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 Installing SQL Server on a LUN drive

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jbates99
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

396 Posts

Posted - 2011-10-23 : 19:54:54
Hello everyone,

I usually install SQL Server onto the C (Operating system) drive. Then I place user databases and logs on other drives, usually LUN storage.

But for my next installation, I'm thinking of installing SQL Server onto the E drive (a LUN). So the system databases would be on E and the user databases would reside on, say drive F.

My reason for wanting to not instal SQL Server on the C drive is that our replication software replicates only the non-OS drives. So I can get jobs, logins replicated if I install them onto a LUN drive.

I'm looking for opinions from other DBAs that may have had some experience with this type of install.

Thanks, John

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2011-10-23 : 20:38:15
We have C and E drives configured with local drives. We install only the installation files onto these drives. All databases, logs, etc go onto F or greater. F or greater is storage from an array.

Tara Kizer
Microsoft MVP for Windows Server System - SQL Server
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/

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Lumbago
Norsk Yak Master

3271 Posts

Posted - 2011-10-24 : 04:04:51
What do you mean by "So I can get jobs, logins replicated if I install them onto a LUN drive."? If you want to replicate sql server objects, it doesn't really matter to the replication software where sql server is installed. SAN replication is a different matter but it still doesn't make sense to replicate the installation drives (at least not to me).

- Lumbago
My blog-> http://thefirstsql.com/2011/07/08/how-to-find-gaps-in-identity-columns-at-the-speed-of-light/
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jbates99
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

396 Posts

Posted - 2011-10-24 : 13:49:57
Good question, Lumago.

Our replication software (FalconStor) does not replicate the C drive. This is probably because we chose to configure it that way.

So if I can have the *system* databases and the user databases on the E drive, jobs, logins etc will be replicated. I can eliminate many problems that arise when we have to failover to the alternate system by not having to recreate some jobs and logins. This is the reason I want SQL Server installed onto the E drive which in my case is a replicated LUN. I agree I dont care about where the SQL Server install files are - that's a one time use.

John
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kstjacques
Starting Member

8 Posts

Posted - 2011-10-25 : 07:20:13
You don't need to install SQL Server onto a LUN in order to get our system databases on a LUN. You can install SQL Server to the C: drive, but on the 'Data Directories' tab during installation, you specify a LUN for your 'Data root directory' and your system databases will be installed there.

-Kim
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chris_cs
Posting Yak Master

223 Posts

Posted - 2011-10-26 : 10:37:52
Alternatively you can also move your system databases to a specified drive and have the SQL binaries remain on the C: drive.

----------------------------
Junior DBA learning the ropes
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