|
Utilizing iSCSI to Solve Expansion Challenges in
Microsoft Exchange Environments
© Alacritech 2000-2004. All rights reserved. Alacritech, the Alacritech logo, SLIC Technology, the SLIC Technology logo, and 'Accelerating Data Delivery' are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Alacritech, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
One or more U.S. and international patents apply to Alacritech products, including without limitation: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,226,680, 6,247,060, 6,334,153, 6,389,479, 6,393,487, 6,427,171, 6,427,173, 6,434,620, 6,470,415, 6,591,302, 6,658,480, 6,687,758, 6,697,868, 6,751,665 and 6,757,746.
Alacritech, Inc., reserves the right, without notice, to make changes in product design or specifications.
Page 2
Table of Contents Executive Summary..................................................................................................................................4 Expanding Corporate IT Demand for E-mail.............................................................................................5 Growth Challenges in Microsoft Exchange Environments........................................................................5 iSCSI - The Symbiosis of Storage and Networks ......................................................................................6 Optimizing iSCSI Performance and Efficiency...........................................................................................8 iSCSI HBAs - Performance, Efficiency, and More .....................................................................................9 Alacritech's SES1001 iSCSI Accelerator - HBA Performance and More..................................................10 Exchange with iSCSI Deployment Scenarios...........................................................................................12 Scenario 1: Increase in Storage Needs for Microsoft Exchange Server...................................................12 Scenario 2: Archival of Mailbox Data on Microsoft Exchange Server.....................................................13 Scenario 3: MAPI and non-MAPI use of Exchange with iSCSI ................................................................14 Scenario 4: Adding Resilient Storage or Network Access to Exchange...................................................15 Exchange Growth Challenges Solved by iSCSI .......................................................................................16 Appendix A: Resources and Footnotes...................................................................................................16 Table of Figures Figure 1 - A Typical SMB Environment with Microsoft Exchange..........................................................5 Figure 2 - SMB Environment with iSCSI Attached Storage ....................................................................7 Figure 3 - Bottlenecks for Exchange Server Environments with Network and iSCSI Interfaces..............8 Figure 4 - NIC and iSCSI HBA Performance Efficiencies.........................................................................9 Figure 5 - Throughput Comparison of iSCSI HBAs...............................................................................10 Figure 6 - Two Exchange Cluster Servers with Virtual iSCSI Interfaces and Failover Capability ..........11
Page 3
Executive Summary Growth challenges in Microsoft Exchange environments can be solved with the deployment of iSCSI storage. Microsoft favors block storage such as iSCSI for Exchange deployments. Attaching iSCSI storage to a network provides the server with headroom for adding Exchange users, since the storage can grow without being re-strained by the server's ability to add storage. The key to any high performance iSCSI configuration in an Exchange environment is ensuring the servers using iSCSI and the iSCSI storage run at speeds sufficient to allow fast Exchange mailbox store access. Along with performance, the Exchange configuration must responsibly balance the E-mail load between the client systems, servers and iSCSI storage. This paper will examine the benefits of using iSCSI storage in an Exchange environment. Specific deployment ®scenarios using Alacritech and Network ApplianceT iSCSI equipment will be described, including growing Exchange storage, protecting the Exchange database with snapshot services, and adding resiliency to an Ex-change ... [download for more]
|
