HP PolyServe Software for Microsoft SQL Server -
Overview & Features

Overview

Unlike server virtualization and traditional high availability products, it goes beyond just consolidation and simple failovers to provide scalable capacity allocation, on-the-fly instance mobility, and meets Microsoft’s SQL Server Always On requirements, making it the ideal solution for database consolidation.

Key features of HP PolyServe Software for Microsoft SQL Server include:

1. Adaptive, Scalable Microsoft SQL Server Platform
   • Dynamic Re-Hosting™ to quickly deploy, stack or reallocate Microsoft SQL Server instances to any server
   • Add server, blade, and storage capacity without disrupting existing operations
   • Only server consolidation solution that provides enterprise class availability and virtualization-like flexibility


2. Consolidated Data Management
   • “Shared Data” architecture maximizes consolidation while providing ultimate flexibility in data structure configuration for database administrators
   • Single, shared pool of resources simplifies storage allocation, backup, and configuration tasks
   • Enables a shared services model for more efficient staff utilization and budget allocation


3. High Availability for Mission-Critical Applications:
   • Reliable, easy to manage high availability for all instances
   • "One-Click" and “Roll-Through” maintenance pushes updates or hot fixes to all servers
   • Qualified and supported solution in Microsoft SQL Server Always On program

The software supports HP ProLiant Servers and SAN storage arrays. Installation and optimization services are available to help customers successfully migrate from Microsoft SQL Server 2000 to 2005.

What's New

• Simplifies Enterprise Management: Provides a multi-instance, multi-node installer for SQL Server updates, hot fixes, and operating service packs which makes managing cluster changes as easy as managing a single server. It also includes an HP Management Pack for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 for alerting via SNMP traps.
• Enhances Enterprise Security: Enables three main areas of control and security. It enables 'Role Based Administration and Security" with integration to Active Directory groups - a key requirement to enable multi-department coordination and responsibility sharing. It provides single sign-on Active Directory based authentication that simplifies login and authentication. Thirdly, it supports Auditing as it records to the Windows Event Log any human initiated changes and logon attempts included failed/succeeded logons.
• Improves Consolidation Ease: "Default" and "Named" instance aliasing avoids the risk of instance naming conflicts and allows multiple "Default" and "Named' instances to be stacked on the same physical server and be managed through a drag-and-drop graphical user interface. An enhancement to the Migration Toolkit now enables customers to more easily capture and handle DTS package migration.
• Expedites Disaster Recoverability: Helps to complete a DR strategy by supporting off-site or cross-campus failover and auto-volume reconstruction as the product can re-assemble all component volumes and enable the second site to recover quickly.
• Run truly centralized backups: Enables a single node backup solution so that all backups can be run from a single server in the utility taking advantage of the shared file system architecture. This offloads the heavy lifting of backup and network congestion to a ‘true’ backup server. Database recovery is also improved as it can be done regardless of where the instance is/was running as the data is always shared.

Features and Benefits

• Adaptive Scalable Microsoft SQL Server Platform: Dynamic Re-Hosting provides Instance Mobility, the ability to move SQL Server instances from one server to another with less than 30 seconds of downtime, to optimize resources based on shifting workloads.
• Scale System Capacity Online: Add server, blade, and storage capacity without disrupting existing operations.
• Consolidated Data Management: Customers have experienced SQL Server count and storage footprint reduction of over 75%, leading to hard cost savings and a reduction of datacenter facility power consumption. Additionally, improvements in operational efficiency contribute to three year total cost of ownership (TCO) reduction of 50%.
• "Shared Data" Designed for Database Consolidation and Management: The "Shared Data” architecture provides the ultimate flexibility in data structure configuration allowing DBAs to tune for performance, security, and manageability while still deriving the benefits of consolidation and high availability.
• Shared Services Model: The leading Enterprise-wide consolidation platform for SQL Server that enables a standardized Shared Services model for better SLA achievement and easier cost allocations, all at a lower cost structure.
• High Availability for Mission-Critical Applications: Provides zero-downtime architecture for SQL Server databases that drastically reduces both planned and unplanned downtime.
• Qualified and Supported Solution by Microsoft: Qualified and supported solution in Microsoft SQL Server Always On program, having met a set of SQL Server I/O requirements focused on reliability and high performance..
• Simplify Infrastructure Management: Reduce the time required to perform routine system and storage administration tasks by up to 75%. "One-Click" and “Roll-Through” maintenance pushes updates or hot fixes to all servers.