Best Practices for Tuning Microsoft SQL Server on the HP ProLiant DL980

Technical white paper | Best Practices for Tuning Microsoft SQL Server on the HP ProLiant DL980
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Table 1. PCIe slot, type, and capability
It is far better, performance-wise, to install cards into slots best suited for their characteristics. If for example an adapter is a
PCIe x8 (8 lanes), best throughput is obtained in the available x8 slots. When impossible to do that, keep in mind that the
PCIe x4 slots (with 4 lanes) are generally preferred for lower performance adapters.
Recommended software: HP Enterprise SQL Optimizer (HP ESO)
HP Enterprise SQL Optimizer (HP ESO) is a software tool that greatly simplifies and consolidates the process of tuning HP
ProLiant DL980 servers running Microsoft Windows Server and SQL Server 2008 or later (see support note below). HP ESO
encapsulates the expert knowledge of HP and other industry leaders in a single, multi-faceted application that is ideal for
optimizing SQL Server on your DL980. It is, in fact, the tool best suited for implementing most of the recommendations
found in this white paper. HP ESO is provided free of charge and can be installed using any HP ProLiant DL980 Smart Update
CD, version 9.0 or later.
Note
The initial version, HP ESO 1.0, supported tuning of HP ProLiant DL980 servers running Microsoft Windows Server and SQL
Server 2008 or SQL Server 2008 R2. HP ESO 2.x, released in 2012, additionally supported SQL Server 2012.
ESO 3.0 added support of Windows Server 2012; 3.5 enhanced tuning capabilities (including generation of PowerShell
scripts); and 3.6 adds support of Windows Server 2012 R2. All were released in 2013. Each version supersedes one another,
and adds new features and enhancements. For example, since 3.0 there is support for Windows Server Core, new
optimization capabilities for the Microsoft OLAP engine (SQL Server Analysis Services), as well as Data Warehouse (DW) and
SAP databases.
Adapter
PCIe Slot #
Physical
Connector
IOH
With PCI-X PCIe expander
(588139-B21*)
PCIe Gen 2 (x8 Electrical)
2
x16
SubIO
64 bit PCI-X 100 MHz
3
x16
SubIO
x16 Electrical (on PCI-X SubIO only)
5
x16
SubIO
Slot does not exist for PCI-X Sub Assy
6
x16
SubIO
x16 Electrical (on PCI-X SubIO only)
9
x16
Main IO
11
x16
Main IO
12
x16
LPIO
13
x16
LPIO
15
x16
LPIO
16
x16
LPIO
PCIe Gen 2 (x4 Electrical)
4
X8
SubIO
7
X8
Main IO
8
X8
Main IO
10
X8
Main IO
14
X8
LPIO
PCIe Gen 1 (x4 Electrical)
1
X8
SubIO
64 bit PCI-X 100 MHz