Microsoft Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2007 on EMC … · Microsoft Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2007 on EMC VNXe ... AutoSwap, AVALONidm, Avamar ... • VMware vSphere 4.1 on EMC VNXe

Contents

Microsoft Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2007 on EMC VNXe Series Deployment Guide

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Microsoft Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2007 on EMC® VNXe™ Series

Deployment Guide h8168.4

Contents


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Copyright © 2011, 2013 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Last published February 2013

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Microsoft Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2007 on EMC VNXe Series

Deployment Guide

Part Number: h8168.4

Contents


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Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction to the EMC VNXe Series ................................. 15

EMC VNXe series overview ............................................................................ 16 Software suites available ..................................................................................... 16 Software packs available ..................................................................................... 16

VNXe application awareness ......................................................................... 16 Advantages of VNXe platforms ............................................................................. 17

VNXe high-availability architecture ............................................................... 18 Active-active clustering ........................................................................................ 18 No single points of failure .................................................................................... 18 RAID group hot spares .......................................................................................... 19 Array-based data replication ................................................................................ 19

VNXe storage pools ....................................................................................... 19 Default storage pools ........................................................................................... 19 Custom storage pools .......................................................................................... 20

Application-based provisioning overview...................................................... 20

Chapter 2 Microsoft Exchange Planning on VNXe ............................... 23

Overview of Microsoft Exchange .................................................................... 24 Storage for Exchange ........................................................................................... 24

Select the VNXe platform .............................................................................. 24

Data replication on VNXe .............................................................................. 25 Array-based snapshots ........................................................................................ 25 Exchange replication ............................................................................................ 25

Data backups on VNXe .................................................................................. 25

Chapter 3 Physical Storage Allocation on VNXe: Storage Pools ........... 27

Storage pool overview ................................................................................... 28

Create Exchange storage pool ....................................................................... 28

Chapter 4 VNXe Connectivity Configuration ....................................... 35

VNXe connectivity overview........................................................................... 36

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Configure iSCSI target ................................................................................... 36

Configure host entry ...................................................................................... 41

Chapter 5 Exchange Storage Provisioning .......................................... 47

Storage provisioning overview ...................................................................... 48

Configure Exchange storage .......................................................................... 48

Chapter 6 Exchange Host Server Connectivity Configuration ............... 57

Set up a Windows host to use VNXe iSCSI storage ........................................ 58 Bind iSCSI IPs to network interfaces ..................................................................... 58 Connect host to VNXe storage .............................................................................. 62 Configure multiple connections per session ......................................................... 65

Volume configuration .................................................................................... 69 Create and configure disk volumes ...................................................................... 69

Chapter 7 Management of Exchange on VNXe .................................... 77

Monitor and manage Exchange environments .............................................. 78

Expand existing deployments ....................................................................... 78 Expand storage pools ........................................................................................... 78 Add users to an existing deployment.................................................................... 81

System resource utilization ........................................................................... 82

Monitor system health .................................................................................. 83

System performance ..................................................................................... 85 Alerts ................................................................................................................... 86 System logs ......................................................................................................... 87 Support ................................................................................................................ 88

Appendix A Adding a Hot Spare ........................................................... 89

Adding a new Hot Spare ................................................................................ 90

Appendix B Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations ................... 95

Storage configuration overview ..................................................................... 96 How the VNXe allocates disks to a Storage Pool ................................................... 96

Using the recommendation tables ................................................................ 97

Exchange 2007 on VNXe3100 recommendations ......................................... 97





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Appendix C iSCSI Snapshot Sizing ....................................................... 101

Snapshot overview ...................................................................................... 102

Calculate space requirements ..................................................................... 102

Appendix D CIFS Shared Folder Configuration ....................................... 105

Using shared folders ................................................................................... 106

CIFS shared folder configuration overview .................................................. 106

Create a shared folder storage pool ............................................................ 106

Configure a shared folder server ................................................................. 106

Configure a shared folder ............................................................................ 111

Appendix E Using the Windows Server Backup Utility ........................... 119

Introduction to the Windows Server Backup utility ...................................... 120

Windows Server Backup prerequisites ........................................................ 120

Create a backup in Windows Server ............................................................ 120

Appendix F System Comparison and Limits ......................................... 127

Model components and limits ..................................................................... 128

Software configuration limits ...................................................................... 129


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Figures

Figure 1. VNXe management dashboard ........................................................... 20 Figure 2. Opening the Storage Pools page ......................................................... 28 Figure 3. Opening the Disk Configuration Wizard .............................................. 28 Figure 4. Selecting the configuration mode ....................................................... 29 Figure 5. Specify pool name .............................................................................. 30 Figure 6. Select Storage Type ............................................................................ 31 Figure 7. Select Amount of Storage ................................................................... 32 Figure 8. Summary ............................................................................................ 33 Figure 9. Results ............................................................................................... 34 Figure 10. iSCSI Server Settings .......................................................................... 36 Figure 11. Add iSCSI Server ................................................................................. 37 Figure 12. iSCSI server details ............................................................................. 38 Figure 13. iSCSI Server Summary ........................................................................ 39 Figure 14. Results ............................................................................................... 39 Figure 15. iSCSI Server Details ............................................................................ 40 Figure 16. iSCSI Server Details with changes added ............................................ 41 Figure 17. Selecting the Hosts dialog box ........................................................... 41 Figure 18. Hosts window ..................................................................................... 42 Figure 19. Enter name and description ................................................................ 42 Figure 20. Select operating system ..................................................................... 43 Figure 21. Add network address of host .............................................................. 43 Figure 22. iSCSI Access ....................................................................................... 44 Figure 23. Summary ............................................................................................ 45 Figure 24. Results ............................................................................................... 46 Figure 25. Unisphere Dashboard ......................................................................... 48 Figure 26. Microsoft Exchange Storage page ....................................................... 48 Figure 27. Microsoft Exchange Wizard — Specify Name ....................................... 49 Figure 28. Select Exchange version ..................................................................... 49 Figure 29. Specify Storage Configuration ............................................................ 51 Figure 30. Select advanced allocation options — With DAG ................................. 51 Figure 31. Select advanced allocation options — Without DAG ........................... 52 Figure 32. Configure storage pool ....................................................................... 53 Figure 33. Configure host access ........................................................................ 53 Figure 34. Select snapshot protection ................................................................. 54 Figure 35. Configure protection size .................................................................... 55 Figure 36. Opening the network connections window ......................................... 59 Figure 37. Network Connections window ............................................................. 59 Figure 38. Local Area Connection properties ....................................................... 60 Figure 39. Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties dialog box .............. 61

