Consolidate Databases using Microsoft SQL Server
From many to few; learn how to use SQL Server to reduce your database footprint.
- For many organizations, the last few years have marked an increase in the number of applications used to facilitate business processes. This increase resulted in SQL Server database sprawl that became a drain on resources such as licensing and maintenance costs, as well as data center space requirements.
- Organizations turn to database consolidation as a means of reducing database sprawl; however, a database consolidation project can seem daunting and risky without a clear strategic roadmap.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- In order to choose the appropriate consolidation model, IT departments should identify their consolidation goals and priorities such as manageability, high availability, and resource management. Based on a thorough evaluation, organizations should choose from the three primary consolidation models: database consolidation, instance consolidation, and virtualization.
- Recent releases of SQL Server have a proven track record of being reliable platforms for consolidation. Info-Tech recommends SQL Server 2008 R2 as a minimum for consolidation. If you are choosing to upgrade to the new 2012 version, review your requirements to choose the appropriate edition and licensing option.
- Info-Tech’s research indicates that the most important phase in the implementation process is the planning phase, particularly profiling candidates for consolidation. To identify the most appropriate candidates for migration, IT needs to perform sophisticated workflow modeling and hardware capacity planning. Test out your planning during a pilot before you promote the project to the production environment.
Impact and Result
- Understand the value of consolidation in achieving reduced TCO, more centralized management, and lower data center requirements.
- Create a consolidation strategy based on your organization’s priorities and choose the appropriate licensing options for an SQL Server 2012 upgrade.
- Implement the phased consolidation process with Info-Tech’s 5-step implementation model.
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Talk to an Analyst
Our analyst calls are focused on helping our members use the research we produce, and our experts will guide you to successful project completion.
Book an Analyst Call on This Topic
You can start as early as tomorrow morning. Our analysts will explain the process during your first call.
Get Advice From a Subject Matter Expert
Each call will focus on explaining the material and helping you to plan your project, interpret and analyze the results of each project step, and set the direction for your next project step.
Unlock Sample ResearchContributors
- San Francisco Health Plan
- CORIX