My sysadmin is reinstalling VCenter and would like to put the VCenter database on the db server that has all of the other enterprise databases (ERP, advancement, etc.). I'm not convinced that this is a good idea and was wondering if there would be a significant performance hit brought about by this addition.
2 Answers
It depends on the load of the server and it's capability. We have non-dedicated VC DB servers, obviously if one application went nuts it could impact VC functionality but that's down to how your DB is setup and what else it's doing. There's no black and white answer to this one sorry.
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Thanks for your response. When you say "how your DB is setup and what else it's doing" are you referring to the specific vCenter DB or the server itself? Do you have any recommendations for ensuring optimum user experience (from both the VM perspective and from the perspective of the end-users of the other applications)?– swasheckOct 14, 2010 at 16:08
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1+1; shared servers always have caveats; one app might require a certain SP, and others don't support it; aligning maintenance windows can be a nightmare; as long as cpu and disk space are under control and watched, it can be done.– SqlACIDOct 14, 2010 at 16:23
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@swasheck, sorry, I meant the database as a whole, there's little to be gained by VC DB specific tinkering as far as I'm aware.– Chopper3Oct 14, 2010 at 16:31
To add onto Chopper's answer, it depends on what you are doing in VC. It's important to know exactly what is stored in the VC database. VPX_HIST_STAT{1-4} tables are a large portion of the database, and store historical performance data. If your stats level is particularly low (like level 1), then you can put it pretty much anywhere. You'll also want to consider full vs simple recovery, how often to purge the database, and a plan to keep track of index fragmentation.
Good luck!
Jake