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Figure 40. iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box .................................................... 62 Figure 41. Discover Target Portal dialog box ........................................................ 63 Figure 42. iSCSI target added .............................................................................. 63 Figure 43. Connect to a target ............................................................................. 64 Figure 44. Connect to Target dialog box .............................................................. 64 Figure 45. Advanced Settings dialog box with default values .............................. 65 Figure 46. iSCSI target ........................................................................................ 66 Figure 47. Multiple Connected Session (MCS) dialog box .................................... 67 Figure 48. Add Connection dialog box ................................................................. 67 Figure 49. MCS add connection Advanced Settings ............................................. 68 Figure 50. New connection added ....................................................................... 69 Figure 51. Devices: iSCSI-connected disks .......................................................... 70 Figure 52. Disk management .............................................................................. 71 Figure 53. Select Initialize Disk ........................................................................... 71 Figure 54. Initialize Disk dialog box .................................................................... 72 Figure 55. Create new simple volume .................................................................. 72 Figure 56. New Simple Volume Wizard ................................................................ 73 Figure 57. Specify Volume Size ........................................................................... 73 Figure 58. Select a drive letter ............................................................................. 74 Figure 59. Select drive format settings ................................................................ 74 Figure 60. Completing the New Simple Volume Wizard ....................................... 75 Figure 61. Opening the Storage Pools page ......................................................... 78 Figure 62. Opening the Disk Configuration Wizard .............................................. 78 Figure 63. Add disks to an existing pool .............................................................. 79 Figure 64. Select number of drives to add ........................................................... 79 Figure 65. Summary window ............................................................................... 80 Figure 66. Results window .................................................................................. 81 Figure 67. Exchange expansion options .............................................................. 82 Figure 68. System capacity — Storage Resource View ......................................... 82 Figure 69. System capacity — Utilization History View ......................................... 83 Figure 70. System health .................................................................................... 84 Figure 71. Storage Resource Health pages .......................................................... 85 Figure 72. CPU, network, and volume activity ...................................................... 85 Figure 73. Show system alerts ............................................................................ 86 Figure 74. System logs ........................................................................................ 87 Figure 75. Support options ................................................................................. 88 Figure 76. Opening the Storage Pools page ......................................................... 90 Figure 77. Opening the Disk Configuration Wizard .............................................. 90 Figure 78. Selecting the configuration mode ....................................................... 91 Figure 79. Select number of spares ..................................................................... 92 Figure 80. Opening the Disk Configuration Wizard .............................................. 93 Figure 81. Results window .................................................................................. 94 Figure 82. Shared Folder Server Settings location ............................................. 107 Figure 83. Shared Folder Settings dialog ........................................................... 107 Figure 84. Shared Folder Server wizard (with advanced fields exposed) ............ 108 Figure 85. Shared Folder Types dialog ............................................................... 109 Figure 86. Server Summary ............................................................................... 110 Figure 87. Results window ................................................................................ 110 Figure 88. Shared Folders Storage location ....................................................... 111 Figure 89. Shared Folders Storage window ........................................................ 111 Figure 90. Specify Shared Folder Name ............................................................. 112

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Figure 91. Configure Shared Folder Storage ...................................................... 113 Figure 92. Configure Shared Folder Attributes ................................................... 114 Figure 93. Configure Windows Share ................................................................. 115 Figure 94. Shared folder protection ................................................................... 116 Figure 95. Summary .......................................................................................... 116 Figure 96. Results ............................................................................................. 117 Figure 97. Windows Server Backup GUI ............................................................. 121 Figure 98. Backup Once Wizard ........................................................................ 121 Figure 99. Select Backup Configuration............................................................. 122 Figure 100. Select Items for Backup .................................................................... 122 Figure 101. Select Items ..................................................................................... 123 Figure 102. Specify Destination Type .................................................................. 124 Figure 103. Specify Remote Folder ...................................................................... 124 Figure 104. Confirmation window........................................................................ 125 Figure 105. Backup Progress ............................................................................... 125

Figures


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Tables

Table 1. Default storage pools ......................................................................... 20 Table 2. Health status icons ............................................................................. 84 Table 3. Alert severity ...................................................................................... 86 Table 4. Logging standards .............................................................................. 87 Table 5. VNXe storage profiles ......................................................................... 96 Table 6. Exchange 2007 on VNXe3100 examples ............................................. 97 Table 7. Exchange 2010 users on VNXe3100 examples ................................... 97 Table 8. Exchange 2010 users on VNXe3150 examples ................................... 98 Table 9. Exchange 2007 on VNXe3300 examples ............................................. 98 Table 10. Exchange 2010 on VNXe3300 examples ............................................. 98 Table 11. VNXe model components and limits ................................................. 128 Table 12. Software configuration limits ............................................................ 129

Tables


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About this Document

This document provides an overview of the deployment options for Microsoft Exchange with the EMC VNXe series developed by the EMC Solutions Group.

Purpose This document describes how to use the VNXe wizard-driven provisioning interface to create storage for Microsoft Exchange. It covers common administrative questions in an Exchange environment, and provides easy-to-use sizing guidelines for such a deployment. Audience This document is intended for internal EMC personnel, EMC partners, and customers. The user is expected to have administrative-level knowledge of Microsoft Exchange, and basic knowledge of IP networking. Knowledge of iSCSI source-target configuration is helpful but not required.

Scope This document covers the wizard-driven provisioning interface for Exchange environments on the VNXe platform, including basic storage sizing and configuration. It does not cover server-level deployment, infrastructure design, or any non-storage sizing considerations.

