, Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

Transcription

1 EMC Solutions for Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 EMC NAS Product Validation Corporate Headquarters Hopkinton, MA

2 Copyright 2008 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Published November, 2008 EMC believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to change without notice. THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS PROVIDED AS IS. EMC CORPORATION MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Use, copying, and distribution of any EMC software described in this publication requires an applicable software license. For the most up-to-date listing of EMC product names, see EMC Corporation Trademarks on EMC.com. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 P/N H Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

3 Contents Chapter 1 Solution Overview... 5 Executive summary... 6 Introduction... 6 Audience...6 Business benefits... 7 Technology challenges... 8 System configuration... 8 Storage architecture...9 Network architecture...10 Application architecture...11 High availability and failover...12 Conclusion Related documents Chapter 2 Backup and Protect Backup architecture Protect architecture Chapter 3 Hardware and Software Hardware resources Software resources Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 3

4 Contents 4 Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

5 Chapter 1 Solution Overview This chapter presents these topics: Executive summary... 6 Introduction... 6 Business benefits... 7 Technology challenges... 8 System configuration... 8 Conclusion Related documents Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 5

6 Solution Overview Executive summary EMC Celerra NX4 provides the flexibility to meet a wide range of connectivity requirements and affordable enterprise-class data management and storage capabilities. The NX4 allows businesses to consolidate Microsoft Exchange application storage, Microsoft SQL database storage, and general purpose file servers on to a single, unified storage platform. This consolidated storage methodology delivers network-attached storage (NAS) for file sharing and iscsi or Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN) connectivity. Even with the vast differences that can exist between two deployments, there are common elements that apply to most environments. Regardless of the platform, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, and the file sharing applications must have optimal performance and need a place to store information, a method to create backups of critical data, and a plan for disaster recovery. This reference architecture (RA) provides proven solutions for use cases that enhance the performance, reliability, and resiliency of the IT environment while allowing system consolidation and enhancing manageability. Introduction Audience Every application deployment has environment-specific performance and reliability requirements. The accessibility and dependability of applications are impacted by storage configuration decisions. However, storage configuration is not the sole parameter. For example, in a Microsoft SQL Server environment the design of the data in the database, the structure of the relationships between that data, and the user applications that access the data play a larger role in determining overall system performance. The solution presented in this RA will be broadly applicable across a wide variety of workloads. However, before deploying any solution EMC recommends testing the configurations to ensure that performance, backup, and disaster recovery expectations are met. The information as to which solutions are best for a specific environment and workload is beyond the scope of this document. This document is intended for EMC personnel, EMC partners, and customers. 6 Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

7 Solution Overview Business benefits With limited resources and increasing demands, today's Midsize enterprises must address the following challenges: Consolidate multiple applications scattered throughout the enterprise Ensure information access, availability, and continuity Maximize server and storage utilization, and deliver optimal system performance Manage upgrades and migrations Reduce the demands on limited IT resources and budgets Reduce the complexity of technology choices In addition, these enterprises must manage IT costs and reduce the risk of business disruption. This solution addresses each of these challenges using tested and proven solutions validated by EMC Engineering in the NAS Product Validation Lab in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Table 1 provides the details about the benefits of the Solution. Table 1 Solution advantages Benefits Maintain service levels Reduce costs Reduce risk Accelerate implementations Details This solution keeps critical and revenue-generating Microsoft applications available and running at peak performance. The redundancy built in to this solution ensures that there is minimal interruption in the event of a disaster. This solution reduces the cost of deploying and managing a Microsoft application environment by: Providing sizing and implementation guidelines to enable rapid deployment Providing best practices realized from real-world deployments Optionally leveraging virtualization to increase resource utilization This solution reduces the risk of deploying and managing a Microsoft application environment by: Providing a reference architecture that includes proven configurations that improve performance and scalability Providing detailed step-by-step instructions for configuring a production database environment EMC Professional Services and ASN-certified EMC partners provide a rapid assessment and efficient implementation. Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 7

