Install, Configure, and Manage

the Mailbox Role:

Plan the Mailbox Role

Plan the mailbox role

This objective may include but is not limited to:

– Plan for database size and storage performance requirements

– Plan for virtualization requirements and scenarios

– Plan mailbox role capacity and placement

– Design public folder placement strategy

– Validate storage by running JetStress

•Company: GloboComm – Large provider of global broadband

•Problem: – Moving from a legacy version of Exchange to

Exchange 2013 and want to be sure they are planning properly for the Mailbox role

•Goal: – Explain key aspects of the Mailbox role

(including virtualization and public folder deployment) and what tools are available to assist in proper planning

Scenario: GloboComm

The Mailbox server handles so much more under the new two-server role architecture than before

In addition to hosting mailbox databases (and public folder databases/folders) it also handles the

following:

Transport services (two services)

Unified Messaging services

High-availability services

The Many Faces of the Mailbox Server Role

Mailbox database file (.edb)

Transaction logs (.log)

Checkpoint file (.chk)

Temporary file (tmp.edb)

Reserve log files (.jrs)

Mailbox Database Files

It’s best to put your transaction logs and database on separate volumes/disk (RAID 1 recommended)

Logs are not deleted automatically (removed with the Exchange-aware backup process)

Circular logging prevents log build up (but not recommended)

Log Management

Exchange supports a variety of different disk type options including SATA, SAS, SSD and SAN (no NAS)

With Exchange there is a push for JBOD (just a

bunch of disks) which doesn’t utilize any form of RAID in favor of DAG availability

More expensive solutions include iSCSI SAN and Fibre Channel SANs

Storage Supported for Exchange 2013

You can virtualize both server roles with supported virtualization platforms

Note: There is a SVVP program

Make sure you do not overcommit resources on those systems and you adhere to published hardware requirements for support

Use high availability features, not snapshots, or other migration options

Exchange 2013 Virtualization

Storage recommendations are fixed (not dynamic), pass-through disks on SCSI or iSCSI storage

Fixed virtual disks and Fiber Channel SAN storage are also supported

Exchange 2013 Virtualization (cont.)

50 databases per Mailbox server

Exchange 2013 has a max mailbox size of 100GB

Find out how your users are doing by using tools like the Exchange Server Profile Analyzer

Use the Exchange Mailbox Server Role Requirements Calculator to help you

Mailbox Role Planning

Modern public folders have the folders in public folder mailbox in a mailbox database

Pros and Cons – Can be part of a DAG (recommended for the primary hierarchy mailbox)

– Can be accessed by Outlook 2007 +

– Cannot be accessed by OWA

– Cannot have replicas closer to end-users

Public folder content distribution (location/size)

Public Folder Planning

Simulates Exchange disk I/O load on a server to verify the performance and stability of your disk subsystem before putting your server into a production environment

JetStress for Exchange 2013

Planning for Mailbox deployment requires quite a bit of thought, as you can see

With GloboComm we’ve given them much to consider but they’ll need additional hand holding

so we’ll offer our services to help inventory their existing deployment and gather the data needed to help them plan further

Scenario: GloboComm

Additional Research

•Exchange Server Profile Analyzer • http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=10559

•Exchange 2013 Storage Configuration Options • http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee832792(EXCHG.150).aspx

•Public folders in the new Office •http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2012/11/08/public-folders-in-the-new-office.aspx

•Exchange 2013 Virtualization • http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj619301(v=exchg.150).aspx