mailbox size of largest user.
Types of NIC 1GB or 10/100 .

Do you host websites?
Do you allow vpn or some sort of access.
What other databases are .

Most importantly antivirus software...what's it scanning???

Hope this gets you started.

Greentko

Paul
Wed Nov 10 01:39:53 CST 2004

Hi Henry,

You're right, CPU wise the system is fine, there is only three users with
access to the FP software, so we'll try RAM and see how it goes.

Do you know if there is a way that you can restrict SQL's utilisation of RAM
in that there is only three users?

P.
"Henry Craven" <IUnknown@Dot.Nyet> wrote in message
news:OzQTkauxEHA.1264@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Paul, I'd boost the RAM Definitely, and move the SQL Server DBs to the
> RAID 5 if they aren't already there. FP S/W shouldn't be -that- big a
> CPU hit, but you might want to check it during typical load.
>
> --
> Henry Craven {SBS-MVP}
> Melbourne Australia
>
> "Paul Mac" <noreply@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:uqpYgNuxEHA.2200@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> > Hello all,
> >
> > one of my clients has recently been provided with a new version of the
> > Financial Planning software, which uses SQL server rather than the
> > server-side data files. Previously we have never had any issues with
> memory,
> > but we are finding that the system is becoming slower & slower, and is
> > starting to drop connections to other third party applications, which
> > utilise fox-pro databases.
> >
> > The current config is:
> > Dell Poweredge 2500
> > P3 800 x 1
> > 1024Mb Ram (4x256)
> > 3 x 32 Gb SCSI Raid 5
> >
> > My question is to find out what the most effective solution may be
> from the
> > following:
> >
> > 1. Somehow limit the memory allocation of the SQL database.
> > 2. Throw another 1024 (2 x 512) Memory into the box
> > 3. Change over the CPU to a faster 1.4Ghz (What issues can I expect
> with
> > this option)
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
>
>

Henry
Wed Nov 10 02:16:00 CST 2004

Not AFAIK. ( In a Heavy use environment of course you'd have one or more
dedicated SQL Server Servers )

As long as there is enough ( RAM is Cheap and 2GB is enough even in a
moderately heavy environment) just let the system sort it out,Exchange
and SQL Server will to and fro for what they need at any given point in
time, and it's probably more efficient than Allocated Blocks.

--
Henry Craven {SBS-MVP}
Melbourne Australia

"Paul Mac" <noreply@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:ez4u6hvxEHA.1196@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Hi Henry,
>
> You're right, CPU wise the system is fine, there is only three users
with
> access to the FP software, so we'll try RAM and see how it goes.
>
> Do you know if there is a way that you can restrict SQL's utilisation
of RAM
> in that there is only three users?
>
> P.

webmaster
Wed Nov 24 18:34:48 CST 2004

You wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> one of my clients has recently been provided with a new version of the
> Financial Planning software, which uses SQL server rather than the
> server-side data files. Previously we have never had any issues with memory,
> but we are finding that the system is becoming slower & slower, and is
> starting to drop connections to other third party applications, which
> utilise fox-pro databases.
>
> The current config is:
> Dell Poweredge 2500
> P3 800 x 1
> 1024Mb Ram (4x256)
> 3 x 32 Gb SCSI Raid 5
>
Have you heard of MasterPlan, the Analyst? It uses Interbase which is
a client/server relational database that uses SQL and is open source
and open licence. It doesn't appear to suffer performance problems.
Since Interbase is free, MasterPlan has a price advantage and the same
functionality as a program using SQL Server or Oracle. MasterPlan has
just two versions, the standalone and the network. It accesses
Interbase thru Borland's BDE. They claim that they are going to get
rid of the BDE by using an API set that works with Delphi, their
development platform, so they won't have as many installation
problems.

Paul
Thu Nov 25 04:51:30 CST 2004

Thanks Markham,

Sounds interesting, however the application is supplied by the dealer group,
so there is no other option. Previousuly it was a thick-client, but the new
system saw the implementaion of a SQL system.

Thanks for your post anyway, I'll add that to the chest.

Paul.
"Markham Robinson" <webmaster@masterplanner.com> wrote in message
news:22c5a4b9.0411241634.6aa34086@posting.google.com...
> You wrote:
>
> > Hello all,
> >
> > one of my clients has recently been provided with a new version of the
> > Financial Planning software, which uses SQL server rather than the
> > server-side data files. Previously we have never had any issues with
memory,
> > but we are finding that the system is becoming slower & slower, and is
> > starting to drop connections to other third party applications, which
> > utilise fox-pro databases.
> >
> > The current config is:
> > Dell Poweredge 2500
> > P3 800 x 1
> > 1024Mb Ram (4x256)
> > 3 x 32 Gb SCSI Raid 5
> >
> Have you heard of MasterPlan, the Analyst? It uses Interbase which is
> a client/server relational database that uses SQL and is open source
> and open licence. It doesn't appear to suffer performance problems.
> Since Interbase is free, MasterPlan has a price advantage and the same
> functionality as a program using SQL Server or Oracle. MasterPlan has
> just two versions, the standalone and the network. It accesses
> Interbase thru Borland's BDE. They claim that they are going to get
> rid of the BDE by using an API set that works with Delphi, their
> development platform, so they won't have as many installation
> problems.

Paul
Thu Nov 25 04:52:27 CST 2004

Hey Henry,

THe RAM did the trick, all services are much more responsive, and the
Harddrives seem to be not getting a hiding as they were before.

Regards,

Paul.
"Henry Craven" <IUnknown@Dot.Nyet> wrote in message
news:%23MpVI2vxEHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> Not AFAIK. ( In a Heavy use environment of course you'd have one or more
> dedicated SQL Server Servers )
>
> As long as there is enough ( RAM is Cheap and 2GB is enough even in a
> moderately heavy environment) just let the system sort it out,Exchange
> and SQL Server will to and fro for what they need at any given point in
> time, and it's probably more efficient than Allocated Blocks.
>
> --
> Henry Craven {SBS-MVP}
> Melbourne Australia
>
> "Paul Mac" <noreply@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:ez4u6hvxEHA.1196@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> > Hi Henry,
> >
> > You're right, CPU wise the system is fine, there is only three users
> with
> > access to the FP software, so we'll try RAM and see how it goes.
> >
> > Do you know if there is a way that you can restrict SQL's utilisation
> of RAM
> > in that there is only three users?
> >
> > P.
>
>