Windows Server 2003 r2 vs 2008 r2 - Performance for SQL Server

Question

First off, I'm not a sys admin, just a programmer frustrated by poor server performance…

We’re currently running a VM (I believe the host is Win Server 2008) on a newer E5-2650 CPU, 24 GB RAM, at least according to the System Properties dialog. I can’t say for sure what resources the SQL VM has because I only have access to it and not the host. Sorry, I don’t know my way around that well. I also don’t want to make our current sys admin feel like I’m stepping on his toes by asking a bunch of questions if I don’t have to. I just want to make a case for upgrading if it will help...

We are running SQL Server 2008 r2, all of our clients are either Win 7 or RC via a terminal server running 2008. Our application is very DB heavy, particularly when you consider the size of our organization.

So my main question is, we’re currently running Windows Server 2003 r2 sp2, could upgrading to Server 2008 r2 (or newer) noticeably improve performance? I’ve read that because of its newer features it can improve performance elsewhere, but I haven’t seen anyone comment on DB performance.

If so, is there any evidence I can use to support my argument?

Additionally, since we are running SQL 2008 r2 and our clients are Win 7, what DB drivers should our clients have installed? What should the server have installed?

If I need to elaborate on anything, please comment.

Answer 1

Possible duplicate of : How do you do load testing and capacity planning for databases?

You need to work with the sysadmin team to measure and identify the current bottleneck(s). If he's difficult to engage with, I sympathize and that sucks; you'll need to figure out how to best work with him. It will be a very good idea to have a solid description of the problem, with reproducible test cases, rather than "it's slow!" Also, use Perfmon and SQL profiler; from the little you told us, the problem could be bad indexes and then it's on you. Once you know what SQL thinks is slow, you can find out if it's the code, the DB layout, slow IO, swamped CPU, etc.

Once you know what the bottlenecks are, you can see if Win2k8 R2 will help.

Hint : probably not.

Additional thought : why are you looking at 2008 R2 and not 2012 R2?

Answer 2

Ok, basics:

Unless yo u talk of 32 bit 2003 R2 the differences will be minimal.

Rule one for databases - the live and die by IO, and normal VM's are totally inadequate for heavy duty IO work. Not because VM's suck, but because a VM setup is a general setup. That like getting a standard rental car and trying to participate in a race - SQL database serves often are designed AROUND the disc subsystem.

Likely you have a totally undersized disc subsytem - try getting it's latency (ms/request), if that is higher than low single digit it impacts query performance. SOmetimes that is ok (if you do a reporting query you basically WILL overload it), but for anything transactional.... I also bet you have the log on the same discs. Because in a VM you have no real control of where stuff is stored.

The OS will make a difference, but it will be quite small compared to that fact. Not that I would run anything on a 2003 server these days, and I would fire any admin upgrading to 2008 R2 instead of 2012 R2. But there may be policies in larger companies getting in the way of that ;)