Сегодня на встрече с заказчиком был задан вопрос: какие существуют преимущества виртуализации Microsoft SQL Server и есть ли у вас технические рекомендации по установке и конфигурированию VMware Virtual Infrastructure для Microsoft SQL Server?

Ответ у нас простой: преимущества и рекомендации есть, причем не только для SQL, но и для Active Directory и Exchange.

Преимущества для SQL следующие: 

Maintain Availability without Duplicate Hardware

VMware technology makes it possible to ensure high levels of availability for SQL Server without the cost of identical servers, the complexity of rebuilding clusters when hardware is upgraded, or the difficulties of testing clustered physical systems. This approach gives you a viable alternative to expensive 3rd-party failover and clustering solutions that provides the following benefits:

• Automated failover protection – If the underlying hardware fails, automated failover mechanisms will restart SQL Server on another VMware-enabled server within minutes.
• Rapid disaster recovery – Many customers rely on VMware for disaster recovery, and we will soon release tools that manage and automate recovery from site-wide outages.
• Zero-downtime maintenance – Use VMware technology to migrate live, running instances of SQL Server from one physical host to another with no interruption in service.
• LAN-free backup – VMware technology enables LAN-free backup of SQL Server from a centralized proxy server, eliminating backup traffic from the network.

Streamline IT Management Tasks

VMware provides a robust set of management and automation technologies that can help you simplify management & provisioning of SQL Server environments through:

• Simplified testing and troubleshooting – Re-create your production environment instantly and use advanced snapshot capabilities to roll back to a prior safe state.
• Rapid provisioning – Use virtual machine templates and wizard-based provisioning to quickly deploy fully configured virtual machines that are ready to run in minutes.
• Automated load balancing – Monitor utilization and automate the allocation of resources based on policies that reflect business needs and changing priorities.

Технические рекомендации:

• SQL Server Performance in a VMware Infrastructure 3 Environment
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition Virtual Appliance