SQL Server 2012:
Installation and Configuration
Module 1: Introduction
Glenn Berry
Glenn@SQLskills.com
Introduction
Proper installation and configuration is very important!
Affects security, performance, scalability, and maintainability
SQL Server 2012 Editions
Different editions and licensing compared to previous versions
Installing SQL Server 2012 is more complex than it seems
Default choices and configurations are often not the best choice
Both the OS and SQL Server need to be configured correctly
Operating system level configuration and settings
SQL Server instance-level settings
Both the OS and SQL Server need to be maintained properly
Both have Service Packs and individual hotfixes
SQL Server 2012 also has Cumulative Updates
Main SQL Server 2012 Editions
SQL Server 2012 Enterprise Edition
Top of the line edition, only uses core-based licensing
Many valuable features are only in Enterprise Edition
OS limit for memory and logical processors for any use
Windows Server 2012: 4TB RAM, 640 logical processors
Windows Server 2008 R2: 2TB RAM, 256 logical processors
SQL Server 2012 Business Intelligence Edition
New edition for 2012, uses Server plus CAL licensing
OS limit for memory and logical processors for SSAS and SSRS
64GB limit for memory for Database Engine
SQL Server 2012 Standard Edition
Most affordable edition, lacks many valuable features
You can choose Server plus CAL or core-based licensing
64GB limit for memory for Database Engine
64GB limit for memory for SSAS, and for SSRS
Four-socket or 16 logical core limit
Additional SQL Server 2012 Editions
SQL Server 2012 Developer Edition
All features of Enterprise Edition, licensed for development and test usage
Best choice for developer and DBA workstations
Very inexpensive (less than $50.00)
Free for high school and college students from Microsoft Dreamspark
SQL Server 2012 Express Edition
Free edition
Lesser of 1 socket or four core CPU limit, 1GB RAM limit
10GB database size limit
SQL Server 2012 Web Edition
Targeted at web hosting
64GB limit for memory for Database Engine
64GB limit for memory for SSAS
Licensing Changes for SQL Server 2012
SQL Server 2012 Enterprise Edition
Core-based
$6874.00 per core (four-core minimum per socket)
SQL Server 2012 Business Intelligence Edition
Server license plus CALs
$8592.00 per server, plus CALs
SQL Server 2012 Standard Edition (you can pick method)
Core-based
$1793.00 per core (four-core minimum per socket)
Server license plus CALs
$898.00 per server, plus CALs
Client Access License (CAL)
$209.00 per CAL
Why Install SQL Server 2012 Properly?
A proper installation will prevent many future problems
Appropriate service accounts
Default locations for database files
Only install the components you actually need
Reduces resource usage
Reduces the attack surface
Reduces the amount and length of patching
Use the correct type of service accounts
Provides a more secure and reliable environment
Why Configure SQL Server 2012 Properly?
Many default configuration settings are incorrect
Operating system configuration settings
Instance-level configuration settings
Database-level configuration settings
Changing to “best-practices” values has many benefits
Increased performance and scalability
Increased reliability
Decreased restore and recovery time
Why Maintain SQL Server 2012 Properly?
Proactive, preventative maintenance has many benefits
Reduces occurrence of known issues
Forces you to exercise your testing and planning efforts
Forces you to exercise your HA infrastructure
Give you a better supportability experience with vendors
Hardware vendor
Storage vendor
Microsoft
Operating system
SQL Server
Summary
Proper installation and configuration is very important!
Prevents many future problems
Provides better performance, scalability and security
Makes the instance easier to maintain
SQL Server 2012 uses a new licensing model
Core-based licensing requires you to rethink hardware choices
High core-count processors can be very expensive for licensing
SQL Server 2012 Business Intelligence edition is new
Can save a lot of money for dedicated SSAS instances
OS and SQL Server maintenance is very important!
Helps you avoid known problems
Keeps you in a supported configuration
Course Structure
Module 1: Introduction
Module 2: Pre-installation Tasks for the Operating System
Module 3: Pre-installation Tasks for SQL Server 2012
Module 4: Properly Installing SQL Server 2012
Module 5: Post-installation Tasks for SQL Server 2012
Module 6: Automating Common Maintenance Tasks