Related documents The following documents, located on the EMC online support website, provide additional, relevant information. Access to these documents is based on login credentials. If you do not have access to the following documents, contact your EMC representative:

• EMC VNXe Series Storage Systems — A Detailed Review

• EMC VNXe Solutions for Microsoft Exchange Server — A Detailed Review

• VMware vSphere 4.1 on EMC VNXe Series— Deployment Guide

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V on EMC VNXe Series—Deployment Guide

• EMC Unisphere for VNXe: Next-Generation Storage Management — A Detailed Review

• Sizing Considerations for iSCSI Replication on EMC Celerra — Technical Note

About this Document


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Third-party documents The following articles are available on the Microsoft TechNet website (http://technet.microsoft.com):

• Backing Up Your Server

• Recovering your Server

• Mailbox Server Storage Design

• Understanding Mailbox Database and Log Capacity Factors

http://technet.microsoft.com/�


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Chapter 1 Introduction to the EMC VNXe Series

This chapter presents the following topics:

EMC VNXe series overview ....................................................................... 16

VNXe application awareness .................................................................... 16

VNXe high-availability architecture ........................................................... 18

VNXe storage pools .................................................................................. 19

Application-based provisioning overview ................................................. 20

Introduction to the EMC VNXe Series


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EMC VNXe series overview The EMC® VNXe™ series delivers exceptional flexibility for the small-to-medium business user, combining a unique, application-driven management environment with a complete consolidation for all IP storage needs.

Customers can benefit from the new VNXe features such as:

• Next-generation unified storage, optimized for virtualized applications.

• Capacity optimization features including file deduplication and compression, thin provisioning, and application-consistent snapshots and replicas (only available for VNXe for file).

• High availability, designed to deliver five 9s availability.

• Multiprotocol support for file and block.

• Simplified management with EMC Unisphere™ for a single management interface for all file, block, and replication needs.

Software suites available • VNXe Local Protection Suite — Practices safe data protection and

repurposing.

• VNXe Remote Protection Suite — Protects data against localized failures, outages, and disasters.

• VNXe Application Protection Suite — Automates application copies and proves compliance.

• VNXe Security and Compliance Suite — Keeps data safe from changes, deletions, and malicious activity.

Software packs available • Total Efficiency Pack—Includes all five software suites (not available for the

VNX5100 and VNXe series).

• Total Protection Pack—Includes local, remote, and application protection suites (not available for the VNXe3100).

• Total Value Pack—Includes all three protection software suites and the Security and Compliance Suite (the VNX5100, VNXe3150, and VNXe3100 exclusively support this package).

VNXe application awareness The VNXe platform features a simplified user interface that is designed for IT generalists rather than for storage specialists. Storage is a key component in the implementation of business-critical applications. Making the deployment and management of storage straightforward while automatically incorporating best practices reduces the time required to set up an environment and reduces costly mistakes.



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At the time of publication, application support is provided for:

• Microsoft Exchange

• VMware data stores:

Network file system (NFS)

VMware® vStorage Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) and Raw Device Mapping (RDM) using iSCSI

• Hyper-V data stores using iSCSI

• Shared folders:

Common Internet File System (CIFS) for Windows

NFS for UNIX or Linux

• Generic application storage using iSCSI

When combined with simple wizard-driven installation and storage provisioning, along with EMC’s proven track record for reliability and high availability, the VNXe platform provides a low-cost entry point into the EMC storage family.

Advantages of VNXe platforms This section covers the major advantages of VNXe platforms.

Accessibility The VNXe platform provides consolidated access to stored data from multiple hosts, users, and applications by using existing IP network connectivity and industry-standard protocols, including CIFS, NFS, and iSCSI.

Ease of management A simple-to-use, web-based user interface controls the VNXe platform operations, including tools to manage, monitor, and configure storage and system settings.

High-performance and high-density storage The platform has the ability to store data using high-speed SAS and high-capacity near-line (NL) SAS storage disk drives. These disk drives accommodate most organizational and application requirements.

Expandable capacity and flexible upgrades The platform provides SAS and NL-SAS drives to store and protect files, folders, and application data. These drives can be expanded to accommodate a variety of application, host, or organization requirements.

Compliance with application storage best practices The platform has built-in best practices to provision and manage application data such as Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Windows Hyper-V, VMware, and shared folder storage.

Automatic or manual data protection The platform has built-in tools to protect valuable data by using snapshot schedules to create point-in-time images of the data from which data can be restored. Snapshots can be created manually or by using standard snapshot schedules or custom schedules.



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Security Secure system management is provided through HTTPS communication, manageable system accounts and authentication, and user roles. Secure access to VNXe storage resources is provided through Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) for iSCSI storage and compliance with NFS and CIFS access controls for storage resource security.

Antivirus support VNXe supports VEE Common Anti-Virus Agent (CAVA). CAVA is a component of the VNX™ Event Enabler (VEE) 4.5.1, which is part of the Security and Compliance Suite. CAVA provides an antivirus solution to clients using the VNXe platform. CAVA uses third-party antivirus software to identify and eliminate known viruses before they infect files on the VNXe platform.

File-level retention The VNXe File-Level Retention (FLR) feature provides a way to set file-based permissions to limit write access to the files for a specific period of time. FLR can ensure the integrity of data during that period by creating an unalterable set of files and directories. On VNXe, the FLR feature can be enabled for shared folders and VMware NFS data stores. FLR for VNXe is available as part of the Security and Compliance Suite.

VNXe high-availability architecture The EMC VNXe family of storage arrays is designed such that there are no single points of failure. If one hardware or software component fails, the system automatically takes appropriate action to return to a normal operating condition.

Active-active clustering The VNXe platform has two identical storage processors in the hardware chassis. During normal operation, both storage processors are active and serve data. This is an example of an active-active configuration. If one storage processor fails during normal operation, the other storage processor will take over the work assigned to both the storage processors until the failed storage processor is active. Although the data is available to users at all times, this may impact the overall performance of the system.

Note There is a single storage processor variant of the EMC VNXe3100 and VNXe 3150, which is unable to perform active-active clustering.

No single points of failure The internal hardware of the array is designed such that data is available to users at all times despite a failure.

The external network is similarly protected. The VNXe platforms support Internet SCSI (iSCSI) multipathing and Ethernet link aggregation to protect against network link failures. The design of such a network is outside the scope of this paper.

It is highly recommended that the network settings of the storage processors are identical such that in case of a failover, the storage processor that is active can continue to operate.



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RAID group hot spares A primary feature of the Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) concept is the ability to automatically rebuild a faulted drive on a spare drive in the array. Drives allocated for this purpose are called hot spares.

