[sims] Sims Performance Problems

[Strife]

Hello all!

i am having serious problems with my sims performance, i have tried to rectify and make it run quick by doing the following;

• applied 3 patches from Capita help desk
  
• capped the server ram at 20gb but made it dynamic
  
• put the processors at 6 (advice from help desk as over spec apparently can make it run slower, it was previously runing 10)
  
• capped the sql instance of sims to 16gb
  
• shrunk all database files (the sims files went from 10.5gb to 7.5gb)
  
• archived attendance marks
  
• deleted over 300 assessment templates
  

 

i really do not know what else can be done, any ideas ?

 

**server 2012r2

**SQL 2014

[Quackers]

I take it the server virtualised with you changing the processor quantity? If so is it on a server with Broadcom network adaptors? and if that is yes is it HyperV with the host server running either 2008 R2, 2012, or 2012 R2?

[Strife]

It is a virtual server,

it is currently using broadcom netxtreme and it is hyper v and on server 2012 R2

[Quackers]

The problem could be Virtual Machine Queues , you will get VERY slow network performance if its turned on with those network cards. You turn it off on the network adaptors properties, here is a screen shot.

 

[jinnantonnixx]

How are your processors configured? If they're configured as sockets rather than cores, SQL Standard Edition will only use four sockets, idling the other sockets. A real gotcha.

 

https://www.brentozar.com/archive/2014/11/core-based-licensing-matters-performance-tuning/

 

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143760%28v=sql.120%29.aspx

 

 

In any case, there are so many variables with 'poor performance' it's difficult to know where to even begin.

Activity Monitor is as good a place as any.

http://www.sqlservercurry.com/2013/04/activity-monitor-in-sql-server.html

Watch the graphs for a while, see if anything looks a little off.

Edited March 8, 2016 by jinnantonnixx

[Strife]

We have a brand new network that was put in last summer, network speeds are at around 10mb

[SimonCygnetIT]

Your on SQL 2014?? Have you set it to run in 2012 mode? From my experience SQL2014 is currently a pain with SIMS and performance.

[dapaulio]

Your on SQL 2014?? Have you set it to run in 2012 mode? From my experience SQL2014 is currently a pain with SIMS and performance.

 

I second this solution. If you are uncomfortable changing compatibility mode in sql server management I would request capita for the patch that does it for you. I am surprised capita did not advise this first as it is a well known issue

[crwardell]

Your on SQL 2014?? Have you set it to run in 2012 mode? From my experience SQL2014 is currently a pain with SIMS and performance.

 

Useful to know that I'm in the process of having the Sims database which is Sql 2014 moved onto a 2012r2 standard virtual Server...Cheers for the heads up... :-)

[jinnantonnixx]

Here's the thread where @arron discovered the problem and the solution

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/mis-systems/147490-sims-slow-after-upgrade-sql-2014-a.html << should be a sticky, mods!

 

A month later Capita discovered the problem and the solution.

https://myaccount.capita-cs.co.uk/hot-topics/sims-sql-2014/

[clockend25]

Only performance issues we've have had been linked to the size of .LDF

[maxrebo]

Can the capping of the SQL Sims instance be done whilst users are using Sims?

 

We have are having problems with performance, more evident now we have moved to Pars connect and when doing a performance check all problems relate back to SQL

[splattthecat]

The SQL Instance will need to be restarted before the capping change will come into effect

[maxrebo]

Thanks.

Any recommendeation of what to cap it at? 96gb of RAM currently on server

[10101010]

Can the capping of the SQL Sims instance be done whilst users are using Sims?

 

We have are having problems with performance, more evident now we have moved to Pars connect and when doing a performance check all problems relate back to SQL

 

Did that help you ? PArs connect also suggesting SQL is the issue for us.

[maxrebo]

Did that help you ? PArs connect also suggesting SQL is the issue for us.

I haven't capped it yet to be honest, I think were going to get our LA to upgrade our OS to Windows 2012 over the summer, cap it then and hopefully that should do the trick