By Maurice De Vidts
New opportunities with growing real-time information with data that combines structured, semi-structure and unstructured data to gather new insights is a non-trivial task. There are many challenges to building, using and managing large data environments, especially Big Data ones. Key challenges include growing data sources, data volume, velocity, veracity and its integration and semantic augmentation. HPE has been partnering with Microsoft on SQL Server 2019, developing early solutions. SQL Server 2019 comes with exiting new features including Big Data clustering functionality, to help address these challenges by providing a feature rich-comprehensive data environment! The new platform focuses on three key pillars that create a versatile data platform that enables intelligence over your data:
- Data Integration
- Data Management
- Data Analysis
This tight integration provides a complete data environment in which structured databases, data warehouses and big data can coexist and interconnect in an easy to manage and highly available environment.
Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Big Data Clusters
Incorporating Big Data clustering with SQL Server allows for better data integration, management and analysis on several fronts. It provides data virtualization by incorporating access to a variety of external sources such as Oracle, MongoDB and HDFS. It also allows for combined management of SQL Server instances and Spark Big data lakes. In addition, SQL Server enables feature rich analytics integrating ML services for SQL Server and Spark.
For a full overview of the Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Big Data cluster refer to the links in the reference section.
Quick scaling of workload compute and data nodes is achieved with this container-based architecture. One deployment model we are working on in our labs is deploying on HPE Synergy composable infrastructure. Adding compute resources for seasonal workload surges is easily accomplished. The combination also eases both software and hardware patching allowing quick software updates and firmware to be applied seamlessly.
The ability to quickly start new containers favors both scale-out growth and scale-up increases such as migrating a workload from a two-socket to a four-socket compute module, for example.
A variety of storage options provide SQL Server with different types of storage needed for the SQL Server nodes. DAS, SAN and high-density storage can be leveraged in building a reliable and flexible data environment.
HPE and SQL Server better together
HPE’s commitment to Linux and containers along with HPE engineered solutions in the container space scale are an excellent fit to Microsoft SQL Server 2019 and SQL Server 2019 Big Data clusters.
We have tested and developed HPE Reference configurations for RedHat OpenShift container platform that is cost effective, improves scalability and provides faster time to value. Please visit our booth at Red Hat Summit to see the reference architecture designs and SQL Server 2019 Big data cluster theater session.
By integrating well tested servers and storage into a solution HPE has also reduces unforeseen problems that plague customer-built solutions.
Conclusion
When we look at the combination of new features and tool improvements along with the ease of deployment, high availability and security options SQL Server 2019 offers, we see SQL Server well on its way to deliver a solid data platform architecture that will scale with your compute needs and data growth. When combined with Big Data clusters, SQL Server 2019 unifies in a single data environment both high-value relational data and high-volume Big Data.
HPE’s OpenShift reference configuration readily hosts this data environment in a purpose-built manner, maximizing hardware utilization and lowering TCO. The hardware scaling capabilities of the Synergy composable infrastructure combined with container and pod infrastructure easily and quickly scales out SQL Server 2019 when needed. This will, in turn accelerate database and application deployment yielding faster time to market. The self-service nature of OpenShift on HPE will also simplify operations and increase team agility, key to dealing with quickly changing data landscapes.
The resulting Microsoft SQL Server and HPE data environment results in a solid platform in which your data can be leveraged and safeguarded.
For additional information, sessions, and demos visit our booth at Red Hat Summit 2019!
Resources
For additional information please see the following links relevant to Microsoft SQL Server 2019, Big Data clusters and HPE solutions supporting SQL Server 2019 container deployments.
HPE reference docs:
- Starter OpenShift reference architecture
- Nimble OpenShift reference architecture
- 3PAR OpenShift reference architecture
HPE_Alliances
HPE Alliance Partners