Hot spare recommendations EMC recommends allocation of one hot spare drive for every 30 active drives on the system. When more than one type of drive is included in the array (e.g., SAS and NL-SAS), a hot spare should be included for each type, even when the total for each type is less than 30. For example, if there are 14 SAS drives and 12 NL-SAS drives, it is considered a best practice to have one SAS hot spare and one NL-SAS hot spare.

Appendix A Adding a Hot Spare provides the procedure to create hot spares.

Array-based data replication Data replication is the process that creates non-active copies of critical data in a different location for use in case of significant failures such as site-wide disaster.

The VNXe platform provides array-based data replication technologies to create point-in-time copies at scheduled intervals on different storage pools or different storage arrays. This capability is the enhancement from point-in-time snapshots and provides added protection in various failure scenarios.

EMC Replication Manager provides the user interface for the VNXe array-based iSCSI snapshot and replication technology. The operation of the feature is outside of the scope of this document.

VNXe storage pools The VNXe platform does not provision storage by using a traditional model, where users build a RAID group and then build logical disk units in that group. Instead, VNXe platform creates pools of storage. All the members of this pool have similar characteristics. Application-based storage provisioning is possible by using this approach.

Default storage pools Even though the RAID group and the LUN groupings are not exposed to the user, the array is still using those mechanisms behind the scenes to ensure that data is properly protected.



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Table 1 lists the three storage pools that are available by default on VNXe platforms and it also describes their characteristics.

Table 1. Default storage pools

Pool name Disk type RAID type Available capacities

High performance SAS RAID 10 (3+3) 300 GB 600 GB

Balanced performance /Capacity

SAS RAID 5 (6+1) – VNXe3300™ RAID 5 (4+1) – VNXe3150™ RAID 5 (4+1) – VNXe3100™

300 GB 300 GB 600 GB

Capacity pool NL-SAS RAID 6 (4+2) 1 TB 2 TB

Custom storage pools The default storage pools can be augmented with custom, user-defined storage pools. It is a best practice to use custom pools for performance-sensitive applications such as Exchange because the custom pool mechanism enables precise control on the number of disks used in the pool and prevents other applications from sharing the disks without explicitly provisioning application storage from the custom pool.

Application-based provisioning overview The key difference between VNXe and other storage platforms is its awareness of what applications are using storage and embedding the best practices for those applications into the provisioning and management process.

Figure 1 shows the first page of the Unisphere™ Management interface.

Figure 1. VNXe management dashboard

The dashboard not only displays the usable capacity of the array in terms of the applications using it; it also provides wizard-driven mechanisms to create additional application storage using best practices. This guide focuses on provisioning for Microsoft Exchange.



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The provisioning process has four main steps:

1. Create a storage pool (Chapter 3 Physical Storage Allocation on VNXe: Storage Pools)

2. Configure host connectivity (Chapter 4 VNXe Connectivity Configuration)

3. Use the application-provisioning wizard (Chapter 5 Exchange Storage Provisioning)

4. Connect the host to the provisioned storage (Chapter 6 Exchange Host Server Connectivity Configuration)

The first two steps are independent and can be performed in any order. The third step requires the first two steps to be completed.



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Chapter 2 Microsoft Exchange Planning on VNXe


Overview of Microsoft Exchange ............................................................... 24

Select the VNXe platform ......................................................................... 24

Data replication on VNXe ......................................................................... 25

Data backups on VNXe ............................................................................. 25

Microsoft Exchange Planning on VNXe


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Overview of Microsoft Exchange Microsoft Exchange is a messaging server application that is widely used in business environments to provide email and collaboration services. This chapter covers best practices for configuring storage for Microsoft Exchange. Overall architecture and deployment best practices are beyond the scope of this document.

Storage for Exchange The Exchange Server environment consists of multiple components that may appear in a single deployment, including the hub transport server and client access server roles (HUB/CAS) server array, the Edge Transport server, several types of collaboration servers, and the Mailbox server. The Mailbox server, which contains the user mailboxes, is the primary consumer of storage resources and is the focus of this guide.

Storage planning for the Mailbox server role requires consideration and balance of two primary criteria:

• Capacity (the amount of data to be stored)

• Performance (the speed at which the data is accessed)

Capacity and performance planning for Exchange A primary benefit of, and reason for choosing, the VNXe platform is its simplified, application-driven approach to managing shared storage. Fundamentally, all the user has to do is match the number and size of mailboxes required to the performance tiers of the VNXe model to be used.

Appendix B Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations provides further details about the different performance tiers, organized by VNXe model and Exchange software version. The tables allow the Exchange administrator to quickly determine an optimal storage pool configuration (Chapter 3 Physical Storage Allocation on VNXe: Storage Pools) on which the user/mailbox profile can be provisioned (Chapter 5 Exchange Storage Provisioning).

Users and mailboxes Typically, one user equals one mailbox. However, the concept of the user carries an implicit performance expectation; business needs are not met if users find their workflow interrupted by slow response times.

The recommendations described in this guide will yield a generally accepted level of performance as defined by Microsoft when the VNXe is matched with appropriate server, network, and other applicable infrastructure elements.

Select the VNXe platform The VNXe family includes the VNXe3100, VNXe3150, and VNXe3300 models. Appendix F System Comparison and Limits outlines the differences between the two models. Broadly speaking, the VNXe3100 scales to a maximum of 1,000 Exchange users, while the VNXe3300 scales to 3,000 users. These limits are performance-based, not capacity-based.



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Data replication on VNXe Data replication is the process of creating static copies of critical data in a different physical location for use in the event of a significant failure or site-wide disaster.

Array-based snapshots The EMC VNXe series can provide point-in-time snapshots of Exchange data. The snapshots enable you to immediately recover to the point in time when the snapshot was created. Snapshots are commonly used to provide an application-consistent image for backup tools or serve as a primary recovery mechanism.

When planning for snapshots, it is important to understand how to ensure that sufficient capacity is available to protect the data. Appendix C iSCSI Snapshot Sizing provides more information about snapshots.

EMC Replication Manager provides the user interface for array-based iSCSI snapshot and replication technology on EMC VNXe. The operation of this feature is outside of the scope of this document.

