title | description | author | ms.author | ms.reviewer | ms.date | ms.service | ms.subservice | ms.topic | helpviewer_keywords | |
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Enable and configure FILESTREAM |
To use FILESTREAM, first enable it on the SQL Server Database Engine instance. Learn how to enable FILESTREAM by using SQL Server Configuration Manager. |
MikeRayMSFT |
mikeray |
randolphwest |
09/28/2023 |
sql |
filestream |
conceptual |
|
[!INCLUDE SQL Server]
Before you can start to use FILESTREAM, you must enable FILESTREAM on the instance of the [!INCLUDE ssDEnoversion]. This topic describes how to enable FILESTREAM by using SQL Server Configuration Manager.
-
On the Start menu, navigate to All Programs > [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] > Configuration Tools, and then select SQL Server Configuration Manager.
[!NOTE]
On newer versions of Windows, follow these instructions to open SQL Server Configuration Manager. -
In the list of services, right-click SQL Server Services, and then select Open.
-
In the SQL Server Configuration Manager snap-in, locate the instance of [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on which you want to enable FILESTREAM.
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Right-click the instance, and then select Properties.
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In the SQL Server Properties dialog box, select the FILESTREAM tab.
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Select the Enable FILESTREAM for Transact-SQL access check box.
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If you want to read and write FILESTREAM data from Windows, select Enable FILESTREAM for file I/O streaming access. Enter the name of the Windows share in the Windows Share Name box.
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If remote clients must access the FILESTREAM data that is stored on this share, select Allow remote clients to have streaming access to FILESTREAM data.
-
Select Apply.
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In [!INCLUDE ssManStudioFull], select New Query to display the Query Editor.
-
In Query Editor, enter the following [!INCLUDE tsql] code:
EXEC sp_configure filestream_access_level, 2; RECONFIGURE;
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Select Execute.
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Restart the [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] service.
When you set up FILESTREAM storage volumes, consider the following guidelines:
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Turn off short file names on FILESTREAM computer systems. Short file names take significantly longer to create. To disable short file names, use the Windows fsutil utility.
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Regularly defragment FILESTREAM computer systems using magnetic storage.
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Use 64-KB NTFS clusters. Compressed volumes must be set to 4-KB NTFS clusters.
-
Disable indexing on FILESTREAM volumes and set
disablelastaccess
. To setdisablelastaccess
, use the Windows fsutil utility. -
Disable antivirus scanning of FILESTREAM volumes when it's not necessary. If antivirus scanning is necessary, avoid setting policies that will automatically delete offending files.
-
Set up and tune the RAID level for fault tolerance and the performance that is required by an application.
RAID level | Write performance | Read performance | Fault tolerance | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|
RAID 5 | Normal | Normal | Excellent | Performance is better than one disk or JBOD; and less than RAID 0 or RAID 5 with striping. |
RAID 0 | Excellent | Excellent | None | |
RAID 5 + striping | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Most expensive option. |
When you design a FILESTREAM database, consider the following guidelines:
-
FILESTREAM columns must be accompanied by a corresponding uniqueidentifier ROWGUID column. These kinds of tables must also be accompanied by a unique index. Typically this index isn't a clustered index. If the databases business logic requires a clustered index, you have to make sure that the values stored in the index aren't random. Random values will cause the index to be reordered every time that a row is added or removed from the table.
-
For performance reasons, FILESTREAM filegroups and containers should reside on volumes other than the operating system, [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] database, [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] log,
tempdb
, or paging file. -
Space management and policies aren't directly supported by FILESTREAM. However, you can manage space and apply policies indirectly by assigning each FILESTREAM filegroup to a separate volume and using the volume's management features.