Exchange Storage Sizing and Hardware Exposed Jim McBee http://www.ithicos.com Who is Jim McBee!!?? • Consultant, Writer, MCSE, MVP and MCT – Honolulu, Hawaii • Principal clients.
Download ReportTranscript Exchange Storage Sizing and Hardware Exposed Jim McBee http://www.ithicos.com Who is Jim McBee!!?? • Consultant, Writer, MCSE, MVP and MCT – Honolulu, Hawaii • Principal clients.
Exchange Storage Sizing and Hardware Exposed Jim McBee http://www.ithicos.com Who is Jim McBee!!?? • Consultant, Writer, MCSE, MVP and MCT – Honolulu, Hawaii • Principal clients (Dell, Microsoft, SAIC, Servco Pacific) • Author – Exchange 2003 Advanced Administration (Sybex) • Contributor – Exchange and Outlook Administrator • Blog ● ● http://mostlyexchange.blogspot.com http://www.directory-update.com Agenda • • • • • • • • The sizing quandary User usage profiles Microsoft’s hardware recommendations Network sizing RAM sizing CPU sizing Disk sizing Did you get it right? The sizing quandary Typical solution • Throw hardware at the solution… • Sometimes you get it right… ● and sometimes you don’t… • Often disk capacity is still undersized Usage profiles Messaging user types Type Messages sent/received Mailbox size Light 5 sent 20 received 50MB Average 10 sent 40 received 100MB Heavy 20 sent 80 received 200MB Large 30 sent 120 received 500MB Active Directory Sizing domain controllers • Use Windows 2003 SP1 if possible • Windows 2003 domain and forest functional level • Use 4:1 ratio ● ● For each 4 Exchange CPUs/cores use 1 DC/GC core This ratio assumes dedicated Exchange DCs • Redundant DNS servers and domain controllers • Larger Active Directories… ● ● ● Put transaction logs and databases on different spindles If NTDS.DIT database exceeds about 1GB, use Windows the /3GB /USERVA=3030 switches If the NTDS.DIT database exceeds about 2.5GB, use Windows 2003 x64 or Windows 2008 x64 Problem indicators • MSExchangeDSAccess Process – E2K3 • MSExchange ADAccess Domain Controllers ● ● LDAP Read Time LDAP Search Time • Should be below 50 milliseconds on average • Should never exceed 100 milliseconds Network sizing Network connections • 100Mbps / Full Duplex • Switched backbone is best • Ensure that network adapter is inserted in to network at maximum speed possible ● May require manual configuration on server and switch • Use separate 1GB Ethernet connections for iSCSI Key indicator you may have network problems • Performance monitor: ● MSExchangeIS / RPC Averaged Latency • Should be below 50 milliseconds • May indicate hardware problems, but network is often the culprit ● Network Interface / Bytes Total/sec • Watch for this counter to approach maximum network bandwidth CPU sizing Microsoft’s recommendation Server role Minimum Recommended Maximum Mailbox 1 CPU core 4 CPU cores 8 CPU cores Client Access 1 CPU core 4 CPU cores 4 CPU cores Hub Transport 1 CPU core 4 CPU cores 8 CPU cores Unified Messaging 1 CPU core 4 CPU cores 4 CPU cores Combined function 1 CPU core 4 CPU cores 4 CPU cores Edge Transport 1 CPU core 2 CPU cores 4 CPU cores Megacycles per second • Number of MHz that are required for a particular server • Take an average CPU usage during the busiest part of the day • Megacycles per mailbox = (Avg CPU * Speed of processors in MHz * Number of processors) / Number of mailboxes Excessive CPU usage? • Average processor usage stays above 70 – 80% during the busiest parts of the day Memory sizing RAM is the key to improving performance in Exchange • Exchange 2003 ● ● ● ● 4GB of RAM per server User /3GB /USERVA=3030 in BOOT.INI file Large environments 2GB – 4GB of RAM for front-end servers and bridgehead servers • For tuning information… ● See KB 815372 How to Optimize Memory Usage in Exchange Server 2003 Exchange 2003 and caching • Exchange 2003 Extensible Storage Engine maximum cache ● ● 1.2GB of cache 576MB or 896MB by default • 500 users on an optimized E2K3 server ● 2.4MB of cache per user • 1000 users on an optimized E2K3 server ● 1.2MB of cache per user • 2000 users on an optimized E2K3 server ● .6MB of cache per user Exchange 2007 memory sizing Server role Minimum Recommended Maximum Hub Transport 2GB 1GB per CPU core (2GB minimum) 16GB Client Access 2GB 1GB per CPU core (2GB minimum) 8GB Unified Messaging 2GB 1GB per CPU core (2GB minimum) 4GB Edge Transport 2GB 1GB per CPU core (2GB minimum) 16GB Mailbox server roles • Minimum of 2GB of RAM ● ● Minimum of 3GB of RAM if LCR is used Recommend 4GB of RAM • Recommend 2GB + 5MB per mailbox for heavy users • Can size memory based on number of storage groups, too. ● ● Add 2GB for each four storage groups Take whichever value is higher • BOOT.INI optimization is not necessary • 32GB maximum practical amount Cache is essential • If you follow recommendations for heavy users, each user will ALWAYS have 5MB of cache available • Sufficient memory is essential to get expected disk performance • Less available cache = More frequent disk I/O Disk sizing Introducing IOPS • IOPS = Disk I/O operations per second ● Pronounced eye-ops • Typical I/O capacity ● ● ● ● 10,000 RPM SATA drive = 70 IOPS 10,000 RPM fiber channel disk = 100 IOPS 15,000 RPM fiber channel disk = 120 IOPS 15,000 RPM SAS drive = 170 IOPS Exchange 2003 IOPS Estimates User type Database volume IOPS Light .5 Average .75 Heavy 1.0 Large 1.5 Exchange 2003 diminished cache performance Mailboxes Estimated IOPS Calculated IOPS Required Actual IOPS Required 1000 1.0 1000 1000 2000 1.0 2000 2500 3000 1.0 3000 3750 5000 1.0 4000 5000 Why? Less cache per mailbox Exchange 2007 IOPS Estimates User type Database volume IOPS Light .14 Average .20 Heavy .27 Large .41 *Assumes you are following Microsoft’s memory recommendations for Exchange 2007 Factors that affect IOPS • • • • Antivirus software Backups Outlook in cached mode LCR (estimates are 150% of database IOPS) • Full text indexing (10% overhead for E2K7) • Forms processing, work flow systems, or unusual messaging spikes • Online maintenance • Other server roles on same hardware (such as Hub Transport) • Paging • Connectivity / protocol logging • Messaging records management Transaction Logs and IOPS • Microsoft’s estimates are for databases only • Transaction logs may generate 10 – 25% additional I/O Viewing Disk Transfers/sec You can help! • Use the maximum amount of practical memory for Exchange mailbox servers • Sizing disk on right sector ● ● Use DiskPart.exe See KB 300415 • Configure caching controllers for 75% write / 25% read Signs of a disk bottleneck • Physical disk’s Avg. Disk sec/Transfer > .02 on a sustained basis • Physical disk’s Disk Transfers/sec staying at a sustained level Sustained I/O activity Tools you can use • • • • • • • • • Performance monitor Exchange Best Practices Analyzer Performance Tuning Analyzer Exchange Server JetStress Exchange Server Load Generator Exchange Server Stress and Performance Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant User Monitor Microsoft Operations Manager Free eBook • The Shortcut Guide to Exchange Server 2007 Storage Systems ● http://nexus.realtimepublishers.co m/SGES2K7SS.htm Questions? Thanks for attending! 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