XDA
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Frequently asked questions |
1. What types of applications
should I consider using with the XPrime Database Accelerator
(XDA)?
Any poorly performing Microsoft® SQL
Server™-based
application is a candidate for the XPrime solution.
Whether you have complex reporting requirements, on-line,
a web-based application, or a BI/DW environment doing
compute-intensive
analytics, the XDA can significantly
lower SQL Server system resource consumption and increase
performance by executing requests for data in an all-in-memory,
high speed database appliance.
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How many XDA nodes would I need for my Microsoft® SQL Server™ database?
Each
XPrime Database Accelerator 1U node provides 4GB
of memory for tables and indexes, and can be stacked
to 256 nodes. XPrime provides a downloadable sizing
tool to determine the minimum number of XDA nodes
needed for your specific solution.
Note: XPrime strongly recommends that you include
an additional 20% of ‘head room’ space
on the XDA system in order to deliver the best performance
and allow
for growth (new transactions).
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3. Do I have to place my
entire database in an XPrime system?
No.
You can delegate one table, tens of
tables, or even hundreds of tables
to the XPrime system. You also have the option to delegate
your entire database! The DBA is
given the greatest level of flexibility in deciding
which tables to delegate (and accelerate!) to address
current database and application performance problems.
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4. Do tables delegated
from SQL Server to the XPrime system remain on SQL
Server?
Yes. The delegation process creates a copy of the
underlying SQL Server table(s) and does not replace
or delete the data on SQL Server. SQL Server continues
to manage the persistent storage of data, and all transactions
are processed by SQL Server and applied to the underlying
table, ensuring that NO transaction is ever lost.
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5. Does the XPrime system
maintain data coherency with the SQL Server tables?
Yes. During the delegation process, replication triggers
are created on the delegated table(s), ensuring that
the XPrime Database Accelerator system receives all
transactions that affect the data on the underlying
SQL Server table(s) – inserts, updates, and deletes.
The information on the XDA is always up-to-date and
coherent with SQL Server. |
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6. Will I need to change
my Microsoft SQL Server applications to use the XPrime
system?
No! The XPrime Database Accelerator is completely transparent,
and requires no changes to applications.
Also, the XDA does not require any special tuning or
configuration modifications to the Windows
operating system or to SQL Server. The DBA simply delegates
the desired database tables to the XPrime system using
standard SQL, and that data is then available for access
in an all-in-memory database.
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7. Will I require additional
SQL Server licenses to implement an XPrime system?
No. Additional Microsoft SQL Server
licenses are not required for the XPrime system. As
a matter of fact,
with the XDA installed you may be able to reduce the
number of CPUs used by SQL Server and still
receive unsurpassed performance! |
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8.
What version of Microsoft® SQL
Server™ is required for the XPrime Database Accelerator?
The XPrime Database Accelerator (XDA) has been verified with SQL Server 2000
SP3 (and above). |
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9.
What version of the Windows operating system is required
to allow SQL
Server to connect to the XPrime Database Accelerator?
The XPrime Database Accelerator operates in conjunction
with Microsoft® Windows Server 2000™ or greater. |
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10.
Will the XPrime solution be compatible with future
versions of SQL Server?
XPrime receives beta and pre-release
versions of the Windows Server operating system as
well as the SQL
Server database (Yukon). We test against these early
and intermediate releases to ensure that our software
is fully compatible and will seamlessly integrate
with the SQL Server product line. |
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11.
What mechanisms are in place for software updates
and upgrades?
XPrime offers a 3-year, no-cost manufacturers
warranty for the XDA hardware components, plus a software
support
contract as part of our system licensing. Customers
who are current in their Support Contract receive access
to updates of both the XPrime Database Accelerator
system software and the firmware components that operate
on the XDA. All software and firmware updates are
downloadable from the Support area
on the XPrime web site.
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them here |
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