We are about to start migrating our production e-mail services in-house. We are currently spec'ing the new server. I really want to use something like an IBM x346 for this. The company has roughly 500 accounts but the server will eventually have twice that. In addition we are going to be tying it into a Cisco Unity server for unified messaging. If costs wasn't an issue (within reason) and I wanted to use either a IBM x346 server what are the recommended specs? Keep in mind we are putting this on a Windows 2003 Standard Server license, although I could get a Windows 2003 Enterprise Server license if I needed it. Also, we were thinking RAID 10 using 4 x 73 GB 15K SCSI drives? What about partitioning?
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Server Specifications
- Thread starter heprox
- Start date
Your disk sizing looks like it'll be a little stretched. Not the least because 140GB shared between O/S+Apps, SMTP Queue, Transaction logs and Mailbox stores isn't going to give users huge mailboxes - or system admin much spare to play with.
Also, it is recommeded the Logs are on a separate physical disk to the Databases. RAID-wise, I'd go with ntinlin's suggestions. Maybe 2x73GB for O/S+SMTP Queue+Logs and 4x140GB for databases. :=)
You may want to look at an active/passive cluster/SAN, although your price more than doubles - depends how critical email services are. You just gain hardware resilience and the ability to conduct system maintenance without downtime. If your business is not 24/7 then it may not be worth it.
Alternatively... try lotus notes... cheaper and reliable... it just looks funny!
Also, it is recommeded the Logs are on a separate physical disk to the Databases. RAID-wise, I'd go with ntinlin's suggestions. Maybe 2x73GB for O/S+SMTP Queue+Logs and 4x140GB for databases. :=)
You may want to look at an active/passive cluster/SAN, although your price more than doubles - depends how critical email services are. You just gain hardware resilience and the ability to conduct system maintenance without downtime. If your business is not 24/7 then it may not be worth it.
Alternatively... try lotus notes... cheaper and reliable... it just looks funny!
- Thread starter
- #4
We already have an IBM ESS800 SAN for our production databases. It should be possible to purchase drives for it, create a new LUN and fiber from the Exchange server over to the fiber switches attached to the SAN, but that just seems like overkill for 400-500 mailbaoxes? I think for now we will keep it on one fault tolerant, redundant server and possibly move it over to the SAN as we grow? Also we are planning a Cisco Call Manager/Unity implementation as well, and since Unity stores its messages on the Exchange server's stores, I'm unsure whether placing the databases on the SAN fabric is even an option? For now, you think 6 disks: 2 x 73 Gb for OS/logs and 4 x 140 Gb for databases will work? What would the RAID arrangement be? Place the 73 Gb in a RAID 1 and the others in a RAID 10?
We have a similar number of mailboxes. I did spec less, but this is what we bought. :=)
Local disk:
2 x 73Gb RAID 10 for C: drive
External storage array:
2 x 73Gb RAID 10 for Quorum (Microsoft cluster resource).
Now that is overkill. But microsoft recommended its own disk!
2 x 73Gb RAID 10 for SMTP Queue (I've put aside 30gb for the SMTP Queue.... just in case of a pile up.)
2 x 73Gb RAID 10 for Transaction logs
4 x 140Gb RAID 5 for Exchange Databases (Giving max 420gb)
+Online spare - 1 of each size.
NB all drives are only 10kRPM.
I wouldnt have minded consolidating a load of the 73gb logic drives... as we now have wasted space, but microsoft 'best practices' are the rule, here.
I would say, for recovery purposes, keep yourself enough space to restore a full exchange database at all times. (or go with brick-level backups.)
I don't like RAID 5, but it is much more efficient that RAID 1 in terms of space usage! I would have gone RAID 10 for the mail databases aswell - but lack of drive bays thwarted this plan.
Local disk:
2 x 73Gb RAID 10 for C: drive
External storage array:
2 x 73Gb RAID 10 for Quorum (Microsoft cluster resource).
Now that is overkill. But microsoft recommended its own disk!
2 x 73Gb RAID 10 for SMTP Queue (I've put aside 30gb for the SMTP Queue.... just in case of a pile up.)
2 x 73Gb RAID 10 for Transaction logs
4 x 140Gb RAID 5 for Exchange Databases (Giving max 420gb)
+Online spare - 1 of each size.
NB all drives are only 10kRPM.
I wouldnt have minded consolidating a load of the 73gb logic drives... as we now have wasted space, but microsoft 'best practices' are the rule, here.
I would say, for recovery purposes, keep yourself enough space to restore a full exchange database at all times. (or go with brick-level backups.)
I don't like RAID 5, but it is much more efficient that RAID 1 in terms of space usage! I would have gone RAID 10 for the mail databases aswell - but lack of drive bays thwarted this plan.
I think that a cluster for 500 users is overkill, unless you need the availability. The 346 server you're looking at should be fine. With reasonable mailbox limits (100MB/mailbox) you should be able to control growth pretty well. I strongly recommend that you purchase the server with 2 processors and 2 or 3GB of RAM (use /3GB /userva=3030 options in boot.ini). I do recommend that you spend the extra money to purchase Exchange Enterprise Edition. You can run this edition on Windows Server 2003 Standard. This will give you the ability to support larger than 16GB databases. With this spec you could comfortably support 2000-3000 users with up to about 1500 simultaneous MAPI(outlook) connections.
I agree with the others on the disk configuration. Buy 6 drives.
2 drives in Mirror, 2 paritions (OS and Logs)
4 drives in RAID 5, 1 partition (DBs)
Install your Exchange binaries on C: then move the DBs and logs after initial installation.
Your Shark will probably be a little sluggish compared to local disk on the server, so local disk is preferred for this installation. So for the local disk make sure that you purchase a U320 RAID controller.
If you decide to go with a cluster, then at least you don't have the initial outlay for the SAN since you already have one. You just have to buy disk for it.
PSC
Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers
I agree with the others on the disk configuration. Buy 6 drives.
2 drives in Mirror, 2 paritions (OS and Logs)
4 drives in RAID 5, 1 partition (DBs)
Install your Exchange binaries on C: then move the DBs and logs after initial installation.
Your Shark will probably be a little sluggish compared to local disk on the server, so local disk is preferred for this installation. So for the local disk make sure that you purchase a U320 RAID controller.
If you decide to go with a cluster, then at least you don't have the initial outlay for the SAN since you already have one. You just have to buy disk for it.
PSC
Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers
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