Install MS SQL Server

On this page we state the minimum requirements for a SQL Server installation to support PhixFlow, and present a suggested installation.

The suggested installation incorporates the minimum requirements for SQL Server. It is suitable as an initial configuration for many instances of PhixFlow, but note that some of the options may need to change over time as the work carried out by PhixFlow increases.

Minimum requirements

The following the minimum requirements for a SQL Server installation to support PhixFlow.

Server settings

Option

Setting

SQL Server Edition

Standard or Enterprise

Version

See System Requirements and Compatibility.

Collation Character set

Latin1_General_100_CI_AI_SC_UTF8

The database that PhixFlow runs against must be created with the collation set to this character set (see Install the PhixFlow Database Schema), otherwise the performance of PhixFlow can be severely impacted. However, PhixFlow uses TEMP tables for efficient processing of ‘is in’ filter clauses with large numbers of parameters, and this uses the collation setting of the server itself. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the server is set to use this collation.

Database settings

Parameter

Setting

Collation

Latin1_General_100_CI_AI_SC_UTF8

READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT

ON

Login and user

A command to create the database, along with a local (SQL Server) login, and associated user and user mapping, are provided in Install the PhixFlow Database Schema. If you do not wish to use this command, please consult PhixFlow Support.

Suggested configuration

The following configuration is suggested as a guide. It incorporates the minimum requirements for SQL Server databases above.

The provision of database files fits in with the scheme presented in MS SQL Server Planning for disk partitions on the database server.

Server settings

Option

Setting

SQL Server Edition

Standard or Enterprise

Version

See System Requirements and Compatibility.

Collation Character set

Latin1_General_100_CI_AI_SC_UTF8

Max Server Memory

Do not set a fixed maximum memory; see MS SQL Server planning

Server Authentication

SQL Server and Windows Authentication Mode

Database, login and user settings

Note that it is possible to use MS SQL Server Integrated Authentication to authenticate PhixFlow against the database. This is especially useful on production servers where the number of people who can have access to key passwords is strongly controlled. However, for most instances, a local SQL Server login as below can be used.

The command given in Install the PhixFlow Database Schema will create a database, login and user with the suggested settings.

Filegroups

Name

Default

Autogrow All Files

PhixFlow database

PRIMARY

Yes

No

Temp database

PRIMARY

Yes

Yes

Database Files

Logical Name

File Type

Filegroup

(Initial) size

Autogrowth/ Maxsize

Path (see MS SQL Server Planning)

Filename

PhixFlow database

phixflow

ROWS Data

PRIMARY

10,000 MB

By 1000MB, Unlimited

On Disk 1 - data files

phixflow.mdf

phixflow_log

LOG

-

1000 MB

By 64 MB, Unlimited

Disk 2 - transaction logs

phixflow_log.ldf

Temp database

temp

ROWS Data

PRIMARY

1000 MB

By 64 MB, Unlimited

On Disk 3 - temp DB

tempdb.mdf

temp_log

LOG

-

100 MB

By 64 MB, Unlimited

Disk 2 - transaction logs

tempdb.ldf