SQL Server Consolidation and Virtualization for Campus Migration
Client Challenge:
As part of a company-wide campus relocation, the client needed to consolidate and virtualize their SQL Server environment to ensure seamless operations and improve system reliability and performance. The goal was to standardize setups and backup strategies across the organization while preparing for a smooth transition.
My Role:
As the sole DBA, I led the SQL Server consolidation and virtualization efforts, overseeing the entire infrastructure, optimizing processes, and implementing cost-effective solutions to enhance stability and performance.
Key Achievements:
- Cost Savings and Performance Optimization: Reengineered the log shipping setup for global financial applications, eliminating reliance on third-party software (DoubleTake), resulting in $100,000 in license savings. Additionally, the new setup reduced log restore times dramatically, from an average of 13 minutes per log file to under 1 minute. Successful failover and failback testing ensured operational resilience.
- Thorough Documentation: Created detailed PowerShell-based documentation for SQL Server and operating system setups across all instances, including assessments of existing issues and recommendations for improvements.
- Standardized Backup Solutions:Resolved domain trust issues to integrate all servers into a centralized network-based backup solution using EMC DataDomain, ensuring consistency and reliability across environments.
- Environment Standardization: Implemented uniform SQL Server setups, including database email and operator configurations, alerting, memory allocation adjustments, TempDB optimizations, and service account setups, contributing to improved stability and performance.
Results:
The consolidation and virtualization project delivered a robust, standardized, and efficient SQL Server environment ready for the campus migration. The improvements led to:
- Significant cost savings through optimized licensing and resource utilization.
- Faster recovery times and improved disaster recovery readiness.
- Enhanced stability and performance through standardized configurations and streamlined processes.
Value Delivered:
The project not only ensured a smooth migration but also provided a scalable foundation for future growth. By introducing best practices and reducing operational complexity, the client achieved long-term benefits in reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.