HP and Mimosa Systems A system for archiving, recovery, and storage optimization white paper

Transcription

1 HP and Mimosa Systems A system for archiving, recovery, and storage optimization white paper Mimosa NearPoint for Microsoft Exchange Server and HP StorageWorks 1510i Modular Smart Array Executive summary... 2 Intended audience... 2 Prerequisites... 2 Additional assistance... 2 Mimosa NearPoint overview... 2 Mimosa NearPoint basic requirements... 3 HP StorageWorks 1510i Modular Smart Array... 5 Storage subsystem tuning... 5 Tuning the shadow repository... 6 Tuning the VSS Diff area... 6 Tuning the item repository... 6 Tuning the SQL database... 6 Tuning the SQL logs... 7 For more information... 8 HP... 8 Mimosa Systems Inc.... 8

2 Executive summary This white paper introduces the Mimosa Systems NearPoint for Microsoft Exchange Server unified data management solution and details the storage sizing and storage configuration with the HP StorageWorks 1510i Modular Smart Array (MSA1510i) iscsi storage arrays. Detailed HP configuration information based on test results in the Mimosa lab is provided to assist with the proper storage configuration and installation with Mimosa NearPoint. Mimosa Systems is a member of the HP Information Lifecycle Management Partner Management Program. All testing and configuration information has been supplied by Mimosa Systems. Intended audience The intended audience for this white paper is system administrators whose primary responsibilities involve installing, configuring, and administrating software in a client-server environment. Readers must have a sound understanding of the working of the Exchange Server and storage products. Readers must be familiar with SCSI, RAID, and Fibre Channel technology. Readers who administer the Exchange Server and are involved in taking regular backups of the Exchange Server may also find this white paper useful. Prerequisites This white paper assumes that the reader has experience in the design, installation, and management of Windows -based products including Windows Server, Active Directory, and Exchange Server and has experience with the deployment of Windows-based storage such as direct attached storage (DAS), network attached storage (NAS), or storage area networks (SAN Fibre Channel or iscsi). The reader has knowledge of basic storage concepts such as RAID, mirroring, and disk volume management. Additional assistance Mimosa has many resources and documents available to assist you in your deployment. For additional resources, visit Mimosa NearPoint overview Mimosa NearPoint for Microsoft Exchange Server is a unified data management solution for Microsoft Exchange that combines archival, ediscovery, immediate recovery, and mailbox extension in a single solution. NearPoint delivers in a single integrated solution features that are typically found in multiple products (Figure 1). Some of the NearPoint benefits include: Full data capture for archiving without the need for journaling or MAPI Comprehensive archiving captures full context along with message data NearPoint Deployment Advantage Installation can be done in hours Vastly improved recovery time: minutes, not hours or days Elimination of backup window by way of exclusive One Pass Protection Increased end-user productivity with intuitive, self-service search and retrieval Optimization of storage by migration of attachments; eliminating need for PSTs Instant access to archived data for internal or external audit Enforcement of retention and disposition policies for regulatory or compliance purposes Re-creation of information states at points in time, for legal investigation 2

3 The Mimosa NearPoint software solution is based on standard Microsoft technologies, and runs on a suitably configured Intel server. It is an application-intelligent solution providing deep integration with Exchange and Outlook. NearPoint is disk-based and leverages cost-effective archive storage such as the HP MSA1510i to provide near real-time data protection and access to archived data from multiple Exchange Servers. Deployment is effortless as there is zero foot print on the Exchange Servers or desktops. Administrators perform immediate restores and configure policies using the standard Microsoft Management Console. Mimosa provides users and auditors instant search and access to that has been protected, archived, and extended by a standard Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Web Access user interface. Figure 1. NearPoint for Microsoft Exchange Server architecture Mimosa NearPoint basic requirements The Mimosa NearPoint Server integrates within an MS Exchange Server environment and runs on a dedicated server (Figure 2). NearPoint supports Exchange 2000 SP3, Exchange 2003 SP1 and SP2, and Exchange 5.5. The host OS for your Exchange Servers must be supported by Exchange and should be fully patched to the latest OS patch release. The minimum system requirements for hosting Exchange should be inline with Microsoft guidelines. Microsoft SQL Server is a required component of Mimosa NearPoint and can be hosted on the same server as NearPoint, or optionally hosted on its own dedicated server. The Exchange Servers and the Mimosa server must be members of the same Active Directory forest. However, they may be in a different domain. DNS should be configured so that all systems can ping and be pinged by Windows short and fully qualified domain name. For desktop client connectivity, NearPoint relies on the same network that Outlook client uses, which can be LAN, HTTP, or HTTPS. NearPoint integrates with both Outlook client and Outlook Web Access. 3

