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Ask Slashdot: Low Cost Way To Maximize SQL Server Uptime?
jdray writes "My wife and I own a mid-sized restaurant with a couple of Point of Sale (POS) terminals. The software, which runs on Windows and .NET, uses SQL Server on the back end. With an upgrade to the next major release of the software imminent, I'm considering upgrading the infrastructure it runs on to better ensure uptime (we're open seven days a week). We can't afford several thousand dollars' worth of server infrastructure (two cluster nodes and some shared storage, or some such), so I thought I'd ask Slashdot for some suggestions on enabling maximum uptime. I considered a single server node running VMWare with a limp-mode failover to a VMWare instance on a desktop, but I'm not sure how to set up a monitoring infrastructure to automate that, and manual failover isn't much of an option with non-tech staff. What suggestions do you have?"
Why don't you have good uptime to begin with? I've SQL Server 2005 on a single unimpressive physical server with months of uptime. Is your restaurant open 24 hours? Is your current server flaking out? Concerns about uptime itself might be misplaced. What isn't made clear in the OP is why you think you need better uptime.
Azure had multiple 24 hour outages.
It's cloud so that seems like a great idea !
New things are always on the horizon
Sounds like an awesome idea - that way, you are TOTALLY FSCKED when your internet connection goes down. One thing if your online ordering for a business goes down - just take orders by phone. When it completed hoses your order taking system (offline and online), then your screwed.
Get a decent server, maybe an HP. Dual CPUs, Dual HDDs, Dual Power supplies. Get a UPS.
Install Windows, SQL, and UPS controlling software. Install AV, but be certain to exclude AV scanning the SQL directory and SQL DBs and logs. You don't want AV killing your SQL server by accident. You might want to consider putting a firewall on the box and blocking all non-SQL traffic.
Patch as needed.
Install nothing else. No mine-sweeper, no restaurant food ordering software, no adobe. Nothing will kill a server faster than turning it into a desktop. Don't try to do anything on it. Just let it be a server running SQL and you'll be fine. Don't plug USB drives into it.
You should be able to back up the SQL db every so often stopping SQL and then starting it. Try to do this around the monthly patch cycle. Don't patch immediately upon one becoming available, but rather wait a week. This will give Microsoft time to correct any patch issues they have. You'll be much more vulnerable to patch issues than you will from viruses if you follow the "don't turn it into a desktop" suggestion.
Hoist Number One and Number Six.
Man, why is every askSlashdot these days full of people who don't think anyone can do their own backend infrastructure (or anything else, for that matter) unless that's their only job? Look, this guy has obviously been running his POS system for some time, already. Just because he isn't a whiz at SQL Server failover doesn't mean he should just throw up his hands and hire a contractor.
Have you completely given up on learning new things and exploring your options, or do you just advocate that other people do so?
sounds like a fucking stupid idea, the entire operation is local and can run easily on computers which can be bought 200 dollars a pop. two of them, set up mirroring and go - even azures pricing sounds stupid compared to that.
the cloud is a stupid idea because a) azure can go down and b) their link to azure can go down. in both cases they're screwed.
what they could need/want would be a totally separate backup, if they're american then maybe square - if they're european wtf does a restaurant need a complex POS system for when you can get self contained payment terminals that take chip cards and connect wirelessly(or cache those which don't need instant verfication) on the pennies? (ok, those don't take care of your actual orders and such, if the restaurant system is really fancy)
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
By this time you have realized that 98% of Slashdot posters don't know a damn thing about the issue that you need to resolve (... the cloud? .... Really ??? ) and are just flinging buzzwords (monkeys... poo ... ) or asking questions that you won;t know the answer to in hopes that this will get then off the hook in actually answering your question.
.
Short and sweet - you want database mirroring with automatic fallover. You can set up a second SQL server on a separate machine (cost less than $500 for the machine) to be the mirror and if your primary machine fails then you are still golden. Here is an article that tells gives you an idea as to how to do this in MS SQL '08 :
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/3828341/Database-Mirroring-in-SQL-Server-2008.htm
Yes, you should hire a **competent** DB consultant to do this for you. Yes it will cost you another $800 - $1000 do have a **competent** consultant do this for you (figure 8- 12 hours work at 80 bucks an hour) - you will lose far more than that the very first time your database fails and/or you attempt to do it yourself and blow away your database because you made a mistake (you do have backups , of course.... right ??? ).
You can try to do it yourself but I do not recommend it as it's risky.
I've been doing DB work for 25 years - feel free to send me a Slashdot message should you desire to use my services.
----- In Your Cubicle No One Can Hear You Scream...
Everybody thinks they know what restaurants do.
This is why so many otherwise smart people get into the restaurant business and then fail.
Forget the word restaurant.
Instead, think highly competitive, low volume, high mix, low margin, short lead-time manufacturing.
Think highly perishable inventory.
Accurate inventory, accurate predictions of future demand, and data driven product design make all the difference between success and failure.
Data collection and analysis is what really successful restaurants do. Or did you really think it was like Top Chef?