MSA1000 / Best Practice / SQL / Stripe Size

[dewitte64]

Does anyone have a good suggestion for the best stripe size for Windows 2000 and SQL Server with the MSA 1000/RAID10? I think while I'm doing this I should go ahead and try to do this as correctly as possible.

The suggestion when formatting is 128k - but cluster sizes in Windows when formatting are 64k - should I try to match these up?

Thanks in advance!

[Jefferson Humber]

I have seen a lot of discussion about this topic over the years, and I don't think there is a correct answer as such.

A lot of people seem to use a 64kb stripe size, a quick google search seems to confirm this too.

However, I do remember reading a paper recently saying that 128kb gave better results under most conditions (which is why it's the default size now), but I don't think this was specifically SQL Server related.

At the end of the day though it comes down to mostly application behaviour, which is something only you would know about i.e small I/O sizes or large ones e.t.c.

Jeff

[John Kufrovich]

dewitte64,

If using RAID10, just use the default stripe size.

Since SQL DB files is a single flat file, changing cluster size from Windows default will not buy you anything. Recommend using the default.

Do you have any ideas on your expected DB activities. Customer usage, heavy or light. Will their be DB developers using the system?

[Herman Sugeng_1]

Hallo,
I do not think stripe size does a lot because 64k is just half of default size.
More important is that you make 2 LUN's and preferred on 2 different arrays.
One LUN for the transaction log and the other for the data, because the transaction log access the disk sequentially and the data randomly.
In the event of disaster you hopefully do not lose both lun's but only one of them. The transaction log LUN must be raid 1 or 10 for speed, the data LUN can also in raid5 less overhead, cheaper.
Best regards,
Herman.

[raadek · Accepted solution]

dewitte64,

First of all RAID10 is a way to go when talking about decent performance in IOPS environment (like databases) - it will outperform RAID5 massively!

With stripe sizes - yes, it makes a difference & should be fine tuned. It is difficult though, but you may start with 64k stripe size trying to match the size everywhere (application = file system = controller)

Rgds

[dewitte64]

Thanks for the help - I went with 64k Stripe Size and matched that in Windows when formatting.

[dewitte64]

[closed]