4 Figure 2. NearPoint basic system configuration with MSA Series Array 4

5 HP StorageWorks 1510i Modular Smart Array The HP StorageWorks 1510i Modular Smart Array (MSA1510i) is an iscsi interface based 2U controller unit that connects to both HP StorageWorks Serial ATA (SATA) and/or SCSI disk enclosures and provides a flexible low cost, high-capacity storage solution. The MSA1510i has been specifically designed as a foundation for future solutions to ensure maximum investment protection. For businesses that need enterprise class SCSI reliability and performance, the MSA1510i can attach up to four HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array 30 (MSA30) SCSI enclosures for a native capacity of 16.8 TB (using GB SCSI disks). The MSA1510i is also perfect for less expensive archive storage solutions using SATA enclosures to store long-term archive data (such as ) that does not require a high degree of I/O performance and needs cost-effective long-term storage. The MSA1510i supports up to eight attached SATA enclosures that can provide up to 48 TB (using GB SATA disk drives) of native capacity. Being able to mix and match SCSI and SATA disk drives protects the investment and lowers the cost of ownership. By using existing SCSI drive enclosures, and integrating low cost SATA hard drives and enclosures, the MSA1510i lowers the total cost of ownership and protects the customer s hardware investments. Simplicity without compromise: The MSA1510i employs iscsi, an emerging technology offering the advantages of a SAN coupled with a low cost Ethernet infrastructure, ease of configuration, and management of a standard IP networks. iscsi interface: The iscsi interface on the MSA1510i enables storage consolidation in an IP SAN network, bringing the advantages of easier data management, better storage utilization, flexible capacity scaling, and lowered infrastructure costs to a wider selection of customers. Low cost, higher capacity with SATA drives: For less than $.01 per/mb customers can expand up to 48 TB of capacity (eight SATA units) using GB SATA disk drives. RAID 6 with Advanced Data Guarding (ADG): Highest level of fault tolerance with RAID 6 with ADG. Automatically allocates two sets of parity information across multiple drives while allowing simultaneous write operations. This level of fault tolerance can withstand two simultaneous drive failures without downtime or data loss. Hot-plug expansion and replacement support: Hot-plug expansion and replacement of hard drives, redundant controllers, for simple, fast installation and maintenance. Fans and power supplies are also hot-plug replaceable. Integrated configuration and management tools: Uses HP Storage Management Utility, a web browser based management and utility software. These tools consistently lower the cost of ownership by reducing training and technical expertise needed to install and maintain the MSA1510i. Shared storage: Enables shared storage at markedly reduced infrastructure costs. Can reflect savings of 20 to 50% of the total SAN solution cost, particularly with a small configuration. This also provides a lower overall cost allowing the larger, more sophisticated customer to extend SANs into smaller departments and remote locations. Storage subsystem tuning The NearPoint storage volumes each have requirements for performance and reliability based on the amount and type of data they contain. This section describes how to tune each storage volume type for optimal performance. Proper tuning will optimize reliability and performance. 5

6 Figure 3. Mimosa NearPoint basic subsystem tuning NearPoint Server SQ L Server (optional) Shadow Volume RAID VSS Diff Volume RAID 0 Message Item RA ID 1 +0 SQ L Log Volume RA ID 1 +0 SQ L Database Volume RA ID 5 Tuning the shadow repository This repository is the target of full copy and log ship operations; it is the host of log apply operations and is the source of Smart Extract information. Of these operations, the one that most impacts the volume is full copy. Hence, it is recommended that this repository be optimized for a combination of reliability (primary, since the data protection aspect would be compromised otherwise) and for sequential write performance (secondary). The default recommendation is RAID 1+0, if accommodated by the storage subsystem; otherwise select the configuration that offers highest reliability. Tuning the VSS Diff area This repository hosts ephemeral copies of older EDBs, STMs, and Logs. It is imperative for this repository to support high I/O rates, particularly in heavily loaded systems. It is recommended that this repository be optimized for read/write performance. The default recommendation is RAID 5. Tuning the item repository This repository is the target of the Smart Extract process, the host of Indexing, and the source of Queries. Reliability is the highest priority since the archive could be the only copy of historical data in some cases. Hence, it is recommended that this repository be optimized primarily for reliability, followed by performance. The default recommendation is RAID 1+0, if accommodated by the storage subsystem; otherwise select the configuration that offers highest reliability. Tuning the SQL database Per Microsoft best practices, the SQL Server Database must be stored on RAID 5. However RAID 1+0 will work well, albeit at a slightly higher cost. 6

7 Tuning the SQL logs Per Microsoft best practices, it is recommended that the SQL Server logs be stored on a RAID 1+0 volume. RAID-1 is possible, but less desirable, since the workload is dominated by writes and mirrors are not optimal for write performance. For best performance, SQL Server logs should be on a separate spindle from the SQL DB. Table 1. Summary of subsystem tuning Shadow repository RAID 1+0 VSS Diff area RAID 1 Item repository RAID 1+0 SQL database RAID 5 SQL logs RAID 1+0 7

8 For more information HP For more information on the HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array series as well as other storage products, visit: Mimosa Systems Inc. For more information on NearPoint, visit the Mimosa website at Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. 4AA0-5467ENW, April 2006