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Server setup and configuration
18 Dell EMC SC Series: Microsoft SQL Server Best Practices | CML1057
6 Server setup and configuration
6.1 HBA considerations
Be sure that the HBA firmware and drivers are up to date. As with any update, it is important to verify
functionality in a test or QA environment before implementing in production.
SQL Server is a very I/O intensive application. It is important to configure the queue depth of the HBA
properly to optimize performance. See the "HBA Server Settings" section in the Dell Storage Manager
Administrator’s Guide.
6.2 iSCSI considerations
Use at least 1Gb Ethernet to connect to the SC Series storage array. For best performance, use 10Gb
Ethernet.
To provide consistent performance, create a separate network for iSCSI traffic.
If using the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator, Dell EMC recommends the following:
• Make the SQL Server service dependent on the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service.
• Use dedicated network interface cards (NICs) for iSCSI connections to the array.
• On each of the dedicated NICs, disable all features, protocols, and clients except for TCP/IPv4.
• Explicitly create each of the iSCSI connections, rather than using the Quick Connect button.