4.1.0 HP PolyServe Software for Microsoft SQL Server administration guide (T5392-96074, October 2010)

2. Test the upgrade
It is important to run the upgrade in a test environment to ensure that the upgrade
will function successfully on the production server. Testing also ensures that there will
be no surprises during or after the upgrade.
For example, to test a SQL server upgrade, you should create a typical workload
mix of your application’s user transactions and then measure different machine
parameters such as CPU or I/O load. When the test environment is ready, complete
these steps:
1. Test the current configuration and create a baseline of the results.
2. Record the start time and then perform the upgrade on the test machine.
3. After the upgrade, check the event log and setup files for errors.
4. Record the end time to get an estimate of total down time.
5. Run the workload tests again and compare the results with the baseline.
We recommend that the test machine be identical to the production machine. For
example, the two machines should contain the same components (including third-party
applications such as anti-virus software) and the same settings (such as the /3G flag
in boot.ini).
Also ensure that the component versions match. The following generic components
should be identical on the test and production machines.
Net CLR service packsNumber of SQL instances
Network card and firmwareSettings of SQL instances
Network card settingsSQL Service Packs
Number of network cardsSQL hot fixes
HBA card and firmwareOperating system version
Number of NBA cardsOperating system service packs
Number of CPUsOperating system security updates
Amount of physical memoryMatrix Server version
Third-party softwareSQL Server solution pack version
Upgrade production SQL Servers152