Nutanix SQL Moving Tool

Nutanix is readying a tool that allows the migration of a SQL server from a physical server or cloud system on to a newly provisioned Virtual Machine on a Nutanix Platform.

Nutanix SQL Server Mover is part of Nutanix’s App Mobility Services and will provide features that once again show that Nutanix wants to make the infrastructure invisible.

At the heart of Nutanix, making infrastructure simple is the key message. One that both Nutanix and MirrorSphere believe in.

Not a catchy name, but this is just the one that is used internally, so expect something far better when released to the customer.

• Discover SQL server farms, whether physical or virtual.
• Use automation to create a virtual footprint on a Nutanix platform and dynamically apply the SQL best practices, including sizing based on the discovered SQL attributes.
• Migrate at the Database level over to Nutanix using DB Backup restores and log replay.
• Finally complete post migration tests.

Frankly, any way you like, but the most common will be for testing; you can copy the database instead of moving it. Useful for testing and development.

Another use, when copying would be for Proof of Concept (PoC) testing. Making sure that the discovered Databases are copied to the PoC equipment and use the best practices for SQL.

Migrating the Databases for old physical or virtual platforms. This could be key when deploying a Nutanix Platform using Acropolis and moving the key databases from an existing VMware virtualised infrastructure.

The SQL Mover works in three stages; gather, deploy and migrate (or copy), and the Nutanix SQL Mover tool allows seamless migration from a virtual SQL Server or a Physical one.

After connecting to the SQL Mover website, you create a new a Project.

You add the SQL instance details, or up can upload a spread sheet with the information within.

SQL Mover will then directly connect to that instance, and with the correct credentials start to perform some SQL Queries, these queries return configuration information and time-series performance data.

SQL Mover provides information on each Database.

You can then see detailed information on each Database.

Once it has that information, SQL Mover then proposes a best practice design.

The new design works with SQL Best Practices and also Nutanix Specific best practices, like how Nutanix Containers should be configured, Drive layouts and Virtual Machine settings.

Deploying a new Virtual Machine is a simple matter of connecting to a Nutanix Cluster. If another Hypervisor is detected, like VMware, you need to enter the vCentre credentials.

After this it’s a matter of completing the other information, like Prefixes for server names, the default Virtual Machine template to use. Credential to access that image once built.

The reason that the SQL Mover does not build a fresh copy straight from an ISO, is that most companies will have some form of default image created, that might be hardened or have specific software pre-installed, like monitoring agents.

Next is to specify the path to the SQL ISO and a license key.

Enter a MSSQL Service account and password and choose if you want the server to join an Active Directory Domain.

Hit the Deploy button and the magic will start. You are then provided a Dashboard showing the status of the deployment (see below).

Migrating from one SQL Server to another is, once again, made simple by the Nutanix SQL Mover tool.

You can also see all the pending tasks and completed tasks from this dashboard.

Once you have configured, what and when, the tool now validates the plan.

Starting the Plan starts the migration, using full backups, transaction logs to perform the migration.

The system continues to do this, until you are ready to initiate the full migration.

Before initiating this, you can view the currently connected clients

Once again Nutanix has shown that it is not just a storage vendor, but the leader of the hyper-converged space.

Nutanix App Mobility SQL Mover shows that Nutanix are providing real extra value to their customers. With Acropolis, Nutanix own Hypervisor, they are providing real value and real performance. With a pay as you grow model, providing un-paralleled scalability; as and when you need it. Designing their interfaces to be easy to use and understand.

One of the Nutanix core beliefs, which mirrors our own, is keep it simple.
With SQL Mover Nutanix has made it just that.