Thanks for the reply. My thinking was hardware RAID1 on the first channel with the 2x36gb drives, 12gb (or thereabouts) for the OS partition and the rest as a log partition.
RAID5 on the second channel for the stores. A full backup would be done every night so I can't see the log drive/partition filling up unless there's a *long* sustained period without a backup. I'm trying to think for the future as this hardware has to last, in theory, for three years - the ML570 looks like it will do what we want now and also allow some future expandability if we outgrow the chassis. cheers, Paul -- Paul Hutchings Network Administrator, MIRA Ltd. Tel: 44 (0)24 7635 5378, Fax: 44 (0)24 7635 8378 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Evan Mann > Sent: 06 January 2006 12:57 > To: Exchange Discussions > Subject: RE: Hardware Specs Advise > > If you have a backup failure, your trans logs can fill the > HDD. If they > fill the boot drive with the OS, you can blue screen the server. > > If the trans logs fill up a separate drive, exchange services > will stop, > but no server crash. So, if you are set on single spindle for the OS > and trans logs, makes ure you use separate partitions. > > I think the 15k drives are overkill for you OS and trans logs, > perosnally. I think you need more space for your trans logs. > With only > 3 drives for the stores, and one as a hotspare, your talking > a RAID1. I > suggest you add a 4th drive and run RAID5 + hotspare. > > Get a RAID controller that supports 128mb of cache (or more). > I'd get a > dual channel card and run your 2 separate arrays each on their own > channel. If you opt to add a 3rd array, I'd get a second card, again > with 128mb of cache or more, so each array has it's own channel. > > I think your performance will be fine with the box you are talking > about. I've got about 400gigs of stores and only 4gigs of > RAM on one of > my boxes and don't have any issues. If you run into a CPU issue, you > can add a second (assuming your getting a dual proc capable > box, which I > suggest you do) > > You should look at it this way, Exchange is probably one of the most > important boxes in your network, because it runs your e-mail > system, and > people are heavily reliant on e-mail, and continue to become more > reliant every day. If you go overkill now, it will make the box last > longer down the road. > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Paul > Hutchings > Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 3:48 AM > To: Exchange Discussions > Subject: Hardware Specs Advise > > > I need to spec a replacement Exchange server. > > It'll be holding approximately 600 mailboxes, usage varies wildly from > virtually zero to large attachments etc, it truly is totally varied. > We're currently running 5.5 on a Dual 2ghz Xeon with 1gb RAM and RAID5 > for the store and performance isn't an issue, but because of lack of > support for 5.5 we're migrating to 2003. > > I'm looking at HP hardware. At the moment on price there is quite a > difference between going for an ML570 vs a DL360 with an > MSA30 enclosure > - the ML570 is significantly cheaper. > > What I'm thinking right now is to go for an ML570 with 4gb of RAM, and > on the disk side of things I'm thinking: > > Internal Channel 1 - 2x36gb 15k SCSI's for the OS + Transaction logs > > Internal Channel 2 - 3x146gb 10k SCSIs for the Information Store(s). A > 146gb drive as a global spare, and a single 300gb 10k spindle > that I can > dump a backup onto each night using NT backup. > > I know best practice is separate spindles for the transaction logs but > I'm not sure it's necessary for our usage levels, and in this > configuration the logs would be on a separate channel on the RAID > controller to the store so possibly we'd get better > performance than if > the logs were on a separate spool on the same channel as the store > drives? > > Raid controller - thinking Smart Array 6402? > > CPU's - my understanding has always been that Exchange is not heavily > CPU bound? I'm thinking a single Dual-Core 2.66ghz processor should be > enough? > > All this box will do is run Windows 2003 Standard, Exchange 2003 > Enterprise, and Trend Scanmail. > > I'd be grateful for any thoughts. > -- > Paul Hutchings > Network Administrator, MIRA Ltd. > Tel: 44 (0)24 7635 5378, Fax: 44 (0)24 7635 8378 > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _________________________________________________________________ > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > Web Interface: http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/read/?forum=exchange > To subscribe: http://e-newsletters.internet.com/discussionlists.html/ > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: > Jupitermedia Corp. > Attn: Discussion List Management > 475 Park Avenue South > New York, NY 10016 > > Please include the email address which you have been contacted with. > > > _________________________________________________________________ > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > Web Interface: http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/read/?forum=exchange > To subscribe: http://e-newsletters.internet.com/discussionlists.html/ > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: > Jupitermedia Corp. > Attn: Discussion List Management > 475 Park Avenue South > New York, NY 10016 > > Please include the email address which you have been contacted with. > _________________________________________________________________ List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm Web Interface: http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/read/?forum=exchange To subscribe: http://e-newsletters.internet.com/discussionlists.html/ To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: Jupitermedia Corp. 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