When installing SQL Server under feature selection you are given the option to change the Shared feature directories. When you choose to change from the default OS drive it seems that the installation process still installs a large amount of files on the OS drive and then additional files under a similar drive structure on the alternative drive. Is there any real benefit to changing the default location?
Additional is there benefit to changing the default location for the installed features, database engine etc. We are trying to create some clean templates that we can bring up in our production environment so we are provisioning separate drives for data, logs, backups, tempdbs but as we use the prepare image it seems like splitting the installation of sql server into two separate locations to safe minimally on file space seems counterproductive.
I have searched for best practices and this area seems glossed over in most articles, I found a few that indicate later installation of features on a machine that use a non-standard shared component drive has caused issues. I would like to know there are benefits to taking such actions.
Thanks in advance,
Dirk