Structured query language servers, or SQL (sometimes pronounced “Sequel”) servers are becoming an increasingly important tool for any data scientist to have in their toolbox. It’s a key asset that can be used to do all sorts of things, like access, update, insert, manipulate, and modify data, and it also helps in communicating with relational databases.

But SQL can come with its own set of challenges. Latencies and throughput issues can be frustrating if you don’t have the proper methods to speed up your network performance.

You can make improvements to remove these latencies and throughput issues, which all come down to how you request information, and also the storage solution on which you store your data: We’re talking about all-flash storage systems and how they can skyrocket your SQL server performance.

Here’s how SQL servers and all-flash storage work in perfect harmony:

Improving SQL Server Performance

Improving SQL query performance is an important skill to have, especially if you work with large databases and need information quickly. You can get results faster if you learn how to request this data more efficiently.

If you rely on an SQL server, you might find that you need some assistance boosting its performance capability. What can you do to optimize your SQL queries? The way you request a query can improve the performance.

How can you write a query in such a way that you can improve overall performance?

• Ensure your CPUs are available and run time-intensive reports during non-critical hours or off business hours
• Avoid locking data tables in your reports, which can create a bottleneck
• Access as much information as possible in one query and avoid “round trips” where data is accessed multiple times

Even More Important than Your Language? Using the Right Storage

The beauty of SQL is that when you make queries, you use a non-procedural language to do so. This means that you get to specify the results you want, without having to come up with the methods to retrieve these results.

While you can learn the language of SQL to optimize your performance, it’s even more crucial that you have the right storage system for maximum performance.

In other words?

Your SQL server should be run from a storage solution that can handle the workload. An all-flash array will help speed up your queries.

Why You Should Run Your SQL Using All-Flash

Why is it so important to use an all-flash storage system for your SQL server? All-flash can revolutionize your SQL server solutions and the queries you make. Here’s how it happens:

Consistent Performance and Low Latency

Hard disk systems are limited when it comes to performance. They don’t have a great rate of successful input/output operations per second and create lots of latencies and data bottlenecks as they rotate to read information at the right time.

But an all-flash array doesn’t have the same problem. Data is accessible “in a flash” because flash storage systems don’t have to rotate to make the information available. At any workload, flash improves performance and decreases the latencies.

When you pair an all-flash array with Microsoft’s SQL server, you can accelerate your server by 1500 percent with VIOLIN’s all-flash storage.

Simplify Database Management and Warehousing

All-flash arrays can help you optimize your entire SQL server infrastructure for easier database management. Even when dealing with big data and service-level agreements, your SQL server can handle the workload with the disaggregated environment that an all-flash array has to offer.

Choosing Flash Storage for SQL Server Databases

How can you ensure that you’ve chosen a flash storage solution that can handle your SQL servers? You need a flash system that’s up to the challenge, which means you need your flash system to check a few boxes.

Your all-flash array is right for your SQL database if:

• It increases performance
• It reduces your costs
• It Improves your security and protects your data
• It pairs well with your SQL database management system

The VIOLIN QV2020 has an easy-to-manage interface that plays nicely with database management systems, and it heightens security all at once. It’s also optimized to work with Microsoft’s SQL server and Hyper-V.

The best part is that VIOLIN’s all-flash storage is not only affordable and available at different tiers and price points, but it will lower your costs too.

Our all-flash array will lower your energy usage and cut down on your technology footprint. It also requires less maintenance and boasts 100 percent performance, even at 100 percent capacity, which means it’s fully available to power your SQL databases. Additionally, VIOLIN’s all-flash storage can reduce the total number of SQL server licenses you need by as much as 90 percent!

All-Flash Versus Adaptive Flash for SQL Performance

Some may tell you that you can bypass the need for all-flash arrays by using an adaptive flash system, which combines flash and hard disk drive models in one storage solution. Can you get away with an adaptive flash storage solution for SQL systems, or do you need the full power of an all-flash array?

Why is an all-flash array the right choice?

• They are capable of performing input/output operations faster than other storage options
• They can hold more data per rack unit than hard disk drive storage
• They are smaller and take up less physical space on the storage rack
• They are less prone to failure because they have fewer mechanical components
• They have the power to easily scale performance and capacity up and down without disruptions, while still keeping the array together as a unified block.

All-flash arrays beat out adaptive flash storage for SQL systems. They can be a great solution for the following situations:

• Businesses that hold large amounts of data that needs to be accessed regularly with low latency and high availability
• Companies that have a focus on data efficiency and performance optimization
• Organizations that want to invest in quality arrays that will provide cost-effective gains over time.

At Palmiq, we are dedicated to delivering affordable, low-latency storage solutions, and that includes SQL server-based applications. You can drive performance with the perfect partnership: all-flash storage and SQL servers.

Want to find the right balance of an all-flash storage solution that matches your budget and optimizes your SQL server? Palmiq can help you get there.

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