I'm setting up a server for an upcoming SQL project at a small site with only about 20 users. The software we will be using requires SQL 2025 and needs 4 cores for external access via a web portal. I'm looking at a Dell server that features the Xeon Gold 6326 processor, which seems to have relatively short lead times. My plan is to run a total of 4 virtual machines, and I'm considering using 1.92TB SAS SSD drives in RAID 10, possibly with BOSS drives for boot. Given the limitations of budget and the fact that this is a smaller setup, what do you all think about using the Xeon Gold 6326 for this server? Any insights on the performance or storage configuration would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
With just 20 users, you’re mostly safe with any decent setup. The CPU's 12 cores will handle everything without a hitch. The memory speed limitation isn’t a huge deal for this small deployment. And if Dell delivers on time, that's definitely a win in today’s market!
For such a setup, make sure you're keeping up on things like reindexing your tables regularly. That maintenance can do wonders for performance, often more than just having a beefy CPU. 6326 will do the needful, but maintenance matters more!
Honestly, for just 20 users, the Xeon Gold 6326 is more than enough! It’s not really 'old' in any significant way for what you’re running. You’ll be fine, and considering your environment, I think you might be overbuilding a bit with RAID 10 on SSDs. Unless you have specific needs for heavy writes, RAID 1 with your SSD setup might suffice and save you some headaches. But hey, go ahead with the Dell; it’ll likely run smoothly and you won’t even think about it after setup!
That's a good point! I think I may need to rethink the RAID setup after all.
I’m not too keen on Xeon processors right now. If it were me, I’d lean towards an Epyc 9xx5 instead if you're open to different options. Do some benchmarking research to make an informed decision.
Don’t stress too much over the CPU; SQL is more about having enough RAM. Just make sure you have enough memory for your databases. Also, keep in mind what your backup plan looks like. A full VM backup off-site could save you if anything goes wrong!
Thanks for confirming that! It’s a big relief to know the specs should work well in this context.