first experience with sql server 2017 on linux and the ... · first experience with sql server 2017...

First experience with SQL Server 2017 on Linux

and the Early Adopter Program

Christian Hählen

Content

1. Background

1.1 Short introduction

1.2 History - Why did we start on SQL Server vNext and the EAP?

2. In the EAP

3.1 CTP1.2

3.2 New CTP1.3 and 1.4

3.3 CTP2 = SQL Server 2017

3. Looking back

3.1 Impressions of SQL Server 2017 (on Windows / Linux)

3.2 Impressions of the EAP

15.06.2017Experience with SQL Server 2017 and EAP 2

Background


About the company…

Swiss Mobiliar Insurance

• Own applications as well as external applications

• Operate Windows and Linux,

directly and on Docker/Kubernetes

• Observe and anticipate development on new technologies

Mobiliar and databases

• Oracle, SQL Server, DB2 zOs / Linux / Windows

In SQL Server

• 1200+ DBs summing to 5TB, of which 550+ productive

• 30+ AON AGs with 300+ of all DBs

• 110+ Server VMs

• SQL Server 2008 - 2017


… and the speaker

Christian Hählen

• 9 years working experience

• on SQL Server as data architect & database administrator

• as a database interface developer (.NET)

• 4 years working experience as System Administrator /

Head of Infrastructure and Operations

→ «I know the other side»

• Working at Mobiliar as database specialist / DBA for one year

• Member of PASS and co-organizer Swiss Chapter Events in Bern

• Interested in the future of

• SQL Server

• Information system technologies


History -

Why did we start on SQL Server vNext and the EAP?

Developing on Linux & Open for new technologies

• First appearances got our attention

• Make SQL Server more interesting for our developers

• Possibility to use in self-developed applications

(in Docker environment?)

Then we heard of the Early Adopter Program

• Already beta customers at Oracle

• Know the advantages such programs can offer

• Christian knows about co-working with Microsoft

• We have an independent application needing test environment

• Let’s get on board!


History -

What did we want to migrate

SQLMon

• Self developed collection of PowerShell scripts for

• Reporting

• Monitoring

• Maintenance

• Not to be confused with tools from Oracle or Sourceforge

called the same

• Documenting our database world map

in a SQL Server database by means of

details about

• Servers

• Databases

• Processes and counters

• Much more


History – SQLMon

Experience with SQL Server 2017 and EAP 8

History – SQLMon


In the EAP


In the EAP

Two mails and … GO!

• Filled in the form, got contacted, registered on Yammer

• And hey: there we were!

Got the first VM from our infrastructure team

• Setup breaks

• internet reports calmed

• Added disk space

• Installation done in seconds. SECONDS!

• Configuring to our SQL Server standard not so easy

First glimpse of hope

• Mike Weiner, our EAP buddy from SQLCAT, told me about

CTP1.3 with AON functionality

• Lucky to wait for it and test


In the EAP

CTP 1.3

• Promised CTP soon there

• update on Linux as easy

• On Windows the usual CTP behaviour

• At the same time a second VM was ordered to be ready to test

AON on Linux

• CLUSTER_TYPE to NONE great,

test AON AG Linux-Windows set-up in no time!

• But…

• Autoseeding does not work (cross-OS)

• Manual failover always looses connection

• Restarting secondary helps, but takes time. A LOT OF TIME!

• Able to produce a repeatable split brain


In the EAP

Second glimpse of hope

• Reported restart-issue, Yammer answer from MS came in hours

• Split Brain advice was clear: Don’t use dialog, use T-SQL!

• CTP1.4 to come

CTP 1.4

• CTP 1.4 very soon released, restart-issue fixed

• Failover management to be done by pacemaker,

but heard about changes to come

• Considered working on it or waiting

• Decided to bring SQLMon to Linux


In the EAP

Bringing SQLMon to Linux

• Restored a copy on the Linux AG, copied the PS scripts

• Still missing collection of Linux VM data

• Worked without a hassle

• Last step to go: HA

Adding maintenance

• Our scripts for backups and maintenance did not work

• Created “remote” version

CTP 2

• New CLUSTER_TYPE “EXTERNAL” good to prevent conflicts

• Installation of pacemaker finally done

• cluster does not come up

• IP not able to be assigned


In the EAP

Direct help from Microsoft

• Mike added Murshed (also SQLCAT) to the communication,

then things went fast

• Some tips of Murshed and our Unix/Linux Team

• Finally pacemaker achieved its power

• What were the reasons?

• Sysadmin for pacemakerLogin

• Servers need same Subnet

CTP 2.1

• dbfs interesting for reporting

• mssql-scripter tool and SSIS on Linux not yet tested

Going productive

• Servers and virtual IP ordered

• Learning fencing / STONITH

• Let’s see if it replaces the current Windows version!


Looking back


Looking back – EAP

Simple registration / getting started

Nice contact from the beginning

Regular phone calls

• Helps scheduling the steps

• Insights into development process

• Providing useful contacts

• Early confirmation about bugs

Yammer

• Good idea

• Mostly silent

• Not many want to share interna

• I forgot to post, too…

• But if you ask…


Looking back –

SQL Server 2017 (on Linux)

«CLUSTER_TYPE = NONE» really needed feature, thank you!

Management Studio 2016 / 2017

• Monthly releases fast but also danger

• Suddenly faulting features

• Very large icons, have to get used to it

• Login dialog scrolling

→ sort of problem you want to have ;-)

SQL Server 2017 on Linux

• Incredibly fast installed

• Not yet easy to configure

• AD integration missing

• Pacemaker integration with «CLUSTER_TYPE = EXTERNAL» great

• removes things from management studio

• just after taking from WFCS…

• 3 servers needed for HA


Questions

Thank’s for listening …

If you want to learn more about our future experiences,

follow our new blog at www.mobiliar.ch/db-blog


http://www.mobiliar.ch/db-blog

first experience with sql server 2017 on linux and the ... · first experience with sql server 2017...

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