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 disk space issues

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lfmn
Posting Yak Master

141 Posts

Posted - 2002-08-22 : 13:10:22
I currently have responsibility for a database system which has 1.4 TB of disk space. We are running SQL server 7, sp3 on NT 4, sp6a. We have been running low on disk space for about 6 months and finally my dire predictions of daily disasters are coming true (the sky is falling). My team has been keeping the system running with thumbtacs and glue, but we are having different issues every night. We have about 30GB of space free for data collection and 120 GB (on two different drives) which is free, but can not be used because we need the space to perform backups.

My question - does anyone know of any articles which I can read regarding this problem? Although I know many of the issues (and have explained them repeatedly), I find that management is always more receptive to the views of an 'outside' expert (which I was right up until the minute I was hired).

I've looked on the usual sites, but haven't found anything specific to this issue.

P.S. I have been promised additional arrays with another 1.7 TB of disk space, but I'm not holding my breath.

SQL is useful if you don't know cursors :-)

MichaelP
Jedi Yak

2489 Posts

Posted - 2002-08-22 : 14:44:35
Are you keepig your transaction logs, or do you have "Truncate Log on Checkpoint" set?

Michael

<Yoda>Use the Search page you must. Find the answer you will.</Yoda>
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monkeybite
Posting Yak Master

152 Posts

Posted - 2002-08-22 : 15:32:40
I dunno if there's any issues to discuss here. Unless your transaction logs are filling up the space, it would seem to me that you have two options: 1) drop some data, or 2) get more disk space. Drive space is one of those hardware issues that you can't "wait it out". Unlike limited physical memory or slow CPU(s), there'll be some point where SQL will simply stop working.

You could try compressing some directories using NTFS compression, or backing up directly to tape, but that too is a bailing-wire solution, and both will kill performance.

To answer your inquiry, I haven't seen any articles that will give you any "expert opinion" about disk space, but perhaps showing management this thread will help to accelerate their decision process.

Sorry I can't be much help here...

-- monkey



Edited by - monkeybite on 08/22/2002 15:36:43
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MichaelP
Jedi Yak

2489 Posts

Posted - 2002-08-22 : 15:57:56
Maybe you need to shrink the database?

Just a WAG.

Michael

<Yoda>Use the Search page you must. Find the answer you will.</Yoda>
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monkeybite
Posting Yak Master

152 Posts

Posted - 2002-08-22 : 16:20:33
Upgrading to SQL 2000 may help. Read on:
[url]http://www.sql-server-performance.com/lost_data_sql_server.asp[/url]

-- monkey

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Wanderer
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

1168 Posts

Posted - 2002-08-27 : 11:06:36
What fill factor are you using ? maybe you can squeeze some space there...

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