SQL + Raid V

KalleSoft

2 x Xeon 3 GHz
2,5 GB RAM
6 x 36.4GB HDD
RAID V for database and system
RAID I for log and temp
Database: 64 GB SQL 2000

Sorry, its's an old question, but is it suicide to use RAID V for Navision SQL database?

Savatage

did you use the search feature to look for "RAID" ?

lots of discussion......

ps. The navision docs says "Never use raid 5"

KalleSoft

ok, but what u think about RAID X ?

FabriceG

RAID V is good for a file server but for a database server is to slow. To many operation to retrieve and rebild a record.
Raid I or 0+I id much faster.

Waldo

Never use RAID 5. Too slow!

RAID 10 is RAID 0+1, so striping and mirroring. In this case you combine very high reliability with high performance. (in English: it's very good, better then RAID1, off course!).

DenSter

Yep I can verify this. We had a webinar with Microsoft about Navision SQL, and they recommended RAID X for this. I'm not so sure about the dual processor though. I know that C/SODE doesn't handle this, but I can't remember if they said it was ok for the SQL option.

Waldo

Dual processor can help a lot, expecially for many concurrent users.

You have to realize that we're talking about the server. C/SIDE has nothing to do with it. If you use the SQL Server option, you don't install a Navision client on the server, only SQL Server ... that means no C/SIDE on the server.

Savatage

this is just a part of the hardward recommendations from the partnersource website...

Memory is a way to decrease the harddisks' bottleneck.
1. Use as much RAM as possible. Generally, use at least 4 - 8 MB of memory per user for cache. Plan for approximately 200MB cache for a 30 user system (256MB system RAM at least) or more, because memory is rather inexpensive.
2. The maximum Navision Server cache is 1GB. Therefore, there is no advantage to purchasing more than 2048MB of RAM, leaving 1GB for Windows and 1GB for Navision.
3. MAKE SURE that the computer is not swapping, for example, after you increase the cache size.

E. Use a DEDICATED Navision server that is a stand-alone server (not PDC or BDC). If you have a non-dedicated Navision server computer, make sure that the programs are not competing for resources. NEVER run SQL server or Exchange server on the same computer with Navision server.

F. Use a single processor computer. Allow Windows NT to use processor cache fully.

DenSter

Waldo wrote:

Dual processor can help a lot, expecially for many concurrent users.

You have to realize that we're talking about the server. C/SIDE has nothing to do with it. If you use the SQL Server option, you don't install a Navision client on the server, only SQL Server ... that means no C/SIDE on the server.

Dual processors DO NOT WORK with native Navision. This comes from Microsoft themselves, they are specifically advising AGAINST using dual processors for the native Navision C/SIDE database.

For the SQL option, it is ok to use dual processors, but NOT RAID 5.