Exchange replication Exchange also provides native replication mechanisms such as a Database Availability Groups (DAG) in Microsoft Exchange 2010. An Exchange DAG configuration provides multiple copies of data across one or more sites that can be brought online quickly when needed. The VNXe provisioning wizard provides an option to select DAG replication, and apply the best practices that are specific to a DAG configuration.

If you plan to implement a DAG configuration, read the appropriate Microsoft planning guides, and use the DAG option in the provisioning wizard.

Note This document provides a complete walkthrough of an Exchange storage deployment on VNXe. If you are deploying a DAG, repeat this process for each DAG copy that will reside on the array.

Data backups on VNXe Third-party recommendations are mixed on the use of data backups for Exchange 2010 environments using DAGs, but EMC recommends data backups. Backups provide a mechanism to recover when live data-correction options have failed. The recommended backup function for the VNXe series is to target a shared folder using Windows Server backup. This functionality is available with the volume snapshot plug-in in Exchange Server 2007 SP2 and later. NL-SAS drives are the most cost-effective solution for backup files due to the sequential nature of backup I/O and the need to keep multiple backups.

Appendix D CIFS Shared Folder Configuration explains how to configure shared folder servers and shared folders for backups.

Appendix E Using the Windows Server Backup Utility explains how to run a backup of the Exchange environment.



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Chapter 3 Physical Storage Allocation on VNXe: Storage Pools


Storage pool overview .............................................................................. 28

Create Exchange storage pool .................................................................. 28

Physical Storage Allocation on VNXe: Storage Pools


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Storage pool overview This chapter explains how to use the Disk Configuration Wizard to create a storage pool for the Exchange databases.

Appendix B Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations provides more information on disk configuration within a storage pool. This information provides useful background prior to running the wizard, and describes how to select the correct storage profile for the deployment.

Create Exchange storage pool To create a storage pool, complete the following steps:

Appendix B Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations helps identify the appropriate storage profile for the number and capacity of the mailboxes in the Exchange deployment.

1. Log in to Unisphere as an administrator.

2. Select System > Storage Pools (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Opening the Storage Pools page

The Storage Pools window appears (Figure 3).

3. Click Configure Disks to open the Disk Configuration Wizard.

Figure 3. Opening the Disk Configuration Wizard



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The Select Configuration Mode window appears (Figure 4).

4. Select the storage pool configuration mode:

a. Select Manually create a new pool.

b. In the Select application list box, select the appropriate application.

Note Although the Automatically configure pools option allows the implementation of application-specific best practices creating the storage pool manually provides a higher level of control and workload isolation for Exchange.

Figure 4. Selecting the configuration mode



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5. Click Next. The Specify Pool Name window appears (Figure 5).

6. Specify a name for the storage pool: a. In the Name field, type a name for the storage pool.

b. In the Description field, optionally type a description for the storage pool.

Figure 5. Specify pool name



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7. Click Next. The Select Storage Type window appears (Figure 6).

8. Select a disk type for the storage pool: Select the storage profile identified in Appendix B Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations.

The profile identified above should be the one with the highest rating, but that is not always the case.

Note NL-SAS drives are not recommended for Exchange deployments.

Figure 6. Select Storage Type

9. Click Next. The Select Amount of Storage window appears (Figure 7).

For the following step, it is crucial to understand the balance between number of users, maximum mailbox size, and snapshots.

10. Select the amount of storage to use for the storage pool:



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Appendix B Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations provides more information about the recommended amount of storage.

Select the number of disks to use.

Note Separate dropdown lists appear for 300 and 600 or 900 gigabyte drives.

Figure 7. Select Amount of Storage

Note Table 10 on page 98 shows that the 2x Capacity Pool (R5) storage pool must be selected for a 3,000-user deployment with 1 GB mailboxes.

There are two supported methods to achieve this:

1. Select Use 14 Disks on the Select Amount of Storage window.

2. Run the Disk Configuration Wizard twice to create two storage pools with seven disks each, based on the same storage pool profile. This method is recommended because it is easier to manage.

For an Exchange 2010 DAG deployment, provision each DAG copy in a separate storage pool. The example presented in this document is sufficient for one DAG copy; repeat this procedure for each additional DAG copy.



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11. Click Next. The Summary window appears (Figure 8).

Figure 8. Summary



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12. Verify the information is correct, and then click Finish. The Results window appears (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Results

13. Verify the Disk Configuration Wizard completed successfully, and then click Close.


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Chapter 4 VNXe Connectivity Configuration


VNXe connectivity overview ...................................................................... 36

Configure iSCSI target .............................................................................. 36

Configure host entry ................................................................................ 41

VNXe Connectivity Configuration


36

VNXe connectivity overview This chapter describes how to configure the VNXe for connectivity to the Exchange host. The configuration process requires two independent steps:

• Create iSCSI target: Configure the VNXe storage processor network interfaces to accept connections from the Exchange host.

• Create host entry: Identify the intended Exchange hosts to the VNXe.

Configure iSCSI target The iSCSI Storage Server is the VNXe software component that performs storage management, and monitors operations associated with the iSCSI-based storage. To use VNXe iSCSI storage, the system requires that at least one iSCSI server be configured.

VNXe3100, VNXe3150, and VNXe3300 can each have up to 12 iSCSI servers per storage processor (SP). The Exchange deployment described in this guide utilizes a single iSCSI server with redundant network paths configured on SP A. Multiple iSCSI servers should be balanced across the SPs for load-balancing.

In addition to the public IP address and its associated DNS alias used for login purposes, two additional IP addresses, their subnet mask, and their VLAN ID (if applicable) are required. EMC recommends that the IP addresses, subnet mask, and VLAN ID be in the same IP subnet as the iSCSI initiator addresses that will be configured on the Exchange host in Chapter 6.

To create an iSCSI server, complete the following steps:


2. Select Settings > iSCSI Server Settings (Figure 10).

Figure 10. iSCSI Server Settings



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The iSCSI Server Settings window appears (Figure 11).

4. Click Add iSCSI Server.

Note Add iSCSI Server is available only for administrators.

Figure 11. Add iSCSI Server

The iSCSI Server Wizard appears (Figure 12).

5. Specify the network details for the iSCSI server:

a. Click Show advanced to expose all fields.

b. In the Server Name field, type a name specific to this iSCSI server.

