Replay your workload as it’s your actual one!

Boris HristovSQL Server DBA, Speaker, Trainer, Blogger

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So who am I?

@BorisHristov

How many of you…

Possible scenarios:

1.Application compatibility

2.Performance / Load testing

3.Forecasting

What tools did we have till now?

The Mighty Profiler

RML Tools

ReadTrace Reporter

OSTRESS

These are cool…

… but are just not cool enough!

“There’s a new player in town!” DISTRIBUTED REPLAY

So what’s Distributed Replay?

SQL Server 2012 feature

Available in all editions (kind of…)

Works with 2005 and higher (kind of…)

Distributed Replay Components

1. Administration tool – the cmd tool to manage the replay1. Administration tool – the cmd tool to manage the replay

2. DReplay Controller – the brain behind the replay

3. DReplay Client – machines(up to 16) that replay the workload

4. Target Server – The SQL Server instance you replay against

OK, but how are they working together?

DEMO

Setting up DReplay Environment (installing gotchas)

Installation requirements and gotchas1. Services must run under domain user accounts

2. Firewalls must allow the traffic of DR Components

3. DCOM permissions must be configured

4. SQL Server logins for the clients need to be created

So how do we issue a replay?

Step 1: Capture a trace!

Step 2: Preprocesses the .trc file/s

Step 3: Decide on replay mode and options

Step 4: Replay the preprocessed trace

DEMO

The Replay Process!

Replay your workload. The steps.

1. Capture the workload with Profiler (TSQL-Replay)

2. Preprocess the trace with “dreplay preprocess”

3. Decide on a mode – synchronization or stress

4. Replay the workload with “dreplay replay”

5. Analyze the results

The GUI that is in beta from 2011

At the end

1. The Tool for replaying mission critical workloads

2. Don’t be afraid of not having a GUI

3. Capture -> Preprocess -> Replay

4. Document, blog, share it with the community!

Resources

Channel 9 - Joe Sack(SQLSkills) Intro and Demo blog posts

Jonathan Kehayias(SQLSkills) Intro and Demo blog posts

Microsoft Peace of Mind Video

MSDN DocumentationDistributed Replay GUI (in beta)

… you and me now

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Thank you!