If you need to ease the load where is the current bottleneck? Print drivers, IME, are one thing that can really mess up a server and require a reboot as well as potentially taking a lot of CPU depending on the exact driver.
My first priority from the info you've provided would be to split out the print services onto a dedicated VM. This may allow you to stick with the current VM for the file server, but I would give it more RAM, or better yet if it isn't x64 look at replacing it with an x64 VM. How are the drives presented to it (performance related) and how do you back up the files (Celerra/NAS related)? Paul ________________________________ From: Don Kuhlman [[email protected]] Sent: 22 July 2011 3:32 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: File & Print Server Thoughts Good day folks. I've been asked to do a proposal for splitting the current primary File & Print server at the HQ to ease the load and provide some room for growth. I was hoping for some comments on the thoughts below... It's a VM running Server 2003 R2 SP2. 1 CPU with 2 Gb Ram with a single 1 Gig Nic The drives are broken down as follows: C: 20 GB 2.17 GB Free 10% E: - (Shared) 525 GB 485GB Used 39.26 GB Free 7% F: - (Userdata) 1260 GB 1.22TB used 360 MB Free 0% G: - (DepartmentData) 1625 GB 1.15TB used 444.79 GB Free 27% Print Server with about 120 Printers My thoughts were: 1) Provision 1 vm for print services - 1 CPU 1 gig RAM, 20 Gig C: drive and move the printers to that. 2) Provision 1 new VM for Userdata - 1 CPU 2 gig RAM, 20 gig C: drive for OS, 1.5 TB Userdata (approx 20% growth) and migrate the data to that 3) Leave the Shared and Userdata on the existing box and add 60 gig to the Shared drive for growth. Alternatively, I had thought about creating a CIFS Share for these with the EMC Celerra and doing away with the Windows VMs altogether, but the lead Storage/SAN guy here said he didn't want to go that route. Any comments appreciated! Thanks Don K ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin -- MIRA Ltd Watling Street, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 0TU, England Registered in England and Wales No. 402570 VAT Registration GB 100 1464 84 The contents of this e-mail are confidential and are solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you receive this e-mail in error, please delete it and notify us either by e-mail, telephone or fax. You should not copy, forward or otherwise disclose the content of the e-mail as this is prohibited. ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
