markr1963

Got a client for whom I installed Altiris that created a DB on their SQL box. They have subsequently recreated this SQL server on different hardware and in process used a different DB collation from that of the original install. Upshot of this is that aspects of Altiris' functionality now report collation conflict errors. Is it possible to install a new instance on the SQL server that uses the original collation?

TIA

Mark

markr1963

Figured it out. Multiple instances with different collations is the way to go. Does anyone know if there's much of a performance hit in running 2 instances with half a dozen DBs apiece as opposed to 1 instance with 12 DBs?

Mark

AllenJ

I have installed two instances of MSSQL 2005 on one of our database servers, one with US collation and the other with a UK collation, so far no issues with performance.

There are ways of cross referencing instances in code especially if temporary tables are used within stored procs. Creating temp tables with the required collation will force it from using the default collation.

HTH

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Shouldnt be a problem as long as you have enough memory, SQL Server is very good at apportioning memory between instances and the O/S, the main factor is the ammount of connections and what they are doing, you can have a SQL instance with 32,767 separate databases, extreme but if there is no activity a large number of databases its not a problem but you can have one database that gets battered and it is a problem. Use Windows Performance monitor to keep an eye on the figures like Disk Queues, Buffer Cache, Page retention etc.

I tend to find that with modern servers, the resources arent that much of a problem unless its really ramped up, my SQL 2000 cluster has 32 databases and the CPU figures are always below 10%, its got 8 cores and its only a fairly basic server.

Also, dont get fixated on counters, just ask the users if they find it ok, if they do, just leave it alone !

DemonDave

iTrader: (13)

you can change the collation after installation ? Surely that would be better ?

It was mainly the system db's that caused a problem for me, especially when trying to create a temp table

markr1963

Dave

If they hadn't got production DBs with the new collation I would have tried changing master and temp etc back to the old one. I did try to change the Altiris DB collation to the new one but got heaps of schema errors and such and my SQL skills aren't up to sorting that out.

Cheers, Jacko. Can't see these DBs being thrashed that hard so all should be good.

The client has now buggered up their Altiris server installation too Would solve the first problem though if I have to do a fresh install