Quest Software Offers Tools and Best Practices for SQL Server Consolidation

In a recent survey of IT executives and managers, Forrester Research analyst James Staten reported that 59 percent of the respondents had either completed or were actively executing an IT consolidation effort that involved server, storage or whole data center consolidation. While reducing costs was named as a primary motivating factor1, Quest Software, Inc. (Nasdaq:QSFT) has observed that the lack of guidelines or tools is a major issue. Quest offers a consolidation guide that outlines best practices and provides ways to use Quest tools that enable SQL Server database administrators (DBAs) to easily plan and execute a consolidation project.

“Because SQL Server is so easy to use, in many instances individual departments install it without involving the database administration team, leading to a phenomenon known as ‘SQL Server Sprawl,’” said Hilary Cotter, director of text mining and database strategy, RelevantNoise.com. “One way to solve this problem is to consolidate the environment, but too many organizations have no way of knowing where to begin such a project, or how to weigh the pros and cons of doing so. There is a genuine need for the type of knowledge that this guide provides and the solutions that Quest offers.”

Quest’s consolidation guide, available free of charge at Quest’s booth #1101 at TechEd, contains valuable advice from a variety of SQL Server experts, including SQL Server MVP Hilary Cotter, Quest Software’s systems specialist and SQL Server MVP Kevin Kline, and Quest’s domain expert Brent Ozar. Each chapter of the guide identifies critical information such as how to go about collecting data to build an accurate consolidation project, how to decide what type of consolidation method is best for an organization, and how to assess the benefits and drawbacks. The guide also illustrates how Quest’s portfolio of solutions can aid SQL Server professionals in managing their consolidation project with greater ease and efficiency.

As a complement to the guide, Quest has a number of tools to ease the pain of consolidation projects. The latest version of Capacity Manager for SQL Server 2.5 enables DBAs to gain control of disk space, growth rates and database performance, as well as identify SQL Server databases and servers best suited for consolidation. Discovery Wizard for SQL Server, a free tool, allows organizations to easily find each instance of SQL Server in their environment, while LiteSpeed™ for SQL Server delivers the reliability and performance needed when backing up and moving critical data with minimal downtime.

“Everyone is looking for ways to cut costs, and consolidating is one of the easiest ways to do that,” said Brent Ozar. “The catch is making sure you don’t accidentally cut services because of planning mistakes or execution problems. The bottom line is to help DBAs achieve success in their consolidation efforts. Quest’s consolidation guide, along with Quest tools such as Capacity Manager, can make the difference between a good-enough consolidation, and one that’s wildly successful.” To download the complete interview with Brent Ozar visit: www.quest.com/consolidate.

Availability

To request a copy of the consolidation guide and for more information about Quest tools for consolidation planning, or to download a copy of Capacity Manager for SQL Server 2.5, visit: www.quest.com/consolidate. To learn more about Discovery Wizard for SQL Server and LiteSpeed for SQL Server, go to www.quest.com/sql-server.

About Quest Software, Inc.

Quest Software, Inc., a leading enterprise systems management vendor, delivers innovative products that help organizations get more performance and productivity from their applications, databases, Windows infrastructure and virtual environments. Through a deep expertise in IT operations and a continued focus on what works best, Quest helps more than 90,000 customers worldwide meet higher expectations for enterprise IT. Quest provides customers with client management as well as server and desktop virtualization solutions through its subsidiaries, ScriptLogic, Vizioncore and Provision Networks. Quest Software helps organizations deliver, manage and control complex database environments through award-winning products for Oracle, SQL Server, IBM DB2, Sybase and MySQL. Quest Software can be found in offices around the globe and at www.quest.com.

1 How Large Enterprises Approach IT Infrastructure Consolidation, Forrester Research, December, 2007.

Quest, Quest Software and the Quest logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Quest Software in the United States and certain other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Contacts:

Editorial Contact:
Quest Software, Inc.
Rachel Gross
On-site mobile: 626-512-0855
Office: 949-754-8137
Rachel.Gross@quest.com