[sims] SIMS server VM (S: drive etc.) best practises

[Koldov]

Looking to finalise the SIMS migration to a new VM from the physical server possibly in the Easter holidays.

 

Although I've done the majority of the ground work, I have a niggling feeling it isn't quite set-up correctly.

 

On the old server the majority of SIMS files (SIMSROOT, DOCSTORAGE, S:\ drive) and the SQL installation was done on the D:\ drive, although there is a fair amount of crossover with files on the C:\.

 

On the new VM I have just done a basic Server 2019 installation on one disk C:\ and installed SQL, SIMS server, etc.

 

This meant sharing a folder on the C:\ drive as an S:\ drive, I wonder if this is part of the reason I had such a struggle getting it done and if it might cause me issues at a later date...

 

Should I have added another disk and created a separate D:\ drive on this VM and mirrored what was on the old physical server, or does anyone run a SIMS server just on a one disk (C:\ drive) system...?

Edited February 28, 2023 by Koldov

[Boredguy]

In an ideal world your C Drive would just be the OS and installed applications

Your SIMS Database files would be on a different physical drive completely with nothing else (you can move the files within the SQL Management Tool)

Your SIMS Data and DocStorage can be on another drive as well.

 

In the real world, you can get away with the Database and SIMS files all being on a separate D Drive, but I'd at least make sure there are no other servers using that drive if they are virtual ones on a SAN so that if anyone complains about speed you know it's not due to disk requests from another server causing it.

[Koldov]

I'd at least make sure there are no other servers using that drive if they are virtual ones on a SAN.

 

Thanks, unfortunately no such luck!

 

I'm not too worried about write speeds unless being a VM adds a noticeable amount of latency. We're a small school, all I'm really doing is going through the process of moving everything off the physical server into VMs (for resiliency, ease of backup, DR) the physical server then just becomes a host (host needs to go from 2012R2 > 2019). As it stands the physical server has a 2 disk Raid 1 array (Virtual Disk 0) for the C:\ drive and a 4 disk Raid 10 array (Virtual Disk 1) for the 'Data' - this is split into 4 drives, D:\ SIMS and E:\ everything else (mainly file share), V:\ HyperV and Y:\ Archive.

 

Although the old original SIMS server was migrated to the current one by Capita it seems as if there has been some confusion, the D:\ drive has SQL installed (in D:\Program Files), the SIMSROOT folder (plus a SIMS folder and a SIMS$ folder inside which is the S:\ drive - The installers are a bit manic I think, if you create a SIMS folder and point the installer to it, it creates a sims folder inside and then a setups folder inside that!), the DOCSTORAGE folder, SISMBSCKUP repository, but the C:\ drive has the SOLUS install I think.

 

Anyway rather than the 'physical' disks question, I was just wondering if there was a benefit of creating a new VM disk and adding it to the VM as a D:\ drive to install SQL, the SIMS server and SOLUS on etc. Or maybe just running the whole thing from a one disk (C:\) VM or split it into C:\SYSTEM and D:\SIMS as I can't give anything it's own dedicated disk.

Edited February 28, 2023 by Koldov

[Banjo]

You wont need all of these as your installers will make some of them, but these are the folders that I used. Usually these were the D: drive with the OS on C:

 

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\ MD %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\Setups MD %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\Setups

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\Setups\Installs MD %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\Setups\Installs

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\Setups\Installs\Auto MD %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\Setups\Installs\Auto

IF NOT EXIST "%DRIVE%\Program Files (x86)\SIMS" MD "%DRIVE%\Program Files (x86)\SIMS"

IF NOT EXIST "%DRIVE%\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS .net" MD "%DRIVE%\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS .net"

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\DOCSTORAGE MD %DRIVE%\DOCSTORAGE

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\DOCSTORAGE\BACKUP MD %DRIVE%\DOCSTORAGE\BACKUP

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\Setups\Upgrades MD %DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\Setups\Upgrades

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\Sharedini MD %DRIVE%\Sharedini

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\Shared\Repository MD %DRIVE%\Shared\Repository

IF NOT EXIST %DRIVE%\Shared\MIS_Transfer_Folder MD %DRIVE%\Shared\MIS_Transfer_Folder

 

Code to make the Sims.ini on the C: drive, windows folder.

 

IF EXIST "C:\windows\sims.ini.old" DEL "C:\windows\sims.ini.old"

IF EXIST "C:\windows\sims.ini" REN "C:\windows\sims.ini" "sims.ini.old"

 

ECHO [setup] > "C:\Windows\sims.ini"

ECHO SIMSDirectory=%DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS >> "C:\Windows\sims.ini"

ECHO SIMSSetupsDirectory=%DRIVE%\Shared\SIMS\Setups >> "C:\Windows\sims.ini"

ECHO SIMSDotNetDirectory=%Drive%\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS .net >> "C:\Windows\sims.ini"

ECHO SIMSSQLAppsDirectory=%Drive%\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.SIMS2016\MSSQL\BINN >> "C:\Windows\sims.ini"

ECHO Folder=SIMS Applications >> "C:\Windows\sims.ini"

ECHO FinanceDirectory=%Drive%\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\FMSSQL >> "C:\Windows\sims.ini"

 

TYPE C:\Windows\sims.ini

[Boredguy]

Thanks, unfortunately no such luck!

 

I'm not too worried about write speeds unless being a VM adds a noticeable amount of latency. We're a small school, all I'm really doing is going through the process of moving everything off the physical server into VMs (for resiliency, ease of backup, DR) the physical server then just becomes a host (host needs to go from 2012R2 > 2019). As it stands the physical server has a 2 disk Raid 1 array (Virtual Disk 0) for the C:\ drive and a 4 disk Raid 10 array (Virtual Disk 1) for the 'Data' - this is split into 4 drives, D:\ SIMS and E:\ everything else (mainly file share), V:\ HyperV and Y:\ Archive.

 

Although the old original SIMS server was migrated to the current one by Capita it seems as if there has been some confusion, the D:\ drive has SQL installed (in D:\Program Files), the SIMSROOT folder (plus a SIMS folder and a SIMS$ folder inside which is the S:\ drive - The installers are a bit manic I think, if you create a SIMS folder and point the installer to it, it creates a sims folder inside and then a setups folder inside that!), the DOCSTORAGE folder, SISMBSCKUP repository, but the C:\ drive has the SOLUS install I think.

 

Anyway rather than the 'physical' disks question, I was just wondering if there was a benefit of creating a new VM disk and adding it to the VM as a D:\ drive to install SQL, the SIMS server and SOLUS on etc. Or maybe just running the whole thing from a one disk (C:\) VM or split it into C:\SYSTEM and D:\SIMS as I can't give anything it's own dedicated disk.

 

It's Microsoft that actually recommend SQL data files are on their own drive, but it's not the end of the world. There might be a speed hit but to be honest with the bloated nature of the current version of SIMS it's going to be hard to notice (our DB is nearly 20Gb for example!)

 

Splitting the OS and the SIMS DB/Docstorate/SIMSData onto it's on Virtual Drive makes it easier if you need to increase drive space, or move drives around in the future