Note Since the server is associated with a specific SP, it may be helpful to use that SP in the name. For example, Exc2010-spA-1 for the first instance of an iSCSI server for Exchange 2010 on storage processor A.

c. In the IP Address field, type the IP address of the iSCSI Server.

Note The address entered here is dedicated for iSCSI storage connectivity. Do not use the public (logon) address.

d. In the Subnet Mask field, type the subnet mask.

e. In the Gateway field, type the gateway address.

f. In the Storage Processor list box, select the storage processor for the iSCSI server.

Ensure consideration is given to current and expected processor loads.

g. In the Ethernet Port list box, select the desired port.



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h. If VLAN tagging is in use, click click to edit to expose the entry:

i. Acknowledge the warning popup.

ii. In the VLAN ID field, type the VLAN.

Note The associated VLAN ID for iSCSI server ranges from 0 to 4095. The default value is 0.

Figure 12. iSCSI server details

6. Click Next. The Server Summary window appears (Figure 13).

7. Verify the iSCSI Server settings, and then click Finish.



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Figure 13. iSCSI Server Summary

The Results window appears (Figure 14).

8. Verify the iSCSI server was created successfully, and then click Close.

Figure 14. Results



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The iSCSI Servers window reappears.

9. Select the new server, and then click Details to begin steps for adding a redundant network interface.

The iSCSI Server Details window appears (Figure 15).

10. Click Add Network Interface (red arrow) to expose the fields to enter secondary network information:

a. In the IP Address field, type a secondary IP address.

b. In the Subnet Mask field, type the subnet mask.

c. Click Show advanced.

d. In the Ethernet Port list box, select an Ethernet port that is different from the one selected in step 5.g on page 37.

e. If VLAN tagging is in use, click click to edit:

i. Acknowledge the warning popup.

ii. In the VLAN ID field, type the VLAN.

f. Click the Apply Changes button.

Note No confirmation window will appear after the new interface information is added — Unisphere returns to the iSCSI Server Details window with the new changes (Figure 16).

Figure 15. iSCSI Server Details



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Figure 16. iSCSI Server Details with changes added

The iSCSI Server creation process is complete.

Configure host entry In the previous section, an iSCSI server, also known as an iSCSI target, was configured to receive incoming requests from an Exchange mailbox server.

This section provides steps for identifying an Exchange server as a valid user, or iSCSI initiator, of the VNXe.

Note The process for configuring the Exchange server to access the VNXe storage is covered in Chapter 6 Exchange Host Server Connectivity Configuration.

To configure a host on the VNXe platform, complete the following steps: 1. Log in to Unisphere as an administrator.

2. Select Hosts > Hosts (Figure 17).

Figure 17. Selecting the Hosts dialog box



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The Hosts window appears (Figure 18).

3. Click Create Host. The Specify Name window appears (Figure 19).

Figure 18. Hosts window

4. On the Specify Name window, type a name and description for the host configuration:

a. In the Name field, type a name for the host configuration.

b. In the Description field, optionally type a description for the host configuration.

Figure 19. Enter name and description

5. Click Next. The Operating System window appears (Figure 20).

6. Specify the host operating system. For Microsoft Exchange deployments, different versions of Microsoft Windows are available to choose from:

In the Operating System list box, select a version of Windows.



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Figure 20. Select operating system

7. Click Next. The Network Address window appears (Figure 21).

8. Specify the host network interface:

Note If you are using VLANs to isolate traffic, specify the interface that is visible from the VNXe platform.

a. Select Network Name or IP Address.

b. In the appropriate field, type the network name or IP address.

Note In this example, the public (login) IP is used. The IP identifies the host to the VNXe; dedicated addresses will be configured on the host for actual iSCSI connectivity.

Figure 21. Add network address of host

9. Click Next. The iSCSI Access window appears (Figure 22).



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10. Specify the iSCSI access details:

a. In the IQN field, type the host IQN. To obtain the IQN:

i. Log on to the Exchange host.

ii. Type iSCSI Initiator in the Start > Search programs and files field.

iii. Click the program to start it.

A prompt to start the service will appear on first access.

iv. The iSCSI Initiator Properties window appears.

v. Click the Configuration tab.

vi. Copy the IQN from the Initiator Name field.

vii. Paste the IQN into the IQN field.

b. In the CHAP Secret field, type the password (12 to 16) characters if CHAP is configured.

In the Confirm CHAP Secret field, re-type the CHAP password.

Note Optional CHAP authentication may require additional infrastructure resources, and is not covered in this guide.

Figure 22. iSCSI Access


12. Verify the details and then click Finish.



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Figure 23. Summary




46

13. Verify the host configuration was successful, and then click Close.

Figure 24. Results


47

Chapter 5 Exchange Storage Provisioning


Storage provisioning overview ................................................................. 48

Configure Exchange storage ..................................................................... 48

Exchange Storage Provisioning


48

Storage provisioning overview This chapter provides steps for configuring Exchange storage utilizing the storage pool and Exchange host entry created in Chapter 3 Physical Storage Allocation on VNXe: Storage Pools and Chapter 4 VNXe Connectivity Configuration.

Configure Exchange storage To configure storage for Exchange, complete the following steps:


2. Select Storage > Microsoft Exchange (Figure 25).

Figure 25. Unisphere Dashboard

The Microsoft Exchange Storage window appears (Figure 26).

Figure 26. Microsoft Exchange Storage page

3. Click Create. The Microsoft Exchange Wizard appears (Figure 27).



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4. Specify a name and description for this instance:

a. In the Name field, type a name for the Exchange storage resource.

b. In the Description field, optionally enter a description for the Exchange storage resource.

Figure 27. Microsoft Exchange Wizard — Specify Name

5. Click Next. The Select Exchange Version window appears (Figure 28).

6. Specify the Exchange version details:

a. Select Exchange 2007 or Earlier or Exchange 2010.

b. For Exchange 2010, select Member of a High Availability Data Availability Group (DAG) if the DAG functionality will be used in this deployment.

Figure 28. Select Exchange version

Note Choosing the DAG membership setting affects the provisioning best practices that will be applied and, in turn, the size and number of databases created. Use this option carefully to avoid inappropriate sizing in the Exchange environment. Note that the example used here includes DAG provisioning.

Note If there is a question about DAG membership, do not select it.



