Microsoft SQL Server is one of the most widely deployed “apps” in the market today and is used as the database layer for a myriad of applications, ranging from departmental content repositories to large enterprise OLTP systems. Typical SQL Server workloads are somewhat trivial to virtualize; however, business critical SQL Servers require careful planning to satisfy performance, high availability, and disaster recovery requirements. It is the design of these business critical databases that will be the focus of this breakout session. You will learn how build high-performance SQL Server virtual machines through proper resource allocation, database file management, and use of all-flash storage like XtremIO. You will also learn how to protect these critical systems using a combination of SQL Server and vSphere high availability features. For example, did you know you can vMotion shared-disk Windows Failover Cluster nodes? You can in vSphere 6! Finally, you will learn techniques for rapid deployment, backup, and recovery of SQL Server virtual machines using an all-flash array.