Pick the proper hardware for your Exchange 2000 server

By Brien M Posey, TechRepublic, 18 April, 2002 10:58

Hard disk One of the trickiest things to plan within an Exchange environment is the hard disk. The hard disk configuration is absolutely essential to the way Exchange performs. If you're on a tight budget and you only have a handful of users, there's absolutely no reason you can't use a server that contains a single partition on an IDE hard drive. Generally, though, this is a configuration you'll want to avoid. The real trick to planning a hard disk configuration is to think about what the Exchange server will use the hard disk for. First, you have the Exchange database files that are used for the users' mailboxes and for the public folders. Next, you have the Exchange log files that are used as a temporary storage location for database transactions. These log files are also used in disaster recovery situations. Finally, you also have to think about the Windows 2000 page file. For an optimal configuration, I recommend keeping all three of these file types separate. For example, you should place the page file on one physical hard disk, the Exchange log files on another, and the Exchange databases on a third physical hard disk. Notice that I said physical hard disk instead of partition. As long as you're using SCSI, Windows can access each hard disk simultaneously, which means that the server can make a database entry, update a log file, and update the page file at the same time. If all of these items existed on the same physical hard disk, the operating system would have to complete one disk operation before it could start the next one. I realise that on lower-end servers, three SCSI hard drives may be beyond your budget. As I mentioned, the primary reason for keeping the files separate is performance. Exchange does use the log files for disaster recovery, though, and even if you only have a single hard disk, it's a good idea to keep the log files on a different partition from the database files. The idea is that if the partition containing the Exchange databases were to fail, you would still be able to access the log files and bring the server back up. Of course, that trick will only work if the failure is at the partition level. If the entire drive were to fail, you'd lose the databases and the log files, even if they were in separate partitions. That gives you an idea of what to do if you're using a low-end server, but what if you want to use a high-end server? In such a situation, I recommend using a separate physical hard drive for the page file, a RAID array for the log files, and another RAID array for the Exchange databases. Doing so will provide the fastest possible access to the log files and databases. If you've chosen to use a fault tolerant RAID array, you've also protected your data while boosting performance. Network connection You really can't do a lot with the network connection beyond the obvious. However, if you have multiple Exchange servers in close proximity, you can install a second network card in each server and create a dedicated backbone between the Exchange servers. By doing so, you can take the Exchange-related replication traffic off of the main network and confine it to a dedicated network. This will ease the traffic on your network, and the replication process will also be faster because replication traffic won't be delayed by user traffic. Conclusion Although it's a resource hog, Exchange 2000 can be implemented to suit your needs. Whether you're using low-end or high-end servers, you can create an Exchange server that will service your company's requirements. Just remember that faster memory is better than faster processors, SCSI is better than IDE, separating file types on different drives is better than all-in-one, and fault tolerant RAID is your friend. Editorial disclaimer: The authors and editors have taken care in preparation of the content contained herein but make no expressed or implied warranty of any kind and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for any damages. Always have a verified backup before making any changes.

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