Fast Times at SQL Server High

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Fast Times at SQL Server High

• Data Management Inside a NASCAR Race Team

Andy Korczynski - Red Bull Racing
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Overview

• What is NASCAR?
• Typical NASCAR team organization
• How does SQL Server help?
• Possible SQL Server architectures
• NASCAR is highly competitive
• No application demos, code samples, or specific
  details on architecture

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Overview of NASCAR

• National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing
• NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
• NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)
• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS)
• Various regional series
• NSCS has 36 races in a season

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Overview of NASCAR (cont)

• Roughly 18 teams compete each week
• 15 Million to field a car for the year
• 5 Million in purse money per race
• Most teams field 2 cars
• Toyota, Chevy, Dodge, and Ford
• 8 Million TV viewers
• Events can attract 100,000 people

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Cup Car Specs

• Carbureted V8 Engine
• 750 HP
• 4 speed manual transmission
• 3400 lbs
• 3-4 MPG
• Unleaded Gasoline
• Power Steering!

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Cup Team Overview

• Approximately 100 employees per car
• Teams employ 20-30 engineers
• Track side organization
• Crew Chief
• Race Engineer
• Car Chief
• Mechanics
• Pit Crew

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How Can SQL Server Help?

• Document Management
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP)
• Race car setup data management
• Race car data systems management
• Simulation data management
• Workflow management

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Document Management

• Practice/Race Reports
• Car design/CAD management
• Technical Bulletins
• Timing and Scoring Reports
• Best practices

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Race Car Data Systems

• Most teams use Pi Data Systems for sensor data
  collection
  
• Typical setup involves 30 sensors
• A practice outing produces about 10-15MB of data
• Data must be disseminated to track and shop
  personnel as quickly as possible

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Race Car Setup

• Tire data
• Shock data
• Vehicle setup information
• Sensor Data
• Practice vehicle outing/run data
• Race log
• Driver feedback

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Simulation Data

• Rig data results
• Computer simulation results
• Must be fed with real data
• Results must be fed back to central database

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SQL Server to the Rescue!

• All data is stored in SQL Server
• Security
• Provides an easy way to back up all critical
  data
  
• Provides replication services to maintain a high
  level of data availability
  

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SQL Server Replication

• Snapshot replication
• Provides initial set of data for merge
  replication
  
• Good for infrequently changing data
• Merge replication
• Good for server to client applications
• Transactional replication
• Ideally suited for server to server

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Merge Replication

• Snapshot replication used to populate initial
  data
  
• Can be based on a push or pull system
• Can create multiple publications from the same
  database
  
• Based on a Publisher/Subscriber system
• Can deal with schema changes

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Merge Replication Types (Push)

• Publisher (Server) connects to the Subscriber
  (client)
  
• Works with SQL Server Express
• Can bog down server if there are a lot of clients
  (each client is synchronized via a SQL Server
  Agent job)

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Merge Replication Types (Pull)

• Subscriber (client) initiates connection to
  Publisher (client)
  
• Not available with SQL Express (No SQL Server
  Agent)
  
• Can use anonymous subscriptions and write your
  own synchronization agent

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Merge Replication Limits

• 256 Articles
• Limits the number of stored procedures
• Creating multiple publications can be hazardous!
• 246 Columns in a table
• Think vertical table design
• 1024 Bytes for a column used in a row filter

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Central Race Team Scenario

• SQL Server cluster at the main facility
• Local non-travelling clients connect directly to
  cluster
  
• Travelling clients run SQL Express and connect
  periodically
  
• Information is available and updated throughout
  the race
  
• Allows everyone to be a backseat crew chief

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The Hauler Scenario

• This is where the race team lives on the
  weekends
  
• Local Server SQL that can act as publisher and
  subscriber
  
• Local SQL provides faster replication times for
  local clients
  
• Allows replication within a team even if
  connection to shop goes down

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SQL Server Compact

• Can participate in replication
• Great for small devices used for data entry
• Tire data
• Trackside weather information
• GPS enabled devices

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In Conclusion

• SQL Server in racing is exciting!!!!
• New SQL Server Filestream data type will make
  working with large data types easier
  
• Technology and data sharing really do help win
  races
  
• THANK YOU!