Data centre management for database servers

Setting up a new database server environment in a new data centre requires testing.  It’s a mix of benchmarking and stress testing .  Unless you can recreate the underlying traffic and recreate a “realistic” production environment , then it’s not strict benchmarking . The main purpose is to validate the  storage and server layer.

Another purpose is to test upgraded software and hardware.

I specify more complicated tests  if there is a requirement . In very large migrations , I take a risk based approach – which means I’ll identify a selection of database servers to test.

The basic approach I take is as follows.

1)   Establish performance baseline for servers

a)       The storage team provide IOmeter figures to DBAs.  These figures are based on an initial IO profile provided by the DBA.  The storage team should test and ensure adequate throughput is achieved. As the DBA , I’m interested in the IOPs and whether the IOPS can be achieved in the optimal timeframe

b)       User load and Stress test. Using Database server tools. I compare these figures to existing environments.

2)   Application level database server testing

a)       Work with application owners to identify busy periods in the production. I record the workload

b)       Take snapshots of the databases and transfer to the new environment.

c)       Rerun the workload on the new environment and compare the figures.

d)       Record the metrics and compare the two environments