WHITEPAPER - SQL Server I/O Basics

Ever wondered how SQL Server manages I/O to your disk system? Seen errors like 823, 824 and wondered what they mean and how to resolve them?

Bob Dorr, SQL Server Senior Escalation Engineer has published two great whitepapers describing the internals of SQL Server I/O.

In the 2 part series, you will learn about:

  • Internals of SQL Server I/O operations – concepts like Write-Ahead logging protocol, Scatter-Gather, Read-Ahead et al are explained
  • Common I/O related errors – meaning of errors like 823, 824 etc., their cause and how to avoid them
  • Hardware configuration pitfalls to watch – understanding of stale reads, stale writes, disk caching and their impact on SQL Server data integrity
  • Tools – Microsoft tools to use to test your hardware capabilities to avoid common pitfalls
  • Enhancements in SQL 2005 – the second chapter focuses more on SQL 2005 enhancements like Checksum, page-level restore etc.

Armed with this knowledge, you will be able to make an informed decision about the hardware to buy, make the right configuration choices and maintain it effectively to avoid common pitfalls.

A must read!

 

POSTED BY : Sanchan Saxena