Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 deployment scenarios for midsize businesses

Transcription

1 Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 deployment scenarios for midsize businesses Executive summary... 2 Sample deployment scenarios... 2 Introduction... 3 Target audience... 3 Prerequisites... 3 Customer profile... 3 Why Microsoft Exchange Server 2007?...4 HP sizing recommendations... 4 Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 roles... 4 Deployment scenarios... 5 HP ProLiant server based solutions... 5 HP BladeSystem based scenarios... 6 Assumptions... 8 User profiles... 8 HP sizing tools... 9 For more information About HP and Microsoft HP Authorized Resellers... 11

2 Executive summary This document provides sample deployment scenarios for running Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 in several sizes of midsize businesses with up to 1,000 users both on HP ProLiant servers and HP BladeSystem based solutions. Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 has substantial advantages over previous versions of Microsoft Exchange Server and other messaging platforms, including ease of deployment and automation, improved storage utilization and data protection, well-defined server roles, integration with Active Directory (directory services) and enhanced security, richer messaging features for both the Microsoft Office Outlook client and Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access, integration with other collaborative applications such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and Live Communication Server, and future growth and expansion capabilities. Sample deployment scenarios While it is difficult or even impossible to create a single solution that works for every environment, the following sample scenarios highlight some common customer needs and the solution elements that address those issues. They are categorized by number of users and size of mailboxes in four scenarios. HP ProLiant server based solutions: Scenario 1 up to 250 users and 500 MB mailbox size Scenario 2 up to 1,000 users and 500 MB mailbox size HP BladeSystem based solutions: Scenario 3 up to 500 users and 500 MB mailbox size Scenario 4 up to 1,000 users and 500 MB mailbox size Your HP/Microsoft Frontline Partner can work with you to perform an assessment of your environment, address your specific business needs, and design an outstanding solution. 2

3 Introduction Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 provides many new enhancements and features that can improve an organization s messaging environment. Enhancements in administration, performance, and availability can help companies reduce costs and leverage hardware more efficiently. Target audience The audience for this document includes: Decision-makers who plan the components and deployments for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, including the design, installation, and management of storage Prerequisites This document assumes that the reader: Is somewhat familiar with Microsoft Exchange Server deployment and administration concepts Has some experience with Microsoft Exchange Server database storage Has some experience with Microsoft Windows storage configuration and management HP provides additional documentation that may assist with the above concepts, available for download at Customer profile This information is targeted for the benefit of HP customers who are deploying Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 (either through new installation or upgrade) in the range of 50 to 1,000 mailboxes or end users. Another HP document will address more fully these high-priority customer needs: Business continuity, including Site-level disaster recovery and protecting against data loss and recover from failures at the system or site level Backup and restore using traditional tape media (including the new HP tape blade), disk-to-disk (D2D), and the HP D2D appliance; may also include Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS), especially for rapid single-item ( brick level ) types of recovery Security protecting operations against malicious attacks that result in downtime or loss of confidential data Efficiency deploying, managing, and improving operations so that system administrators are able to add the most value to the business 3

4 Why Microsoft Exchange Server 2007? Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 has substantial advantages over previous versions of Microsoft Exchange Server and other messaging platforms. The highlighted topics listed below are of prime interest to midsize businesses: Ease of deployment and automation Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 is built upon Microsoft Windows Server PowerShell, which provides complete automation and management via commandline scripting. Improved storage utilization and data protection Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 improves on VSS, introduces new protection through database transportability, and provides replication through local continuous replication (LCR) and cluster continuous replication (CCR). Well-defined server roles Mailbox server, Client Access Server, Edge, Hub Transport, and Unified Messaging roles provide focused features and assist with scalability and security. HP products suitable for each server role are listed in this document. Integration with Active Directory (directory services) and enhanced security through the use of Microsoft Windows features such as Group Policy, security administration templates, and virus protection features. Richer messaging features for both Microsoft Office Outlook client (including cached mode and Microsoft Outlook Anywhere, providing RPC/HTTP tunneling without the need for a VPN) and Microsoft Outlook Web Access for browser-based client access. Integration with other collaborative applications such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and Live Communication Server. Future growth and expansion capabilities Microsoft Exchange Server is a well-known messaging platform with substantial resources dedicated to its future growth and support. Successful small to medium businesses will be able to grow their messaging systems and leverage the extensive knowledge of HP enterprise deployments. HP sizing recommendations The following recommendations are based on best practices, HP testing, current knowledge, and performance assumptions through discussions with Microsoft and internal resources. These are examples; many additional server/storage options would also meet the requirements. Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 roles Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 server deployments are comprised of several different roles. The following server roles can exist in a Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 deployment: Mailbox server Client Access Server (CAS) Hub Transport (Hub) Edge Transport (Edge) Unified Messaging (UM) Sizing and performance considerations will factor into the planning and deployment of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 server roles. These roles can coexist on a single server or be installed onto dedicated servers. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule: The Edge server role must be installed onto a dedicated server. If the mailbox server role is installed into a cluster for cluster continuous replication (CCR) or a single copy cluster (SCC), it cannot be collocated with any other server roles. 4

