.mdf/.ldf on a NAS

I'm wondering if it's a good idea to put datafiles on a NAS and to run the
DB Servers without local disks.
Seems risky to me, but I know the topic has come up and (I hope) Microsoft
has an article on the subject.
Thanks,
JayJay,
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304261
RLF
"Jay" <nospan@.nospam.org> wrote in message
news:%23aLZrJ$GIHA.2328@.TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> I'm wondering if it's a good idea to put datafiles on a NAS and to run the
> DB Servers without local disks.
> Seems risky to me, but I know the topic has come up and (I hope) Microsoft
> has an article on the subject.
> Thanks,
> Jay
>|||I'd recommend against placing the database files on NAS.
NAS is based on CIFS and CIFS is not a good protocol for block I/Os. In
addition, a host with a mapped network drive is a CIFS client, and if you
read the CIFS specs carefully, data can be cached on the CIFS client side
(i.e. SQL Server host if you map a network drive there). I'm not comfortable
with what that CIFS caching may do to your SQL database integrity.
Linchi
"Jay" wrote:
> I'm wondering if it's a good idea to put datafiles on a NAS and to run the
> DB Servers without local disks.
> Seems risky to me, but I know the topic has come up and (I hope) Microsoft
> has an article on the subject.
> Thanks,
> Jay
>
>|||I misspoke, not a NAS, a SAN (if it makes a difference)
"Jay" <nospan@.nospam.org> wrote in message
news:%23aLZrJ$GIHA.2328@.TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> I'm wondering if it's a good idea to put datafiles on a NAS and to run the
> DB Servers without local disks.
> Seems risky to me, but I know the topic has come up and (I hope) Microsoft
> has an article on the subject.
> Thanks,
> Jay
>|||NAS = Network Attached Storage
SAN = Storage Area Network
They are different stuff.
--
Ekrem Önsoy
http://www.ekremonsoy.net , http://ekremonsoy.blogspot.com
MCBDA, MCITP:DBA, MCSD.Net, MCSE, MCBMSP, MCT
"Jay" <nospan@.nospam.org> wrote in message
news:eZduXt$GIHA.1212@.TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I misspoke, not a NAS, a SAN (if it makes a difference)
> "Jay" <nospan@.nospam.org> wrote in message
> news:%23aLZrJ$GIHA.2328@.TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> I'm wondering if it's a good idea to put datafiles on a NAS and to run
>> the DB Servers without local disks.
>> Seems risky to me, but I know the topic has come up and (I hope)
>> Microsoft has an article on the subject.
>> Thanks,
>> Jay
>|||Yes, SAN is OK, since it has dedicated HW and network with protocols designed for this. Consider
what you have at the other end, though, and how the SAN is setup. It isn't uncommon to end up with
your database files "in the pool" with no control for you regarding RAID levels and whatever else
get shared with your data.
--
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://sqlblog.com/blogs/tibor_karaszi
"Jay" <nospan@.nospam.org> wrote in message news:eZduXt$GIHA.1212@.TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I misspoke, not a NAS, a SAN (if it makes a difference)
> "Jay" <nospan@.nospam.org> wrote in message news:%23aLZrJ$GIHA.2328@.TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> I'm wondering if it's a good idea to put datafiles on a NAS and to run the DB Servers without
>> local disks.
>> Seems risky to me, but I know the topic has come up and (I hope) Microsoft has an article on the
>> subject.
>> Thanks,
>> Jay
>|||I'd venture to say that today most databases in large enterprises run on some
kind of SANs, mostly fibre-channel SANs.
Linchi
"Jay" wrote:
> I misspoke, not a NAS, a SAN (if it makes a difference)
> "Jay" <nospan@.nospam.org> wrote in message
> news:%23aLZrJ$GIHA.2328@.TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> > I'm wondering if it's a good idea to put datafiles on a NAS and to run the
> > DB Servers without local disks.
> >
> > Seems risky to me, but I know the topic has come up and (I hope) Microsoft
> > has an article on the subject.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Jay
> >
>
>|||SAN will be fine, it's what we do.
SAN and NAS have almost nothing in common, unless you're dyslexic :-)
"Jay" <nospan@.nospam.org> wrote in message
news:eZduXt$GIHA.1212@.TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I misspoke, not a NAS, a SAN (if it makes a difference)
> "Jay" <nospan@.nospam.org> wrote in message
> news:%23aLZrJ$GIHA.2328@.TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> I'm wondering if it's a good idea to put datafiles on a NAS and to run
>> the DB Servers without local disks.
>> Seems risky to me, but I know the topic has come up and (I hope)
>> Microsoft has an article on the subject.
>> Thanks,
>> Jay
>