SQL Server scalability perception
In the last serveral consulting gigs I always came across people stating " SQL Server does not scale".
Now, I' ve tried to analyze these "opinions":
Hardware:
SQL Server does only run on Windows, which does not support proprietary CPUs like Sparc, Power or the mainframe ones.
Big Iron hardware(Midrange and Enterprise):
32 bit
> 4 way : some vendors have > 4 way support (but Dell does not anymore)
> 8 way : only IBM, Unisys and Fujitsu have servers running > 8 way (and BTW, shame on you HP, you threw away all of Compaq's technical excellence)
64 bit (still not proven despite 100 + casestudies)
AMD does not have > 8 way yet
Itaniums have excellent scalability (see HP's 64 way boxes), but are not mainstream
Software
W2K and W2k3 have 32-way 32 bit support, but are relegated to expensive Datacenter above 8-way.
W2K and W2k3 have a decent Itanium 64 bit track record, but haven't been able to wink the market, because of lack of a Standard version of Windows Server, but also because of a lack of
software and general purpose programming environments(like .NET).
What can MS do?
- push customers towards hardware vendors which "deliver" the right kind of hardware
- push 64 bit and Itanium in particular
- change the licensing/pricing to allow servers to use up to 16-way boxes with Advanced Server
- demonstrate the right kind of case studies (> 8 CPUs, 1 TB + implementations)
Now, back to those infidels not believing in SQL Server scalability:
with the right kind of hardware it can be done.
Some of my other posts:
http://dotnetjunkies.com/WebLog/stefandemetz/archive/2004/11/16/32249.aspx
http://dotnetjunkies.com/WebLog/stefandemetz/archive/2004/11/07/31275.aspx
http://dotnetjunkies.com/WebLog/stefandemetz/archive/2004/05/16/13724.aspx
http://dotnetjunkies.com/WebLog/stefandemetz/archive/2004/03/04/8474.aspx