5 When installing Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 server roles, the CAS role is the first server role to be installed, followed by the Hub server role, and finally the Mailbox server role. The Edge and UM server roles can be installed at any time after the CAS, Hub, and Mailbox server roles. Deployment scenarios The following scenarios illustrate Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 deployed on HP solutions: HP ProLiant server based solutions Scenario 1 up to 250 users and 500 MB mailbox size For deployments of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 with up to 250 users, a single HP ProLiant server can provide the key server roles: Mailbox, Hub, and CAS. Depending on the disks and storage array selected, a typical mailbox size of 500 MB can be deployed. Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 provides a rich messaging environment, including support for mobile users via Microsoft Outlook Anywhere and Microsoft Outlook ActiveSync. HP Smart Array technology provides high-performance protected storage that can be expanded to meet growing mailbox storage needs. Data in personal storage files (PSTs) can be moved to serverbased storage, and this Microsoft Exchange Server data can be backed up online. By adding an additional storage array, the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 solution can be enhanced to provide business continuity through local continuous replication (LCR). Figure 1. Sample base configuration for scenario 1 up to 250 users and 500 MB mailbox size HP ProLiant DL365 Server Scenario 2 up to 1,000 users and 500 MB mailbox size For deployments of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 with up to 1,000 users, a single ProLiant server can provide the key server roles: Mailbox, Hub, and CAS. Depending on the disks and storage array selected, a typical mailbox size of 500 MB can be deployed. This Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 solution uses the ProLiant DL320s Server. This server provides ample storage capacity and high performance. The solution can mix HP SAS drives for the Microsoft Exchange Server databases and SATA drives for less demanding storage with large capacity requirements, such as backups. Microsoft Exchange Server provides a rich messaging environment, including support for mobile users via Microsoft Outlook Anywhere and Microsoft Outlook ActiveSync. HP Smart Array technology provides high-performance protected storage that can be expanded to meet growing mailbox storage needs. Data in personal storage files (PSTs) can be moved to serverbased storage, and this Microsoft Exchange Server data can be backed up online. 5

6 Figure 2. Sample base configuration for scenario 2 up to 1,000 users and 500 MB mailbox size HP ProLiant DL320s Server HP BladeSystem based scenarios The following scenarios take advantage of the HP BladeSystem, including the new c3000 enclosure. The customer gets a flexible and expandable solution, with the many advantages of HP BladeSystem but without the power requirements of the c7000 enclosure. It is easier to deploy and manage Microsoft Exchange Server and the total cost of ownership is lower as well, due to the HP BladeSystem s lower initial cost than tower or rack-mount servers, as well as savings on cabling, simplified deployment, and easier management through Microsoft Windows Server PowerShell and HP Remote Deployment Pack (RDP) tools. In addition, all IT solution components can be supported within a single enclosure: servers, storage, backup, networking, and so on. Scenario 3 up to 500 users and 500 MB mailbox size This Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 solution uses the HP BladeSystem and the c3000 enclosure. The HP BladeSystem provides a single solution to consolidate and simplify the entire Microsoft server and storage infrastructure. This configuration is designed for deployments of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 with up to 500 users and a typical mailbox size of 500 MB. By deploying an additional blade server in the role of the Microsoft Exchange Server Edge server, this solution uses Microsoft Forefront to provide much-needed anti-virus and anti-spam capabilities, with the additional security of isolating incoming connections from the internal network and directory services. 6

7 Figure 3. Sample base configuration for scenario 3 up to 500 users and 500 MB mailbox size This configuration uses the HP StorageWorks All-in-One SB600c Storage Blade to provide an integrated storage solution with an application-centric approach that hides the complexities associated with storage provisioning. In general, HP StorageWorks All-in-One (AiO) system benefits include the following: Continuity HP StorageWorks AiO storage servers can be used for either primary or secondary Microsoft Exchange Server storage with both NAS and iscsi connectivity. Integrated backup with Data Protector Express and VSS snapshot tools, as well as support for replication, keep data protected. Security HP StorageWorks AiO runs Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 R2, which natively integrates with Active Directory security and supports Microsoft Windows-qualified third-party security tools such as xyz (TBS). iscsi capabilities allow a more in-depth security model for sending data across Ethernet infrastructures. HP StorageWorks AiO and Application Storage Manager (ASM) assist with securing shared folders (see Efficiency HP StorageWorks All-in-One Storage Manager allows users to quickly set up storage and migrate data (for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Exchange Server applications) from servers. Designed for IT generalists, it improves efficiency by reducing complexity and providing a single pane of glass to manage the HP StorageWorks AiO environment. HP StorageWorks All-in- One Storage Manager is the primary interface for configuring storage on the HP StorageWorks AiO storage system and migrating existing applications. It provides an application-centric approach that hides the complexities associated with storage provisioning. Scenario 4 up to 1,000 users and 500 MB mailbox size This solution also uses the HP BladeSystem and the c3000 enclosure. The HP BladeSystem provides a single solution to consolidate and simplify the entire Microsoft server and storage infrastructure. It leverages a similar approach for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 roles as scenario 3, and also features additional HP BladeSystem servers to host other elements of a Microsoft infrastructure. 7