8 Solution Overview Technology challenges There are many factors to consider when deploying solutions into an existing environment, or planning a new application deployment. EMC Proven Solutions allow you to start from a known reference configuration, and then customize it for your needs by examining the similarities and differences between different methods of accomplishing common tasks in a database environment. This includes options for: Optimum performance Data backup and recovery Data replication and protection System configuration Figure 1 outlines the configuration of the solution as tested. Figure 1 System overview 8 Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

9 Solution Overview Storage architecture Figure 2 outlines how storage is provisioned in one possible configuration of the validated solution. Figure 2 Storage layout File system area shares and exports iscsi area database and log files The validated solution uses a combination of SAS and SATA disks to satisfy the vastly different I/O performance, space, backup, and protection requirements. The storage can be used through the NFS, CIFS, and iscsi protocols. The NFS and CIFS protocols are used to provide storage for network shares and exports. The iscsi protocol is used to provide data storage to both the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 environments. The underlying architecture of each storage area will be based on the anticipated workload that will be applied to that area. The validated solution includes storage for file sharing. This location can be accessed over CIFS, NFS, FTP or HTTP. This storage can be used for user home directories, file repositories or as a backup destination. All Celerra features such as quotas, snapshots, and replication can be used to manage and protect the file sharing environment. The file system resides on a RAID 5 set (five disks). The file system is created using Celerra s clarata_archive Automatic Volume Management (AVM) profile. To accommodate a range of potential implementations, and to allow several array-based functions, the validated solution specifies that the Exchange and SQL environments should reside Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 9

10 Solution Overview on NX4 iscsi storage. This area must be sized according to the needs of your specific application. The validated solution may also include a failover cluster. If this is implemented using a diskbased quorum, the quorum drive should reside on iscsi storage. Network architecture System-wide network design and architecture are outside the scope of this document and solution. This section presents recommendations for proper functionality that are consistent with industry accepted best practices and should be compatible with existing network infrastructure and policies. Switches In any highly available solution there should be multiple network paths between each component in the system so that no single failure can disrupt communication. The solution architecture diagram (refer to Figure 1 on page 8) defines a set of logical networks that are recommended for the solution. The networks do not provide failover protection. Therefore, the networks should be designed so that they are highly available on their own. The validated solution uses Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switches. Virtual local area networks When creating highly available networks, the requirement to have multiple switches on multiple networks can quickly become costly. Virtual local area networks (VLANs) allow each physical network switch to maintain multiple virtual networks which are logically isolated from each other. This solution was validated using VLANs within a highly available network and can be implemented with logical separation using them, or with physical separation using distinct physical switches. EMC Celerra NX4 The EMC Celerra NX4 contains two Data Movers. The Data Movers can operate independently. They can also operate in the active/passive mode, with the passive Data Mover serving as a failover device for the active Data Mover. In this solution, the Data Movers operate in active/passive mode. The NX4 Data Mover has four network ports. Figure 3 shows the ports on the rear of an NX4 Data Mover. Figure 3 EMC Celerra NX4Data Mover ports 10 Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

