© AvePoint, Inc.
SharePoint Storage: Virtualize and Optimize
Ryan TacyAvePoint
© 2009 AvePoint, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of AvePoint , Inc.
Agenda
Native SharePoint Storage
BLOBs and Databases
Storage Optimization Methods
Summary
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SharePoint StorageThe Basics of
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Planning for SharePoint Storage
• Recycle bin• Versioning• Search and index information• Growth
• Good rule of thumb for initial planning is: 3.5 x file system
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Basics - Managing SharePoint storage
• Set sight quotas and alerts!– 10 GB quota, 8 GB alert is my favorite
• Monitor growth trends– Sites: slow over time or large jump in size?– Overall content DB size
• Split Content DBs if they get “too big”
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How SharePoint “chooses” a Content DB for a site
• Highest remaining allotment rule– Content DB 1: 100 sites max– Content DB 2: 100 sites max
– Content DB 1: 100 sites max– Content DB 2: 200 sites max
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Optimal Content DB Sizing
• Backup & Recovery operations(<50-100 GB)• Performance (<500 GB… nervous at 300 GB)
– # of objects– size of objects– Hardware (servers and storage)
• Storage Cost (as small as possible!)
So what is too big?
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BLOBsSize of Objects and Performance
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BLOBs-- what’s the issue?
• BLOBs = Binary Large OBjects • SharePoint Content = BLOB + Metadata• Content DB = Database of… BLOBs + Metadata• SQL DB storage needs high IOPS / low latency• High IOPS + low latency storage = $$$$• BLOBs do not participate in query operations, so no
real reason to have BLOBs in a DB• DB full of BLOBs = wasted $$$
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SharePoint WFE
SharePoint Object Model
SQL ServerB
LOB
s &
Met
adat
a
Content DB Config DB
Default SharePoint Storage
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Database Size ImplicationsBLOBs increase DB size, creating issues with:
• Backup & Recovery operations• Performance• Storage Costs
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0 1 2 3 4
Active DataTotal Data
Issues with BLOBs get much worse over time
Time
Dat
a
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SharePoint Storage Optimization Methods
• Move the BLOBs out of the database
• Archive content
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ExtendingMoving the BLOBs out of the database
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Available APIs for Extending
SQL Remote BLOB Storage (RBS)
SharePoint External BLOB Storage (EBS)
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EBS
• API available in SharePoint 2007 SP1+• EBS provider can take ownership of the BLOB• Provider generates a SharePoint token or stub• SharePoint knows how to retrieve the object • Transparent to end-users
SharePoint WFE
EBS Provider
BLOB
Metadata
SharePoint Object Model
SQL Server
Content DB Config DB
BLOB Store
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EBS
• Implemented by SharePoint• Only 1 EBS Provider per SharePoint farm
• Orphaned BLOBs- no direct method to compare BLOB store and Content DB
• Compliance- what if I don’t want to allow SharePoint to delete the object?
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Provider Library Y
RBS
• API available in SQL 2008R2 Feature Pack
• Not unique to SharePoint, available to any application
• A Provider Library can be associated with each database
SharePoint WFE
SharePoint Object Model
Content DBX
Content DBY
Relational Access
BLOB Store
RBS Client Library
BLOB Store
BLOB Metadata
BLOB & Metadata
SQL Server
Provider Library X
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RBS• Implemented by SQL• Only 1 RBS Provider per Content DB• Storage trigger on BLOB size
• Orphaned BLOBs much less of an issue• Can lock down operations, from a unified
storage perspective• Can be managed via Powershell
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EBS
Tighter integration
with application,
allows for more rules and settings
EBS versus RBS, which is better?
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EBS
Tighter integration
with application,
allows for more rules and settings
RBS
Simpler, allows unified storage
architecture across
applications
EBS versus RBS, which is better?
http://www.codeplex.com/sqlrbs
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It looks like RBS has won…
SQL Remote BLOB Storage (RBS)
SharePoint External BLOB Storage (EBS)
SharePoint 2007
SharePoint 2010
Future SharePoint Release (SPS 5?)
SQL Server 2005
Future SQL Releases
SQL Server 2008
Microsoft will provide a powershell solution to migrate from EBS to RBS
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2 Approaches, Same Result• Backup & Recovery operations
– Databases are 60-80% smaller– Need a method to backup BLOBs synchronously
• Performance– Databases are 60-80% smaller– Performance improvement increase as the file/BLOB size
increases. Microsoft research indicates:• <256kb, SQL better• 256kb to 1mb, SQL and file system comparable• >1mb, file system better
• Storage Cost– “Not as expensive” storage– Archiving still needed for true savings
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Web Services
Search / App Services
Cloud Storage
Tier 1Tier 2Tier 3
SQL Database
Extend Content
out of SQL
Extended SharePointStorage
Backup
Not involved in SharePoint
Storage
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Cloud Storage Use CaseSharePoint “Overdraft Protection”
DB alert set at 80 GB, limit at 100 GB0
80
100
Alert sent to admin
No action takenCloud
Storage
• Could be any storage
• Cloud is ideal “insurance”--cheap to setup, expensive to use
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ConnectingAn approach to not creating the BLOB
problem in the first place
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Should you migrate data to SharePoint?• Business case
– Value add of legacy system– Maintenance costs
• Hardware• Licensing and support• Knowledge
– Migration costs• Migration process• Tools• Training
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Migrate Connect• Data is available through
SharePoint• Data is left in source (legacy)
system• Give legacy system second life
by increasing its value• Burden of storage is on legacy
system• Changes propagate to source• Connect and forget
• Data is available in SharePoint• Data is moved into SharePoint• SharePoint replaced legacy
system• Burden of storage is on
SharePoint• Changes saved in SharePoint• Migrate and decommission
Migrating vs. Connecting
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ArchivingAdding Data Lifecycle Management to
the picture
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Data Lifecycle Management
• Records Center– Another SharePoint site– Higher % inactive content– Consider separate Content DB, with an RBS
provider implemented for this DB• Archiving
– Backup and delete– Partner solutions
© 2009 AvePoint, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of AvePoint , Inc.
Web Services
Search / App Services
Cloud Storage
Tier 1Tier 2Tier 3
SQL Database
1. Analyze data2. Apply business
rules3. Fully utilize
storage
Extending andArchiving
© 2009 AvePoint, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of AvePoint , Inc.
1
2
3
4
Summary
BLOBs aren’t required for queries, only the metadata is, hindering query performance
RBS offers advantages over EBSRBS allows for a unified storage architecture across applications, not just SharePoint storage, but only available with SQL 2008 R2
Third Party solutions are required to leverage RBS/EBSCheck out AvePoint’s solutions for Storage Optimization, includes tools for extending, connecting, and archiving
SQL is not optimized for BLOBs
Leverage BLOB Services Technology to Optimize SharePoint StorageBLOB API’s can be leveraged to store BLOBs outside of SQL with no negative end-user impacts, to save $$ and optimize storage
© 2009 AvePoint, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of AvePoint , Inc.
?Questions?
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Resources - www.AvePoint.com
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Ryan [email protected](978) 409-2347
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