We run a product at work called Business Objects Crystal Reports Server. It basically automates the delivery, distribution, execution, and viewing of reports that have been designed with Crystal Reports. I’ve been less than satisfied with the performance of the application for a while but knew that the problem had to be our installation because it ran really fast at Equitable.
Today I was upgrading the BO/CR service pack and decided to move the database while I was at it. This server is a 1U Compaq DL360 or something like that. It’s not a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination. But running the Tomcat webserver plus Microsoft’s SQL server together was making it a tad sluggish. So I moved the database onto our database cluster and the difference is like night and day. This thing moves MUCH faster now.
Never underestimate the power of a beefy database cluster with a shitload of RAM. 