Making the Case for SQL Server

SQL Server 2000 Scalability Project—Basic Capacity Scalability

This 17-page document is a joint effort from Microsoft and Dell to demonstrate the scalability of Microsoft-Dell solutions. The document describes several tests that demonstrate scalability on Dell servers from 2 CPUs up through 8 CPUs and that put the Dell servers through their paces as they process a multiterabyte dataset for both online transaction processing (OLTP) and decision-support workloads.

Man Xiong, who is part of a special Microsoft team focused on ensuring SQL Server's reliability and scalability, wrote the document. Microsoft formed the team to help bridge the gap between functional testing (testing by Microsoft in a lab setting) and customer deployment in the real world. The team's next white paper will deal with techniques and approaches to using SQL Server in an application service provider- (ASP-) hosted environment and will explore how to support thousands of databases on single and multiple instances of SQL Server.

SQL Server 2000 Fast Facts

I love this document and reference it whenever one of my customers needs to feel warm and fuzzy about making a strategic commitment to SQL Server. The document is only two pages long, but it includes excellent case studies and proof-points that address key technical issues (e.g., scalability and reliability) you might face when you choose a database.