Building a Better Workstation
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The document outlines recommendations for building an efficient workstation for SQL Server development, discussing hardware choices between laptops and desktops, local vs. virtual vs. cloud setups, and the advantages of using VirtualBox as a virtual machine platform. It addresses the installation of SQL Server and related tools, managing updates through snapshots, and provides guidelines for memory and storage configurations. Additionally, it promotes an upcoming SQL Saturday event in Denver featuring multiple tracks and pre-cons on relevant topics.
Building a Better Workstation
- 1. Building a Better Workstation Steve Wake Consultant, RevGen Partners President, Denver SQL Server User Group
- 2. Agenda • Hardware • Local vs. Virtual vs. Cloud • VM Platforms • Virtual Drive Setup/Organization • SQL Server Installs • BIDS, SSDT & Visual Studio • Handling Updates • Recommendations
- 3. Hardware • Laptop or Desktop? • Usually comes down to portability vs. remote access as hardware has become so similar Laptop Desktop Portable More power/capabilities 12-16GB RAM at a minimum Easy to upgrade SSDs Redundancy possible Not as easy to upgrade Usually not portable (remote login)
- 4. Local vs. Virtual vs. Cloud • Things to think about: – Is speed important (performance testing)? – Ability to reset and re-use – RAM/Drive Space/Processor – Access to Internet at reliable speed – Cost (licenses & usage) • In my experience choice between Local & Virtual
- 5. Which VM Platform? • Main choices: – Hyper-V – VMWare Workstation (Fusion on Mac) – Parallels (Mac only) – VirtualBox • After years of trying all of the above I have found VirtualBox to be the most flexible and is FREE • Install additions into each VM
- 6. Virtual Drive Setup/Organization • Fixed Size vs. Differential drives? • Create base OS images with other required software/settings • Copy/Clone base OS images to create multiple separate VMs • Full Clone/Linked Clone? • Take advantage of snapshots to handle updates/changes
- 7. SQL Server Installs • Single version or Multiple versions? • For VMs take advantage of clones to save time installing • Keep licensing in mind • Don’t forget to install appropriate version of BIDS/SSDT/SSDT-BI/VS and any other tools you need
- 8. BIDS & SSDT • SQL tools change with each version of SQL Server and Visual Studio • SSDT/SSDT-BI no longer included in installer with SQL Server 2014 (SSMS still included) • Move to web install to allow for more frequent updates (sync up with Visual Studio) Tool SS 2005 SS 2008 (R2) SS 2012 SS 2014 BIDS X X SSDT X X X X (VS2013) SSDT-BI X X X (web only)
- 9. BIDS & SSDT Tool AS 05 IS 05 RS 05 DB 05 AS 08 IS 08 RS 08 DB 08 AS 12 IS 12 RS 12 DB 12 AS 14 IS 14 RS 14 DB 14 BIDS 2005 X X X BIDS 2008 (R2) X^ X^ X^ X X X SSDT VS 2010 X^ X^ X^ X^ X^ X^ X^ X X X X SSDT VS 2012 X^ X SSDT VS 2013* X^ X^ X SSDT-BI VS 2012 X^ X^ X^ X X X SSDT-BI VS 2013 X^ X^ X^ X^ X X X * SSDT functionality for SQL Server 2014 is included with all versions of Visual Studio 2013 and cannot be downloaded separately any longer ^ Previous versions supported, but will upgrade project files to specified current version
- 10. Visual Studio • Visual Studio is NOT required for ANY SQL Server BI project development • Visual Studio licensed versions can be installed on same machine as BIDS/SSDT • BIDS/SSDT will add project templates to existing Visual Studio versions • Visual Studio Express 2013 is FREE for 5 or less developers, includes VS Online!
- 11. Handling Updates • Protect your systems before doing OS/application updates • VMs – snapshot before doing updates, restore snapshot if update goes wrong • System Restore for local/cloud – create manual restore point (System control panel/System Protection tab)
- 12. Steve’s Recommendations • Laptop with 12GB min, SSDs (as big as you can afford), multiple cores capable of Intel VT-x (BIOS setting) – use Intel ARK • VirtualBox • Dedicate 6-8GB min to VM • Differential drives in VM to save HDD space • Create base OS VM • Use base OS VM clone for SQL Server VMs
- 13. Summary • Hardware recommendations • Local, VM or Cloud • Hyper-V, VMWare or VirtualBox • Fixed/Differential Disks in VM & Cloning • SQL Server Installations • BIDS, SSDT & Visual Studio
- 14. September 20, 2014 on the University of Denver campus! Multiple tracks of sessions Speakers from across the country Great Sponsors Lots of Prizes All of this for FREE! Register @ denversqlsaturday.com Pre-Cons! This year we are offering all day pre-cons on Friday, September 19th at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church • Getting Started with Biml by Tim Mitchell & Reeves Smith • Murder They Wrote by Jason Brimhall & Wayne Sheffield • A Day of High Availability and Disaster Recovery by Ryan Adams Details and links to register for pre-cons @ denversqlsaturday.com organized by volunteers from Denver SQL Server User Group (denversql.org)
- 15. Contact • swake@revgen.com • @stevewake on Twitter • LinkedIn, Google+ • Blog – http://wakebi.com
Editor's Notes
- #5: On system will provide best performance if needing to compare Usage of snapshots in VMs to immediately reset VM back to before changes/updates Enough RAM/Harddrive/Processor to even support running a VM Cloud will require reliable Internet connections to be able to use them Cost – VMWare license, OS/Server software licensing, Cloud usage fees
- #6: HyperV – Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Client Hyper-V, Server 2008 and higher OS VMWare Workstation 10 - $249 (5/26/2014) VMWare Fusion - $59.99 (5/26/2014) Parallels - $79.99 (5/26/2014) Virtualbox – free from Oracle
- #11: BIDS/SSDT are both built on top of appropriate versions of Visual Studio (as well as SSMS)
- #12: BIDS/SSDT are both built on top of appropriate versions of Visual Studio (as well as SSMS)
- #13: BIDS/SSDT are both built on top of appropriate versions of Visual Studio (as well as SSMS)