Over loaded server?

[SeanAIX430]

My HP ML330 2.8Ghz, 1.25G Ram, 80G Mirrored HD W2K3, Ex 2003, GC server is annoying me to no end. At least once a week, maybe two weeks email will stop working. I'll get calls about outlook not responding and then I'll look at the EX Manager and see that the queues are filling up and I try to restart SMTP, if that doesn't work , then I'll try to restart EX store, etc, but almost always it takes a reboot for email to start working again. I have 3 site with a server at each, only corporate has internet access and a frame to the 2 other locations, so all email comes into this server and then gets passed to the 2 remotes as necessary. Only about 20 mailboxes at each site. The other 2 servers seem fine and fast enough, but this server takes forever to startup, plus to login and open anything is very slow. Am I putting too much onto this server? SHould I split off AD functions or Exchange?
Also I get an error about memory not being optimal for Exchange, but I read the article about the /3g switch and it recommended not making the change if the EX server was also the GC?(

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;815372)

Should I try this anyways? TIA

 

[SeanAIX430]

I have DL'd the best practices tool and have found some issues regarding Anti-Virus scanning that were set wrong, so hopefully that will help as well as the Memory issue, which takes a restart of course. I'm wondering about a regular disk defrag, I analyzed it and almost the whole thing was red! Should I do this at night?

 

[SeanAIX430]

Ran the defrag, changed memory settings etc, and the server still hung this morning. It took 2 reboots for IS to start. Anyone have some good advice? Thanks

 

[Marcs41]

Start with getting the AntiVirus OFF the server. That always gives a terrible load (and I hope you are not using Symantec!)

Marc
_{If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC!}

Have a look at the shop @

http://www.cafepress.com/tektips

!

 

[NortonES2]

Also ensure that both the OS and Exchange have all the latest patches applied.

-------------------------------

If it doesn't leak oil it must be empty!!

 

[SeanAIX430]

I haven't installed SP1 for 2003 server yet, I'm still doing research on it. However how can i take the AV off the server and still stop viri??

 

[Marcs41]

You should protect the clients, and take the load of the server.
Or, you put an SMTP server as relay and AV filtering between the WAN and the server.

Marc
_{If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC!}

 

[jkupski]

Or, you put an SMTP server as relay and AV filtering between the WAN and the server.

This is an excellent idea. I use a linux box running Postfix, Amavisd, Spamassassin, Bitdefender, and a few other toys to front-end my exchange box. I also use Apache in reverse-proxy mode on the same machine to front-end OWA. It works extremely well for my fairly small userbase (+-75 users) and I have tested the setup extensively and am confident that it will easily scale up by at least an order of magnitude.

If you're not comfortable with something like the above, Barracuda makes an appliance that does the same job and is dirt simple to manage. Other vendors produce similar devices.

 

[Marcs41]

Check out Astaro (

http://www.astaro.com/),

that is a nice and powerful thingie, runs on old hardware, and is very cheap.

Marc
_{If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC!}