SQL Server: Master SQL chef series: Designing a best practice approach – Upgrading SQL Server data platform

All this month let us cook some best practices within SQL Server to become a master SQL chef in your data platform.

There is no doubt that SQL Server users have been keeping up their knowledge up to the level since last few years (at least since 2008 version release). In this regard the Upgrade of SQL Server data platform has taken utmost priority that can offer advantage of new features and enhancements/automation to existing processes that will keep up the availability & scalability.

The initial and important aspect of SQL Server platform upgrade is to manage the steps with a prior planning, to prepare for an upgrade begin by obtaining informaiton about effects of upgrade and not to leave any risk that might involve. Let it be smaller risk you must consider the resolution that will reduce an unforeseen behaviour of data extraction/management when the SQL Server version is upgraded to the higher version. Similarly when the risks are identified they must be documented in order to lessen, manage and work out the resolution, this is most required step throughout the upgrade process.

   

In the recent times most of my consulting projects were involved surrounding upgrade best practices and implementation. Every upgrade project scenario is different to each other and as complex as your underlying applications and instances of SQL Server sprawl. Few scenarios might involve a simple database upgrade and others may be upgrade of static database upgarde which may prove complex due to compatibility issues. When compatibility is referred I always stress out the deprecated and discontinued features that are equipped within the newer version of SQL Server. For instance, the existing data platform is hosted with high availability components such as failover clustering, database mirroring, and replication. Start to plan by analyzing upgrade requirements, including reviewing upgrade strategies, understanding SQL Server 2008 R2 hardware and software requirements, and discovering any blocking problems caused by backward-compatibility issues.

The whole concept of how to plan, prepare, test and implement the end-to-end upgrade process has been documented in my book SQL Server 2008 R2 Administraton cookbook as a seperate recipe.

All this month I will blog about interesting topics from my book, keep watching this space.

 

Regards

Satya Shyam K Jayanty

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