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Captain Kirk - a cloud pioneer

By default, when you upload a document or any other large file to SharePoint, it gets stored as a Binary Large OBject   (BLOB) in the content database in SQL Server.  As revisions are made, each version of that file also gets stored (not just the differences).  The amount of BLOB data grows significantly faster than associated metadata, causing SharePoint to consume large amounts of expensive SQL Storage space.   Burzin talked about externalizing BLOB storage, as well as options for storing infrequently used BLOBs in the Cloud.  These approaches can help ease the backup and storage cost problems content-heavy SharePoint sites encounter. 

Burzin’s SharePoint Storage Best Practices talk also covered Configuration, Maintenance, and Performance Tuning.  He explained some of the unusual stresses SharePoint puts on SQL Server, and offered suggestions on how to avoid degraded performance.  If you’re planning a significant SharePoint implementation, you’ll want to take a close look at his specific recommendations regarding recommended I/O Capacities, Database configuration and sizing, processors and memory. 

Given the headaches SharePoint BLOBs cause in many organizations, it makes sense that StorSimple has a complete solution to externalize them. Their storage-on-demand appliance provides tiered storage for SharePoint with the option to secure and store infrequently updated BLOBs to the cloud to achieve substantial cost savings.  According to Ursheet Parikh, StorSimple’s Founder and CEO, Burzin’s extensive SQL Server and SharePoint experience make him a key member of the StorSimple team. 

I’ll write about StorSimple’s product in an upcoming post, and will follow that with a case study once DesignMind has had a chance to implement StoreSimple’s Cloud Storage Solution for one of our clients.  For data storage, Space is the Final Frontier.

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You may have heard about SQLCAT, Microsoft’s prestigious SQL Server Customer Advisory Team.  SQLCAT member Burzin Patel lives here in the Bay Area and is a favorite speaker at the San Francisco SQL Server User Group.  He’s also an author of the SQL Server 2005 Administrator’s Companion.  Recently I sat down with Burzin to learn more about what those cats at SQLCAT are up to.

MG:  You’re a member of the SQLCAT team.  What can you tell us about the team’s mission, and your role?

BP:  The SQL Customer Advisory Team works on some of the largest SQL Server projects across the world targeting the most challenging and innovative applications deployed on SQL Server and providing a unique value-add from a technical & project experience perspective.  We also conduct architecture and design reviews covering performance, operation, scalability and availability aspects of a deployment, and formulate case-studies/reports on the projects we work on.

Burzin Patel, SQLCAT whiz

MG:  What do you think is the most compelling reason for an organization to upgrade to SQL Server 2008?

BP:  SQL Server 2008 offers many new and improved features and functionalities which are particularly well suited for large enterprise customers.  Features like transparent data encryption, auditing, back and data compression, enhanced performance monitoring using the new Data Collector and Management Data Warehouse features make upgrading to SQL Server 2008 too compelling a proposition to pass on.  In addition, there are also a slew of new offerings in Business Intelligence.

MG:  You co-authored SQL Server 2005 Administrator’s Companion.  Are you working on another book?

BP:  Ironically, I was and was half way through my chapters for the SQL Server 2008 Administrator’s Companion book when the publisher was forced to cancel it due to the downturn in the economy.

MG:  Your main expertise revolves around SQL Server.  Do you spend much time digging into other key Microsoft technologies (.NET, SharePoint, Silverlight, etc.)?

BP:  You’re right – my main focus is certainly SQL Server, but coming from a development background I have a strong passion for application development and often spend time developing .NET apps.

MG:  What’s the most difficult technical problem you’ve ever had to solve?

BP:  I’d say the most challenging technical problem was designing and implementing an end to end benchmark test to measure the performance of an eCommerce site.  This project included starting from scratch and installing, configuring, tuning the web, apps and database servers which were scaled out across 30+ servers.  The project took more than two months to complete and by virtue of it never been done before, involved some of the most challenging design problems.

MG:  Thanks Burzin!

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