11 Solution Overview Application architecture Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 architecture Microsoft SQL Server 2005 architecture Ports cge0 and cge1 handle the storage traffic. Port cge2 handles the file sharing traffic and cge3 is left open for future requirements. The Data Mover supports several types of link aggregation for IP traffic. However, in this configuration, no link aggregations or Ethernet channels were configured, because Celerra also supports iscsi Multiple Connections per Session (MC/S), which is recommended by Microsoft. Note: As a best practice, the Data Mover network ports connected to the storage network should be dedicated to storage traffic. However, if the ports are not heavily used, they can be shared with non-storage network traffic. EMC recommends monitoring the network to avoid bottlenecks. The Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 binary files are installed on the application servers. Database files and database log files reside on the EMC Celerra NX4 Exchange iscsi area. The Exchange server contains two databases and two storage groups (based on the guideline of one database file per storage group). Each database file reside on separate iscsi LUNs. The file system is striped across two RAID 1 (R1) sets (four disks). The database log files reside on their own iscsi LUN. The file system resides on a single RAID 1 set (two disks), as shown in Figure 2 on page 9. The Microsoft SQL Server 2005 binary files are installed on the application servers. Database files, database log files, tempdb files, and other system database files reside on the EMC Celerra NX4 SQL iscsi area. The SQL server is divided in to four database files (based on the guideline of one database file per processor). Each database file resides on a separate iscsi LUN. The file system is striped across two RAID 1 sets (four disks). The database log files reside on their own iscsi LUN. The file system resides on a single RAID 1 set (two disks), as shown in Figure 2 on page 9. For the validated solution the system temporary database (tempdb) resides on a single iscsi LUN on the same spindles as the user database. The test workload that is used for the validated solution has a minimal impact on tempdb. It is a best practice to evaluate tempdb as a completely separate database and size it according to its measured workload. Table 2 Application file or activity types and locations File or activity type Exchange Database log files Exchange Database files Exchange binaries Location RAID level Celerra Storage Pool NX4 RAID 1 Exchange Logs two NX4 RAID 1 Exchange Database four Local N/A N/A N/A Total number of physical disks Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 11

12 Solution Overview High availability and failover Storage layer Connectivity layer Host layer File or activity Location RAID Celerra Storage Total type level Pool number of physical disks SQL Database log files SQL Database files SQL tempdb files NX4 RAID 1 SQL Logs two NX4 RAID 1 SQL Database four NX4 RAID 1 SQL Database Shared with database SQL binaries Local N/A N/A N/A File Sharing NX4 RAID 5 clarata_archive ten The validated solution provides protection at the storage layer, the connectivity layer, and the host layer. The Celerra can have multiple Data Movers to provide high availability and load balancing. In this solution, primary and standby Data Movers provide seamless failover capabilities for the Celerra storage. This minimizes the end-user disruption during routine Celerra maintenance such as upgrading the DART OS. The RAID disk configuration on the Celerra back-end provides protection against hard disk failures. Using the Microsoft iscsi Initiator software, the Celerra platform supports Multiple Connections per Session (MC/S). This provides high availability, failover, and load balancing. The MC/S supports multiple TCP/IP connections from the initiator to the target within the same iscsi session. If a connection fails, another connection can continue processing I/O without interrupting the application. In the validated solution, MC/S also provides round-robin load-balancing capabilities. Note: There are other multi-path technologies available with the Microsoft iscsi Initiator Software. However, as a best practice Microsoft recommends using Multiple Connections per Session if it is supported by both the initiator and target. The solution configuration also includes separate network interface cards (NICs) at the source of each I/O path, a separate network infrastructure (cables, switches, routers, and so on), and separate target ports. The application hosts have redundant power supplies and network connections to reduce the impact of host hardware failure. In the validated solution, the application host is clustered using Microsoft Cluster Services, providing further redundancy. Conclusion This document attempts to provide a framework for implementing an IT environment that includes Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, and file sharing. This 12 Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

13 Solution Overview proven architecture addresses the inherent complexity of many environments, while retaining the ease-of-use that characterizes the EMC Celerra platform. Related documents The following documents, located on Powerlink.com, provide additional, relevant information. Access to these documents is based on your login credentials. If you do not have access to the content listed below, contact your EMC representative: EMC Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 EMC Celerra NS Series - Applied Best Practices Guide EMC Solutions for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 EMC Celerra NS Series - Applied Best Practices Guide EMC Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 EMC Celerra NS Series iscsi - Reference Architecture EMC Solutions for Microsoft Exchange 2007 EMC Celerra NS20 over iscsi - Reference Architecture Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 13

14 Solution Overview 14 Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

15 Chapter 2 Backup and Protect This chapter presents these topics: Backup architecture Protect architecture Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 15

