1. Cloud Architect – Azure
New Instance… Now What?
Presented by:
James Donahoe
Cloud Architect – Azure
RDX

2. A Little About Me!
DBA(Does ‘Bout Anything) | Cloudie|Video Game Enthusiast | Nerd |
Not-so-Big Data | Azure Enthusiast | United States Marine(’99 -’05)
Website: SqlFlipFlopsDBA.com
Meetups: meetup.com/PittsburghSQL/

3. Agenda Configuration The Maintenance Hexagon What do I backup?
DR Testing
Best Practice Security Recommendations
Resources

4. Configuration

5. Are your MDF, and LDF files on the same drive?
Are your backups residing on the same drive as your data files?
What is MAXDOP set to?
What is your cost threshold for parallelism?
How many TempDB files do you have?
What is your instance memory capped at?
Several things should be configured after you install: MDF and LDF locations, MAXDOP, Cost Threshold for parallelism, TempDB allocation, autogrowth, etc. MDF and LDF on the same drive? Why? IO contention can be avoided by separating these. Backups on that same drive? WHY?!?! A failure of that drive just puts you out of business, or as Brent Ozar likes to say, a resume submitting opportunity. MAXDOp, how many processors do you have? How many cores? I generally go with half the cores, so if I have 16 cores, I generally set MAXDOP to 8. Cost Theshold, this is important….do you want EVERYTHING going parallel? TEMPDB, best practice is to have 1 file per processor, up to 32(Check this). This can help avoid SGAM blocking in Tempdb(Give a story here). How much memory do you have installed on that box? Physical, Virtual? What did you set your MAX memory setting to in SQL? Leave 2-3 GB for your OS. Do you have NUMA nodes? I hate NUMA..(short story)

6. Basic Maintenance

7. The Maintenance Hexagon
Reduce Impact of Database Backup Logging
Reduce Disk I/O
Database Backups
Recovery
Clear Backup History
Index Rebuild/Reorg
Query Performance
Backup Performance
Faster Root Cause
Analysis
Query Performance
Go through each step on the hexagon and make examples of it. Make remarks such as: How many of you have seen an error log that takes too long to open up? Make a funny animation when trying to view it.
Cycle Instance
Error Log
Statistics Update
Faster Root Cause Analysis
More Appropriate Execution Plans
Manageable Error Logs
Cycle Agent Error Log

8. Maintenance Examples BACKUPS Full Database Backup
Creates a full backup of all user databases.
Scheduled for every Sunday at 2:00AM
Backups retained for 14 days
located in the default backup directory
Transaction Log Backup
Creates a transaction log backup of all user databases in Full Recovery
Scheduled for every Monday through Saturday at 2:00AM
Backups are retained for 14 days
Go through

9. Maintenance Continued
MISC Maintenance
CycleErrorLog
Cycles the error log on SQL Server
Is scheduled for every Sunday, Wednesday at 5:00 am
Integrity
Checks database integrity including indexes
Is scheduled for every Sunday at 3:00AM
Optimization
Rebuild all indexes
Change free space to default setting
Updates all statistics
Is scheduled for every Sunday at 4:00AM

10. What Do I Do With
My Backups?

11. What do I backup? ALL databases – User and System! All User Databases
System Databases
Transaction Logs
Watch SIZE, Backups will help keep in check
Select * from sys.configurations
Create a job to run that query
Save this into a table
Back it up!
Comes in handy if you ever have to reinstall!
Talk about how many folks only focus on databases, and transaction logs, but never look for sys.configurations, and other technical pieces. Make sure you touch on testing your backups, explaining that if you havent ever had a data corruption, its only a matter of time. But what will the use of backups be if they do not work? Wouldn’t you rather know before the system fails?

12. TEST Your Backups!
Backing up is the first step, but they won’t do you any good if they are corrupted. TEST your backups at LEAST once a quarter. If you haven’t experienced a corrupted database, give it time, it will happen!

13. Disaster Recovery Testing

14. DR Testing When was the last time you did a fire drill?
If it is longer than 6 months, you are overdue!
How easy is it to access the documentation?
\\fileshare\where\the\folder\structure\is\something\like\this
^ REALLY!? That just slows everything down.
Are the instructions clear?
Would I be able to come in today, and be able to follow your instructions to have your system back up and running within your timeframe?
What is your average restore time?
(Those backup tests have come back to get yinz! – Pittsburgheze)
Disaster recovery(DR) documentation and processes are critical to maintaining server and service availability with minimal impact. Failure to maintain good disaster recovery documentation and processes could lead to small problems becoming disasters and disasters becoming unrecoverable failures. Disaster Recovery Plan should be tested and practiced regularly(At LEAST every six months)

15. Security Recommendations

16. Best Practice Security Recommendations
Non-Default logins provisioned to sysadmin role
Non-default users are provisioned to db_owner role
Who needs access?
Don’t use SA accounts for SQL Server Agent Jobs
Are you using the basics? “Password Complexity”, “Password Expiration”?
Talk about using “Password Complexity”, and “Password Expiration” policies by leveraging the Windows Password Policy mechanisms. The db_owner role grants permission to perform the activities of all the fixed database roles as well as the maintenance and configuration activities in the database. Users should not be added to this role, unless they are required full control on the database. In SQL Server 2005, members of the db_owner fixed database role can DROP the database. Also, security should be thought of when software is developed. That is where it all starts: “However is it just the users that create poor passwords? In many cases, sure. However as the people that develop software, we can help. In fact, we should. Security should be on the mind of everyone that writes software.”

17. Resources

18. Resources Local Pass Chapter BrentOzar.com Twitter
Many of us see each other monthly at a user group. Ask your question there, get the speakers contact information and don’t be afraid to reach out to them. PASS is a great organization that encourages learning through your peers.
BrentOzar.com
 In one free, convenient zip file, you get their scripts including sp_Blitz®, sp_AskBrent®, and sp_BlitzIndex®, plus their e-books like the SQL Server Setup Checklist and AlwaysOn Availability Groups Setup Checklist.
Twitter
#SQLHELP, #SQLFAMILY Reaching out to any of those hashtags will get you a response relatively quickly if you are working on something
SQLskills.com/blogs/glenn/
Free SQL Server Diagnostic Information queries—Updated MONTHLY

19. MinionWare
Several free pieces of wonderful software – Reindex, backup, etc. Automates those tasks for you so you don’t have to worry!
SentryOne
I cannot stress how great PlanExplorer is! It is a FREE tool now for reviewing the execution plans for your queries.
Virtual Pass Groups
These chapters hold virtual meetings every month for their subject(In-Memory, Performance, Administration, etc). Register on SQLPASS.org and look into them, lots of great, knowledgeable speakers regularly present! --Shameless Plug, In-Memory VC has a great leader, just sayin. ;)
Microsoft Virtual Academy
Free videos on all Microsoft products
PASS Summit
A week long SQLSaturday is the best way I can explain this event. You meet SQL Professionals from ALL over the world, and extend your personal network while learning all the great things that SQL has to offer! This one costs some money however, but you cannot put a price tag on the great learning/networking opportunities that will present themselves here!

20. Questions?
Stories?

21. Thank You!
To all of you for attending and to ALL of our sponsors today!