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7. Click Next. The Specify Storage Configuration window appears (Figure 29).

8. Specify the number and size of the mailboxes:

a. In the Requested Mailboxes field, specify the number of mailboxes to create

b. In the At Average Mailbox Size field, type the average size of the mailboxes, and select a unit of measure from the list box to the right

Note It is important that the number of users / mailbox size combination used to create that allocation is used here as Exchange is provisioned on that storage pool. Review the recommendations for the number and size of the mailboxes in Appendix B Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations.

c. Click Preview Allocation.

Clicking Preview Allocation shows how the logical disk objects will be allocated for the Exchange deployment. For a 1,000 user DAG deployment, the wizard provisions two databases (Figure 30) in accordance with Microsoft guidelines for DAG configurations. If DAG is not selected, a different set of best practices is applied when the databases are configured (Figure 31).

Note The allocation can be modified from this window; this is an advanced option beyond the scope of this guide. The displayed allocations are driven by EMC best practices and should be modified only with full understanding of ramifications to the overall Exchange environment.

Note For planning purposes, it is important to note the size and the number of Exchange databases provisioned. Each database requires a certain amount of space for background maintenance.

Note It is important to note that the deployment wizard only provisions one DAG copy. For additional copies, provision for additional resources.

Note For Exchange 2007 deployments set up the size of the public folders in this step.



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Figure 29. Specify Storage Configuration

Figure 30. Select advanced allocation options — With DAG



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Figure 31. Select advanced allocation options — Without DAG

9. Click Next. The Configure Storage Pool window appears (Figure 32). This window displays the recommended storage pool configuration.

10. Specify the storage pool for the Exchange deployment:

a. If the storage pool created for the Exchange deployment in Chapter 3 Physical Storage Allocation on VNXe: Storage Pools is not listed as the recommended storage pool:

i. Click Change Storage Pool

ii. Select the correct storage pool

Note In the example in Figure 32, the correct storage pool is shown as the recommended storage pool.

Note If required, select the Thin: Enabled option to provision storage on-demand for the Exchange resource. In this mode, the array creates all the proper objects to support the required users and their full allocated space. However, only a small amount of that space is actually consumed. This option is not recommended for Exchange.



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Figure 32. Configure storage pool

11. Click Next. The Configure Host Access window appears (Figure 33). This window displays a list of the currently configured hosts.

12. Specify the host access for this deployment:

In the Access list box for the Exchange host, select Virtual Disks.

Note The Virtual Disks and Snapshots option in the Access list box is covered later in this document.

Figure 33. Configure host access



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13. Click Next. The Configure Protection window appears (Figure 34).

Optionally, configure snapshots for the Exchange storage. Snapshots allow the array to maintain a point-in-time view of the storage. This is very useful for various recovery options. The mailbox sizing guidance explained earlier does not account for snapshots. If snapshots are desired in the environment, the pool creation step accounts for the space required.

Note The Configure Protection page states external software products are required to manage the snapshots and replication sessions. EMC Replication Manager can be used. Replication Manager provides application-aware consistency and a common management interface across all EMC product families.

14. Specify the protection options for the storage pool:

a. If snapshots are desired, select Allow snapshots for this storage resource.

Appendix C iSCSI Snapshot Sizing provides more information about snapshots.

b. If snapshots will not be used, select Do not configure protection settings for this storage resource.

Figure 34. Select snapshot protection



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16. Verify the details, and then click Finish.

The proper logical disk objects are created and provisioned to the Exchange Mailbox server. Proceed to Chapter 6 Exchange Host Server Connectivity Configuration to configure the Exchange host to connect to the newly created storage.

Figure 35. Configure protection size



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57

Chapter 6 Exchange Host Server Connectivity Configuration


Set up a Windows host to use VNXe iSCSI storage .................................... 58

Volume configuration ............................................................................... 69

Exchange Host Server Connectivity Configuration


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Set up a Windows host to use VNXe iSCSI storage In Chapter 4 VNXe Connectivity Configuration, an iSCSI server (also known as an iSCSI target) was configured to receive incoming requests for stored data. This chapter describes configuration of the corresponding iSCSI initiator, which connects the Exchange host to the target over Ethernet.

The steps in this section have the following dependencies: 1. The Exchange host is running Windows Server 2008 R2.

Note The overall procedure is applicable to other versions of Microsoft Winodws, however other versions may have different interfaces. The Microsoft product documentation for iSCSI configuration provides more information.

2. Two network connections on the Exchange host (in addition to the public user login connection) are dedicated to iSCSI connectivity.

Note EMC recommends assigning either dedicated gigabit Ethernet NICs or TCP offload adapters (ToE adapters) to handle iSCSI traffic. It is not advisable to share the user-facing network connection for storage traffic.

Note This procedure assumes the VNXe is configured with two connections, which is the minimum requirement for high availability. However, the VNXe supports 1 to 4 connections.

3. Two IP addresses in the same subnet as the addresses configured on the VNXe iSCSI target in Chapter 4 VNXe Connectivity Configuration.

Note Ideally, the iSCSI connections are on a separate, private network dedicated to storage traffic. By placing storage traffic on its own network that is routed separately from the main network, the overall security of the storage infrastructure increases, and the overall configuration is simpler

Bind iSCSI IPs to network interfaces To bind the Exchange host iSCSI initiator addresses to network interfaces, complete the following steps:

1. Log in to the Windows Server 2008 R2-based Exchange host with

administrator rights

2. Start Server Manager and then click View Network Connections (Figure 36).



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Figure 36. Opening the network connections window

The Network Connections window opens (Figure 37).

3. Right-click the appropriate network connection and select Properties.

Note Local Area Connection 2 is the appropriate connection in this example.

Figure 37. Network Connections window

The Local Area Connection Properties dialog box opens (Figure 38).

4. Open the appropriate Internet Protocol Version properties. This guide assumes IPv4 is in use.

a. Clear Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).

b. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)

c. Click Properties.



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Figure 38. Local Area Connection properties

The Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties dialog box opens (Figure 39).

5. Specify iSCSI storage network information as shown

a. Click Use the following IP address

b. In the IP Address field, type the IP address.

c. In the Subnet Mask field, type the subnet mask.

d. In the Default Gateway field, type the default gateway.

e. Specify DNS information if desired (static IP addresses are used throughout this guide).

f. Click OK.