16 Backup and Protect Backup architecture Protect architecture The backup module of this solution uses Celerra snapshots to maintain point-in-time views of the application (Exchange and SQL) and file sharing data. The validated backup configuration is shown in Figure 1. EMC Replication Manager is required to create application consistent snapshots of the Exchange and SQL environments. EMC Replication Manager agents are able to quiesce the application to guarantee consistency. EMC Replication Manager also provides administrators with a single interface for creating and managing SQL and Exchange snapshots and clones. Note: The EMC Replication Manager server is not shown in Figure 1 on page 8. Snapshots for the file sharing areas are created directly through Celerra Manager. The Celerra Manager allows for scheduling snapshot creation, snapshot refresh, and snapshot restore. Celerra file system snapshots when combined with Microsoft Shadow Copy for Shared Folders can provide end users with the ability to restore overwritten or deleted files. Note: Standard backup procedures for Exchange and SQL can be used in this solution. For more details on other backup options please refer to EMC Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 EMC Celerra NS Series iscsi - and EMC Solutions for Microsoft Exchange 2007 EMC Celerra NS20 over iscsi -. The protect module of this solution uses Celerra Replicator to maintain point-in-time replicas of the application (Exchange and SQL) and file sharing data. The validated protect configuration is shown in Figure 1. EMC Replication Manager is required to create application consistent replicas of the Exchange and SQL environments. EMC Replication Manager agents are able to quiesce the application to guarantee consistency. EMC Replication Manager also provides administrators with a single interface for creating and managing SQL and Exchange local and remote replicas. Note: The EMC Replication Manager server is not shown in Figure 1 on page 8. Replication sessions for the file sharing areas are created directly through Celerra Manager. The Celerra Manager allows for replication session creation, replication session monitoring, and replication session failover and failback. Celerra replication for file systems is SLA driven and will periodically update replicas based on a user-specified recovery point objective (RPO). Note: Standard protect procedures for Exchange and SQL can be used in this solution. For more details on other protect options please refer to EMC Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 EMC Celerra NS Series iscsi - and EMC Solutions for Microsoft Exchange 2007 EMC Celerra NS20 over iscsi Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

17 Chapter 3 Hardware and Software This chapter presents these topics: Hardware resources Software resources Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 17

18 Hardware and Software Hardware resources The solution uses the hardware resources listed in Table 3. Table 3 Hardware specifications Hardware Quantity Configuration Notes Store 2U server 1 Two 2.33-GHz Xeon dualcore processors 16 GB of DDR2 memory Two on-board 10/100/1000 MB Ethernet NICs Two additional 10/100/1000 MB Ethernet NICs One Exchange 2007 Mailbox Servers 4U server 1 Four 2.8-GHz AMD Opteron dual-core processors 32 GB of DDR2 memory Two on-board 10/100/1000 MB Ethernet NICs Two additional 10/100/1000 MB Ethernet NICs 1U server 2 Two 3.0-GHz Intel Xeon processors 4 GB of memory Two on-board 10/100/1000 MB Ethernet NICs Dell 5324 switch 3 Copper GbE ports N/A One SQL 2005 Database Server One Active Directory/ Global Catalog Server One Exchange 2007 HUB/CAS Server EMC Celerra NX4 1 Two Data Movers Four GbE network connections Two FC shelves Backup (in addition to hardware listed above) GB (15k) SAS disks 1U server 1 Two 3.0-GHz Intel Xeon processors 4 GB of memory Protect (in addition to hardware listed above) Two on-board 10/100/1000 MB Ethernet NICs EMC Celerra NX4 1 Two Data Movers Four GbE network connections Two FC shelves GB (15k) SAS disks DART OS Rev EMC Replication Manager DART OS Rev Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4

19 Hardware and Software Software resources The solution uses the software resources listed in Table 4. Table 4 Software specifications Software Store Number of licenses Configuration Windows 2003 Server 2 Exchange Server, SQL Server Enterprise Edition, 64-bit R2 SP2 Hotfixes KB891957, KB898790, KB Microsoft Exchange Server 1 N/A 2007, 64-bit Microsoft SQL Server 2005, 1 N/A 64-bit SP2 Microsoft iscsi Initiator Exchange Server, SQL Server Backup and Protect (in addition to software listed under Store) EMC Replication Manager Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4 19

20 Hardware and Software 20 Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server , Database, and File Sharing on EMC Celerra NX4