Questions: setting up SQL2008 and EX2007 Database LUNs

onephonede — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:00:19 GMT

Dear NetApp Community,

Hi - my name is Michael, I'm 26 years old and a network administrator at a german telecomunication company.

I'm new to NetApp and VMWare and just got my first two servers migrated (p2v).

We are using a FAS2020 (active/active) with 12 x 300 SAS drives, 2x1GBit Switches, a VCenter Server and some ESXi Hosts.

My HW and SW supplier told me to place the SQL-Server and Exchange-Server Databases on a iSCSI LUN insteed of NFS export.

At the moment the Exchange is still on a physical machine and the SQL is running in the VMware on a NFS export. (both W2008)

Since the Databases are both located on the OS-Drive (C) I have a lot of things to prepare before I reconfigure those DB paths.

According to this strategy I have the following questions:

1. would you recommend to mount the iSCSI LUN from within the Win2008 OS (Controlpanel-> iSCSI Initiator) and provision the LUN on the NetApp for W2008 or would you rather Provision the LUN for VMware and provide it to the VM as second drive via VMware.

2. with the Exchange2007 Standard I can create a "local" DB replication from the current DB (located on C) and a iSCSI mount, then I would have a copy on the NetApp and can migrate the Exchange Server to a NFS export. Then i would mount the DB located on the iSCSI LUN to the Exchange... is this a could Idea ?

3. I have heard alot about jumbo frames while searching through threads about SQL Databases. Im not sure if I'm using them but a dont think so. I think my switches support jumbo frames and my network adaptors too but I would verify that again if It's a general recomendation / speed up to the system. Where would I have to enable jumbo-frames I saw it some where but I dont remember.. was it on the SAN, on the Switches or within VMware or all ?

Thats it for now. I'm sure this wont be my last Thread.

I'm looking forward to having a good time with you guys

Thanks in advance,

Michael Ulmer

OnePhone Germany

Re: Questions: setting up SQL2008 and EX2007 Database LUNs

onephonede — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:00:05 GMT

whats wrong with my thread ?

Re: Questions: setting up SQL2008 and EX2007 Database LUNs

rorzmcgauze — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:08:56 GMT

For the best advice on most of your requests I would take a look at the technical reports available. Just search NOW for: TRXXXX

For starters look at

TR3749 - NetApp and Vsphere Best Practices

TR3737 - SMVI 2 Best Practices

TR3802 - Ethernet Best Practices

They will start to give some food for thought on the Vsphere implementatio you wish to follow and the ethernet doc will cover jumbo frames and flow control.

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Questions: setting up SQL2008 and EX2007 Database LUNs

Re: Questions: setting up SQL2008 and EX2007 Database LUNs

Re: Questions: setting up SQL2008 and EX2007 Database LUNs