SQL databases are all about performance, if databases grow very large, it might be a good idea to spread your files across multiple disks.
A database can consist of three files, .mdf, .ldf and .ndf, in which .ndf is a user defined secondary data file, these files can be created to split up a fast growing .mdf. For example you create 3 files, Data1.ndf, Data2.ndf, and Data3.ndf spread on three disk drives and assigned to a filegroup e.g.'fg1'. Tables can be created specifically on the filegroup 'fg1'. The queries for data from the table can be spread across multiple disks; this will improve your database performance.
Here's a script to create a database with multiple filegroups:
USE [master]
GO
/****** Object: Database [AdventurePark] Script Date: 01/01/2015 21:13:57 ******/
IF EXISTS (SELECT name FROM sys.databases WHERE name = N'AdventurePark')
DROP DATABASE [AdventurePark]
GO
USE [master]
GO
/****** Object: Database [AdventurePark] Script Date: 01/01/2015 21:13:57 ******/
CREATE DATABASE [AdventurePark] ON PRIMARY
( NAME = N'AdventureParkPrimary', FILENAME = N'D:\DATA\AdventurePark.mdf' , SIZE = 5120KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
FILEGROUP [Data] DEFAULT
( NAME = N'AdventureParkData', FILENAME = N'D:\DATA\AdventurePark_1.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
FILEGROUP [Files2008]
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2008_1', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_2.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2008_2', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_3.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
FILEGROUP [Files2009]
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2009_1', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_4.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2009_2', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_5.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
FILEGROUP [Files2010]
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2010_1', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_6.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2010_2', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_7.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
FILEGROUP [FIles2011]
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2011_1', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_8.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2011_2', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_9.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
FILEGROUP [Files2012]
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2012_1', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_10.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2012_2', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_11.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
FILEGROUP [Files2013]
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2013_1', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_12.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2013_2', FILENAME = N'E:\DATA\AdventurePark_13.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
FILEGROUP [Files2014]
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2014_1', FILENAME = N'D:\DATA\AdventurePark_14.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%),
( NAME = N'AdventureParkFiles2014_2', FILENAME = N'D:\DATA\AdventurePark_15.ndf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH = 10%)
LOG ON
( NAME = N'AdventurePark_log', FILENAME = N'L:\LOGS\AdventurePark_16.ldf' , SIZE = 4896KB , MAXSIZE = 2048GB , FILEGROWTH = 10%)
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL = 100
GO
IF (1 = FULLTEXTSERVICEPROPERTY('IsFullTextInstalled'))
begin
EXEC [AdventurePark].[dbo].[sp_fulltext_database] @action = 'enable'
end
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET ANSI_NULL_DEFAULT OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET ANSI_NULLS OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET ANSI_PADDING OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET ANSI_WARNINGS OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET ARITHABORT OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET AUTO_CLOSE OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET AUTO_CREATE_STATISTICS ON
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET AUTO_SHRINK OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS ON
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET CURSOR_CLOSE_ON_COMMIT OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET CURSOR_DEFAULT GLOBAL
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET CONCAT_NULL_YIELDS_NULL OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET NUMERIC_ROUNDABORT OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET RECURSIVE_TRIGGERS OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET DISABLE_BROKER
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS_ASYNC OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET DATE_CORRELATION_OPTIMIZATION OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET TRUSTWORTHY OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET ALLOW_SNAPSHOT_ISOLATION OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET PARAMETERIZATION SIMPLE
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET HONOR_BROKER_PRIORITY OFF
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET READ_WRITE
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET RECOVERY FULL
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET MULTI_USER
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET PAGE_VERIFY CHECKSUM
GO
ALTER DATABASE [AdventurePark] SET DB_CHAINING OFF
GO
Need a quick restore of a database with the data spread across multiple disks onto a new server, here's a simple script I wrote. Just replace name and location and you're ready to go.
USE master GO --ALTER DATABASE AdventurePark --SET SINGLE_USER ----This rolls back all uncommitted transactions in the db. --WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE --GO RESTORE DATABASE [AdventurePark] FROM DISK = N'\\Teletraan\sqlbackup$\AdventurePark\FULL_BU20150101_000001.bak' WITH FILE = 1, MOVE N'AdventureParkPrimary' TO N'F:\SQL AdventurePark\AdventurePark.mdf', MOVE N'AdventureParkData' TO N'D:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_1.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2008_1' TO N'D:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_2.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2008_2' TO N'D:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_3.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2009_1' TO N'D:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_4.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2009_2' TO N'D:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_5.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2010_1' TO N'D:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_6.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2010_2' TO N'D:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_7.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2011_1' TO N'D:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_8.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2011_2' TO N'E:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_9.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2012_1' TO N'E:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_10.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2012_2' TO N'E:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_11.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2013_1' TO N'E:\ARCHIVEDATA\AdventurePark_12.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2014_1' TO N'D:\SQL DATA\AdventurePark_13.ndf', MOVE N'AdventureParkFiles2014_2' TO N'D:\SQL DATA\AdventurePark_14.ndf', MOVE N'AdventurePark_log' TO N'F:\SQL LOGS\AdventurePark_15.ldf', NOUNLOAD, REPLACE, STATS = 10 GO