SQL Server – Harness F1 Performance

Best speed is one of the parameters everyone wants to achieve, whether on the road, in the skies, or in software. The history of transportation shows vehicle manufacturers always aiming to improve performance by beating their own speed records; though whatever speed is achieved, it is never quite enough. The same goes for software.

On this blog, we will discuss how to upgrade to, and use, Microsoft SQL 2016 Server to improve the Veeam Backup Server performance.

SQL Server 2016/Express Edition

In SQL Server 2014, Microsoft introduced new technologies and improvements to enhance the SQL Server performance. The same improved technology has also found its way to SQL Server 2016. To speed up the SQL Server performance, Microsoft began using a technology called Online Transaction Processing (OLTP), or In-Memory OLTP. Microsoft estimates that OLTP will increase the performance of memory optimized tables by up to 30-40 times.

Upgrading Veeam SQL Server 2012 Express to SQL Server 2016 Express

Veeam 9.5 still ships with SQL Server 2012 Express, but that will not stop you from upgrading to the new SQL Server 2016 to benefit from the SQL OLTP engine. Just follow the steps below to upgrade to the new SQL Server 2016 Express:

• Backup your Veeam Backup Server;
• Stop all Veeam Backup Jobs and Veeam Services;
• Download Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Express from this link;

link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/sql-server/sql-server-editions-express

• Run the setup;
• Select Custom from the setup menu.

• Select a Download target for the SQL server media

• After the download completes, the SQL Server 2016 installation Centre will pop-up automatically. Select Upgrade from a previous version of SQL Server.

• Accept the License terms; then, continue with the installation process as normal. (as you are reading this blog, we believe you are more than capable of keeping up with the SQL upgrade process without our help)
• After the installation has completed, you will be able to confirm the new version is installed by checking the SQL Server folder on your targeted harddrive. The new version is MSSQL13:

• Restart the Server and enjoy the new Veeam Speed.

Conclusion

As you can see, the upgrade process is straightforward, and it’s more centered around Microsoft SQL Server 2016 than Veeam software. Of course, the Veeam Backup and Replication product will benefit from the improved performance of the SQL Server. We noticed that the Veeam load time had increased somewhat after the upgrade; however, the overall performance improvement after the console start is noticeable.