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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.
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?