Note: Before practicing any of the suggestion of this article, consult your IT Infrastructural Admin, applying the suggestion without proper testing can only damage your system. Let us learn about NTFS File System.
Question: “Pinal, we have 80 GB of data, including all the database files, we have our data in NTFS file system. We have proper backups are set up. Any suggestion for our NTFS file system performance improvement. Our SQL Server box is running only SQL Server and nothing else. Please advise.”
When I receive questions which I have just listed above, it often sends me deep in thought. Honestly, I know a lot, but there are plenty of things, I believe, can be built with community knowledge base. Today I need you to help me to complete this list. I will start the list and you help me complete it.
NTFS File System Performance Best Practices for SQL Server
- Disable Indexing on disk volumes
- Disable generation of 8.3 names (command: FSUTIL BEHAVIOR SET DISABLE8DOT3 1)
- Disable last file access time tracking (command: FSUTIL BEHAVIOR SET DISABLELASTACCESS 1)
- Keep some space empty (let us say 15% for reference) on drive is possible
- (Only on Filestream Data storage volume) Defragement the volume
- Add your suggestions here…
If you do not agree with any of the above suggestions, leave a comment with reference and I will modify it. Please note that the above list prepared assuming the SQL Server application is only running on the computer system.
The next question does all these still relevant for SSD – I personally have no experience with SSD with large database so I will refrain from comment.
Reference: Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)