8 This configuration is designed for deployments of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 with up to 1,000 users and a typical mailbox size of 500 MB. It uses the HP StorageWorks 1200 All-in-One Storage System (AiO1200) for additional scalability and the benefits of the HP StorageWorks All-in-One solution (an application-centric approach that hides the complexities associated with storage provisioning). The additional disks in the HP StorageWorks AiO1200 can take advantage of the storage server s ability to use Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS) to protect data and reduce business disruptions. Figure 4. Sample base configuration for scenario 4 up to 1,000 users and 500 MB mailbox size A well-designed and -implemented backup and recovery strategy should be a top priority for Microsoft Exchange Server implementations. Various backup and restore strategies can be implemented, depending on the requirements of the environment. LCR is used here to copy the databases to another array, removing the single point of failure and potential data loss. Streaming backups should also be used. Assumptions The following sections detail the assumptions used for sizing the scenarios in this document. User profiles One of the questions that must be answered in sizing is: How much performance does the (average) user require? This average load is then multiplied by the total number of users to determine what size of system is needed. Or, conversely, the capabilities of the system are examined and the maximum number of users that can be supported is determined. However, sizing for averages can lead to poor performance during peak periods, so additional overhead is needed for these peak, 8

9 stressful periods. If a production Microsoft Exchange Server environment is in place, the perfmon object for disk transfers per second on the database disk can be divided by the number of mailboxes to measure the I/O per user at the current concurrency level. These scenarios assume up to 90% concurrency, which is the measure of active users on the system. In addition to the level of activity of users, another sizing consideration is the size of the mailboxes. Larger mailboxes affect not only storage capacity sizing, but also performance criteria, as Microsoft Exchange Server performance is affected by managing the larger mailboxes. Profile I/O per user Mailbox capacity RAM per user Light 0.11 IOPS 100 MB 1 MB Average 0.18 IOPS 250 MB 3.5 MB Heavy 0.32 IOPS 1024 MB 5 MB Very heavy 0.48 IOPS 2048 MB 5 MB HP sizing tools HP provides free software utilities, at to assist in determining the configuration of servers for Microsoft Exchange Server. As an example, Figure 5 shows the Web page for the HP Sizing and Configuration Tool for Microsoft Exchange Server Figure 5. HP Sizing and Configuration Tool for Microsoft Exchange Server

10 HP Storage Planning Calculator (SPC) Figure 6 shows the HP Storage Planning Calculator (SPC) for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and illustrates some of the fundamental sizing differences in Microsoft Exchange Server First, the mailbox size is assumed to be larger, as it is taking advantage of newer, larger disks (300 GB shown). Second, the maximum allowable store (MDB) size is set to 80 GB. This may be much more than some organizations deployed for previous versions of Microsoft Exchange Server, but it may be within the database restore service-level agreement (SLA) because we are configuring with local continuous replication, as the SPC shows. Third, notice that the number of storage groups has increased from the maximum of four in previous versions of Microsoft Exchange Server up to a maximum of 50 in the Enterprise Edition. In Figure 6, we have assigned one store (MDB) per storage group to meet the requirements of using local continuous replication (LCR). Next, notice that the deleted items retention (dumpster) period has increased to the default of 14 days, thus requiring additional storage. Unless otherwise noted, RAID 10 is used for databases, and logs and databases on separate spindles. Figure 6. Sizing Microsoft Exchange Server with the HP Storage Planning Calculator (SPC) HP StorageWorks Sizer For larger arrays and more complex SAN deployments, see 10

11 11 For more information About HP and Microsoft The HP and Microsoft partnership is one of the oldest of its kind in the industry, with over 20 years of combined marketplace leadership. The HP/Microsoft Frontline Partnership provides the adaptability, credibility, and stability today s computing environments demand. Our focus on innovation and synchronization, our technical expertise and track record, and our stability-driven approach enable us to offer proven Frontline innovation for the way you run your business, for the way you work, and for the way you experience and enjoy technology. The HP/Microsoft Frontline Partner Program helps partners who are certified for both HP and Microsoft to do their work implementing ready and reliable HP-Microsoft solutions. HP/Microsoft Frontline Partners have the knowledge and expertise to deliver integrated solutions that will help you grow your business with confidence. For further information on Microsoft Exchange Server solutions from HP, including best practices and additional testing of HP StorageWorks or HP ProLiant products with Microsoft Exchange Server, please see For additional information on HP ProLiant storage products, please see For general information on Microsoft Exchange Server sizing and best practices, several white papers and planning tools are free to download from To help us improve our documents, please provide feedback at HP Authorized Resellers For the name of your nearest HP Authorized Reseller: In the United States, call In Canada, call Elsewhere, see the HP Web site, for locations and telephone numbers 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. 4AA1-5839ENW, October 2007