Offers techniques, tips, and insights into squeezing maximum performance out of a virtualized database.

Learn how to combine SQL Server's analytics with Azure's flexibility and hybrid connectivity to achieve industry-leading performance and manageability for your cloud database. Key FeaturesUnderstand platform availability for SQL Server in AzureExplore the benefits and deployment choices offered by SQL IaaSGet to grips with deploying SQL Server on the Linux development ecosystemBook Description Deploying SQL Server on Azure virtual machines allows you to work on full versions of SQL Server in the cloud without having to maintain on-premises hardware. The book begins by introducing you to the SQL portfolio in Azure and takes you through SQL Server IaaS scenarios, before explaining the factors that you need to consider while choosing an OS for SQL Server in Azure VMs. As you progress through the book, you'll explore different VM options and deployment choices for IaaS and understand platform availability, migration tools, and best practices in Azure. In later chapters, you'll learn how to configure storage to achieve optimized performance. Finally, you'll get to grips with the concept of Azure Hybrid Benefit and find out how you can use it to maximize the value of your existing on-premises SQL Server. By the end of this book, you'll be proficient in administering SQL Server on Microsoft Azure and leveraging the tools required for its deployment. What you will learnChoose an operating system for SQL Server in Azure VMsUse the Azure Management Portal to facilitate the deployment processVerify connectivity and network latency in cloudConfigure storage for optimal performance and connectivityExplore various disaster recovery options for SQL Server in AzureOptimize SQL Server on LinuxDiscover how to back up databases to a URLWho this book is for SQL Server on Azure VMs is for you if you are a developer, data enthusiast, or anyone who wants to migrate SQL Server databases to Azure virtual machines. Basic familiarity with SQL Server and managed identities for Azure resources will be a plus.

Best practices, guidance, and tips for virtualizing Microsoft® business critical applications on the VMware vSphere® platform By virtualizing Microsoft's enterprise applications on vSphere, you can drive down costs while migrating toward flexible, low-cost private cloud architectures. This unique guidebook bridges the gap between the Microsoft and VMware worlds, bringing together the deep knowledge, cutting-edge best practices, and practical techniques you need to succeed. Leading experts Matt Liebowitz and Alex Fontana present end-to-end coverage of virtualizing Windows Server 2012 AD domain controllers and failover clusters, Exchange Server 2013, SQL Server 2012, and SharePoint Server 2013. They offer indispensable advice on sizing, architecture, performance, availability, monitoring, and metrics. Throughout, the authors share valuable tips, tricks, and insights from their own experiences. For each Microsoft application, they provide "proof of concept" sample configurations and clearly explain how new features impact virtualization. You'll also find authoritative, up-to-date guidance on licensing and other issues related to ensuring full support from both Microsoft and VMware. Coverage includes * Evaluating the benefits, risks, and challenges of virtualizing Microsoft business critical applications * Identifying strategies for success associated with people, processes, and technology * Reviewing VMware vSphere features most important to virtualizing business-critical applications * Taking advantage of new virtualization-aware features built in to Windows Server 2012 domain controllers * Designing and configuring vSphere High Availability (vSphere HA) clusters to run Windows enterprise applications * Reflecting Exchange Server 2013's new architecture to maximize its performance in virtualized environments * Leveraging new SQL Server 2012 features to simplify the delivery of high availability on virtual servers * Reducing SQL Server 2012 licensing costs through virtualization * Planning, designing, and deploying virtualized SharePoint Server 2013 environments

Successfully meeting the challenges of combining VMware and Oracle, this comprehensive reference provides a broad spectrum of technological recommendations that demonstrate how to reliably and consistently achieve optimal configuration and maximum performance for any virtualized Oracle database scenario. The guide includes the best practices for virtualized servers, suggested virtualization server configuration, and recommendations for client operating system configuration for Oracle in a virtualized world. With real-world examples and highly applicable advice, this handbook also details the complexities of designing, configuring, maintaining, and tuning Oracle database deployments, making it a complete compendium for keeping virtualized Oracle databases in top form.

The start-to-finish guide to virtualizing business-critical SQL Server databases on VMware vSphere 5 By virtualizing business-critical databases, enterprises can drive far more value from existing IT infrastructure. But squeezing maximum performance out of a virtualized database instance is an art as much as a science. This indispensable start-to-finish guide brings together all the techniques, tips, and insights you need to succeed. Drawing on unsurpassed personal experience, three leading experts share complete best practices for deploying business-critical database servers in virtualized vSphere 5 environments. They cover the entire project lifecycle, bridging technical and communications gaps between SQL Server and VMware professionals that often make database virtualization more difficult than it needs to be. You’ll find specific guidance for architects and administrators responsible for systems, storage, databases, applications, or VMware virtualization. The authors also present detailed, start-to-finish coverage of performance baselining and testing: all you need to make your virtualized databases as fast as they are cost effective. Although this book focuses on SQL, the authors’ proven guidance for enhancing performance can be leveraged by any IT professional virtualizing a demanding Tier 1 application. Coverage includes • Business cases for database virtualization: consolidation, Database as a Service (DaaS), efficiency, and “SLAs on steroids” • Using the redundancy inherent in virtualization to improve availability • Constructing a careful, conservative implementation plan • Balancing disk, CPU, memory, and network for superior performance • Mastering the five key principles of database storage design • Leveraging memory: SQL MAX, page locking, NUMA, reservations, swapping, large memory pages, and more • Ensuring responsiveness by providing a fast, reliable, low-latency network • Supporting advanced AlwaysOn Failover Cluster Instances and Availability Groups • Baselining physical systems and properly determining resource requirements • Configuring performance tests from beginning to end • Migrating existing SQL Server databases onto a vSphere platform • Avoiding traps and pitfalls in virtualizing production databases • Managing and monitoring virtualized database instances and resources

If you want to gain insight into the real-world uses of VMware ESX and ESXi, this book provides scores of step-by-step solutions for working with these products in a wide range of network environments. You'll not only learn the basics -- how to pool resources from hardware servers, computer clusters, networks, and storage, and then distribute them among virtual machines -- but also the stumbling blocks you'll encounter when you monitor systems, troubleshoot problems, and deal with security. In addition to the recipes, VMware Cookbook includes background information to help you determine your virtualization needs. You'll come to view VMware as part of the real environment, alongside operating systems, storage, and logical and physical network components. Follow best practices for installing VMware in your environment Discover how to secure and monitor your network Understand disk storage implementation and configuration Learn resource management using the distributed resource scheduler, shares, and resource pools Configure logical and physical networks Learn how to clone and migrate servers Gain valuable tips for configuration and fine-tuning Many resources can teach you about virtualization and the basics of VMware. This book is for system administrators who are ready to go beyond an introduction.

Offers a comprehensive look at VMware technology, how to implement it, and how to make the most of what it offers.