debbiezzzzz
IS-IT--Management
Good morning,
A question about wether Exchange 2007 can / should be used in the manner proposed to solve a current issue:
Currently: Exchange 2003 Server, 100 Users with a mix of Outlook 2003 and 2007 clients. (Other File servers exist on the network as well, but they are simple file servers.)
Background: Everything we do is based on a job number. Folders are created on the network for each job, any file relating to a job is stored in an appropriate sub folder of the job folder. Our users get TONS of big e-mails realting to each job. (Photo's, Drawings, etc...) Because our exchange server has low disk space we limit each users mailbox to 90 megs. (Although a few users have as much as a gig allowance.)
To get around the 90 meg limit, we ask the users to offload e-mails they wish to keep, that are job related, to a .pst file in one of the jobs sub-folders. (We have an e-mail sub folder in each job folder. Users create their own .pst files for each user on the job.) **We know .pst files on the network are a NO-NO. We just haven't really found a better solution to date....**
Because the .pst files end up causing a resource leak on the server, we end up rebooting that data server once a week or so. Seems to work, but we realize we need to get away from the .pst files on the network....
The Question:
Would the following be a feasible solution? We upgrade to Exchange 2007 (this was in the plan anyhow.), and ensure we have a good Terrabyte or two of storage on the new exchange database drive. Rather than using external .pst files, we create an exchange mailbox for EACH project. (Giving all appropriate users on the network full rights to each jobs mailbox.) All users are directed to store the e-mails in the jobs particular mailbox.
Were not sure if this would work well, or if it would end up killing the responsiveness of our exchange server. I could easily see the mail database growing to a full 2 terrabytes prior to our next exchange server upgrade. (2011/2012)
Specific Questions:
1) Is that type of setup easily do-able in Exchange 2007? We were thinking of using possibly public folders for the individual jobs mail boxes.
2) Is there an easier way to get away from the .pst files?
Concerns:
1) Currently with the .pst files, a user might only accidently delete e-mails from their own .pst file for a project. If they are shared in the exchange database, it would be possible for a user to delete other users e-mails for the project. (Although we could get around this with having no delete rights, etc...)
2) Restoring / Corruption. Fixing a corrupt .pst file is relatively easy. In addition we keep good backups. Restoring a .pst file to a specific date/time is an easy process for us if needed. Because backing up exchange at the brick level takes "Forever" (our tape drives are currently physically on the data servers which have MUCH more data to backup then the exchange.), we worry we might not get complete backups before morning. Restoring an individual project mailbox might also overwrite another users valid e-mails in that project mailbox.
Thanks for any thoughts or recomendations.
D
A question about wether Exchange 2007 can / should be used in the manner proposed to solve a current issue:
Currently: Exchange 2003 Server, 100 Users with a mix of Outlook 2003 and 2007 clients. (Other File servers exist on the network as well, but they are simple file servers.)
Background: Everything we do is based on a job number. Folders are created on the network for each job, any file relating to a job is stored in an appropriate sub folder of the job folder. Our users get TONS of big e-mails realting to each job. (Photo's, Drawings, etc...) Because our exchange server has low disk space we limit each users mailbox to 90 megs. (Although a few users have as much as a gig allowance.)
To get around the 90 meg limit, we ask the users to offload e-mails they wish to keep, that are job related, to a .pst file in one of the jobs sub-folders. (We have an e-mail sub folder in each job folder. Users create their own .pst files for each user on the job.) **We know .pst files on the network are a NO-NO. We just haven't really found a better solution to date....**
Because the .pst files end up causing a resource leak on the server, we end up rebooting that data server once a week or so. Seems to work, but we realize we need to get away from the .pst files on the network....
The Question:
Would the following be a feasible solution? We upgrade to Exchange 2007 (this was in the plan anyhow.), and ensure we have a good Terrabyte or two of storage on the new exchange database drive. Rather than using external .pst files, we create an exchange mailbox for EACH project. (Giving all appropriate users on the network full rights to each jobs mailbox.) All users are directed to store the e-mails in the jobs particular mailbox.
Were not sure if this would work well, or if it would end up killing the responsiveness of our exchange server. I could easily see the mail database growing to a full 2 terrabytes prior to our next exchange server upgrade. (2011/2012)
Specific Questions:
1) Is that type of setup easily do-able in Exchange 2007? We were thinking of using possibly public folders for the individual jobs mail boxes.
2) Is there an easier way to get away from the .pst files?
Concerns:
1) Currently with the .pst files, a user might only accidently delete e-mails from their own .pst file for a project. If they are shared in the exchange database, it would be possible for a user to delete other users e-mails for the project. (Although we could get around this with having no delete rights, etc...)
2) Restoring / Corruption. Fixing a corrupt .pst file is relatively easy. In addition we keep good backups. Restoring a .pst file to a specific date/time is an easy process for us if needed. Because backing up exchange at the brick level takes "Forever" (our tape drives are currently physically on the data servers which have MUCH more data to backup then the exchange.), we worry we might not get complete backups before morning. Restoring an individual project mailbox might also overwrite another users valid e-mails in that project mailbox.
Thanks for any thoughts or recomendations.
D
