Chapter 5 - Designing Your Exchange 2007 Server

Abstract

This chapter reviews the estimates for processor and memory sizing for Microsoft Exchange Server. Service level agreements (SLAs), which are commitments made to customers by companies, or service level objectives (SLOs), which are agreed upon by departments of a company, have been the starting point for Exchange designs in the past. The business needs of the company and its users dictate the requirements that Exchange messaging solution must fulfill. One needs to define recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) based on business needs. Several methods can be used to meet the SLA, such as a traditional restore from tape or a high-tech solution based on data replication and clustering. The SLA determines how many users with a certain mailbox size can deploy on a single mailbox server. Microsoft's Exchange Solution Reviewed Program (ESRP) aims at listing the characteristics of fully tested storage configuration from vendors. ESRP is an invaluable source for Exchange storage–related information, and it is the most reliable source of information for complete storage solutions for Exchange 2007 RTM and SP1. For sizing the hardware of Exchange servers, knowing the messaging behavior of one's users is very important. Data on messaging behavior can be obtained by using the Exchange Server Profile Analyzer (EPA). Sizing CPU resource for Exchange server, one should choose a processor that works with the x64 version of the Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 operating system. The Exchange server requires that the CPU supports the Intel extended memory 64 technology or the AMD64 technology. While memory sizing, one should never compromise on the minimum quantity of recommended RAM, and should carefully select server form factor and model based on other aspects, such as standardization, power and cooling, blade format, and so on.