new 2007 server HDD Spec

[people3]

Hi All,

I'm about to order a new server to install Exchange 2007 standard on.

It's a dell Power edge 2950
Dual 2.8Gb Quad core (e5440)
16Gb Ram
windows 2008 x64 standard

I'm thinking of installing 2 x 146gb HDD's and 2 x300GB HDD's (15k SAS)

set up as 2 raid 1's

146gb for the OS and logs

and 300gb for the database.

Is raid 1 the way to go for speed and resilience?

We have about 100 users and our current database size is 60GB (exchange 2003 standard)

This is our only exchange server and will just be used for exchange.

I know exchange 2007 is very disk intensive and standard raid 5 is not normaly enough. is this setup OK though

Many Thanks

 

[Zelandakh]

Ideally you should have RAID1 for OS and apps then another RAID1 for the logs. Finally a RAID10 for the stores.

With 100 users averaging 600MB, that would be good.

 

[theravager]

I'd definately look at putting some extra disks to get some more spindles into the mix here.

 

[people3]

Hi All thanks for the replys

I was originaly looking at doing

2 x 300g 15k drives for the Os and the logs (raid 1)
4 x 300g for the database (raid 10)

The server will only take 6 HDD withouth attached storage, which i don't want to buy, but for only 100 users (even if mailbox limmits are increased to 1.5g) would this not be overkill.

Also the more disks the more chance of a disk failure.

Many Thanks

 

[Zelandakh]

The more disks, the LESS chance of a disk failure affecting you.

Would it be overkill using 6 disks? Depends on your email usage. 100 heavy email users with large attachments and large mailboxes sending to distribution lists (we haven't even asked about your GC placements) is a different proposition to 100 email users who rarely open Outlook.

The answer is: it depends.