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Figure 39. Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties dialog box

If a private subnet (differing from the public user login subnet) is used for iSCSI connectivity, a warning dialog box will appear concerning multiple default gateways. Click Yes to accept and return to the Local Area Connection properties dialog box.

6. Click Close to complete the process.

7. If applicable, steps 5 and 6 to configure another network with the second iSCSI address.

Note Local Area Connection 3 is the second connection in this example.



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Connect host to VNXe storage To connect the Exchange host to VNXe storage configured in Chapter 5 Exchange Storage Provisioning, complete the following steps:

1. Open iSCSI Initiator from the Start menu.

Note When accessing the iSCSI initiator for the first time, a popup will appear noting that the service must be started. Click Yes to start the service.

The iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box appears (Figure 40).

2. Click the Discovery tab, and then click Discover Portal.

The Discover Target Portal dialog box appears (Figure 41).

Figure 40. iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box

The Discover Target Portal dialog box appears (Figure 41).

3. Specify the target portal information:

a. In the IP address or DNS name field, type one of the IP addresses of the VNXe iSCSI server configured in Chapter 4.

b. Click OK.

A popup will appear if the iSCSI initiator is unable to reach its intended target. Although the wizard will add the intended target to the Target portals list, it is recommended that the issue be resolved before continuing. Troubleshooting failed network connections is beyond the scope of this guide.



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Figure 41. Discover Target Portal dialog box

4. On the Discovery tab of the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box, verify the following information (Figure 42):

a. The Address column displays the address entered for the iSCSI Target in step 3.a.

b. The Port column displays 3260.

c. The Adapter and IP Address columns display Default.

Figure 42. iSCSI target added

5. Click the Targets tab, select the VNXe target in the Discovered targets pane and then click Connect (Figure 43).



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Figure 43. Connect to a target

The Connect to Target dialog box appears (Figure 44).

6. Click Advanced.

Figure 44. Connect to Target dialog box



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The Advanced Settings dialog appears (Figure 45).

7. Specify the advanced settings for the iSCSI target:

a. In the Local adapter list box, select Microsoft iSCSI Adapter.

b. In the Initiator IP list box, select the IP address configured for Local Area Connection 2.

c. In the Target portal IP list box, select one of the two IP addresses configured for the iSCSI server in Chapter 4 VNXe Connectivity Configuration.

Figure 45. Advanced Settings dialog box with default values

8. Click OK. The Connect to Target window reappears (Figure 44).

9. Click OK to return to the iSCSI Initiator Properties window.

10. Verify the status of the iSCSI target is Connected.

Configure multiple connections per session To increase storage availability by configuring multiple connections per session, complete the following steps:

1. Open the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box from the Start menu, or

continue from Step 9.



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2. On the Targets tab, select the VNXE target in the Discover targets pane (Figure 43) and verify the status is Connected.

3. Click Properties.

The Properties dialog box appears (Figure 46).

4. Edit the properties of the VNXe iSCSI target:

a. In the Identifier pane, select the session ID.

b. Click MCS.

Figure 46. iSCSI target

The Multiple Connected Session (MCS) dialog box appears (Figure 47).

5. Click Add.



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Figure 47. Multiple Connected Session (MCS) dialog box

The Add Connection dialog box appears (Figure 48).

6. Click Advanced.

Figure 48. Add Connection dialog box

The Advanced Settings dialog box appears (Figure 49).

7. Complete the following steps:

a. In the Initiator IP list box, select the second ISCSI initiator IP, typically bound to Local Area Connection 3.

b. In the Target portal IP list box, select the second IP configured on the iSCSI server in Chapter 4 VNXe Connectivity Configuration.



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c. Verify Data digest, Header digest, and Enable CHAP logon are not selected.

d. Click OK to return to the Add Connection dialog (Figure 48).

8. Click Connect on the Add Connection dialog box to establish the connection and return to the Multiple Connected Session (MCS) dialog box.

Figure 49. MCS add connection Advanced Settings The Multiple Connected Sessions dialog box appears displaying two connections (Figure 50):

MCS policy may be left as Round Robin.

Note Testing shows Round Robin is best in an environment with equivalent network paths. For other configurations, the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator software documentation provides more information.



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Figure 50. New connection added

9. Click OK. The Properties dialog box reappears (Figure 46).

10. Click OK. The ISCSI Initiator Properties window reappears.

11. Click OK.

Volume configuration After the iSCSI connection with the VNXe target is established, the VNXe storage appears to the Windows host as two or more new, uninitialized disks. This section explains the procedures to create and configure volumes on the new disks, completing the Exchange deployment setup.

Create and configure disk volumes The Windows Disk Manager sees the Exchange storage provisioned in Chapter 5 Exchange Storage Provisioning as two or more new, uninitialized disks: a larger disk for each database and a smaller one for the corresponding log file. Thus, if four



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databases were created in Chapter 5 Exchange Storage Provisioning, Disk Manager sees eight new, uninitialized disks.

Complete the following steps to prepare the uninitialized disks for use: 1. To verify the number of disks to be formatted, complete the following steps:

a. From the Start menu, select Administrative Tools > Open iSCSI Initiator.

The iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box appears.

b. Click the Targets tab.

The list of available targets appears in the Discovered targets area.

c. Click Devices.

The Devices dialog box appears (Figure 51).

2. Verify the number of disks and the disk names are correct, and then click OK.

Figure 51. Devices: iSCSI-connected disks

3. Click OK to exit the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box.

4. On the Windows host, open Server Manager.

5. In the left pane, expand Storage and select Disk Management.

The Disk Management window appears.

Each new disk displays as Unknown and Offline (Figure 52). Note the correlation of disk names to the names shown in Figure 51.



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Figure 52. Disk management

6. Right-click the first uninitialized disk, then click Online (Figure 53).

Repeat this for all offline disks.

Figure 53. Select Initialize Disk

7. Once the disks are online, right-click one and select Initialize Disk.



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The Initialize Disk dialog box appears (Figure 54).

8. To initialize the disks, complete the following steps:

a. Select the disks to initialize.

b. Select MBR (MBR Boot Record).

c. Click OK.

Figure 54. Initialize Disk dialog box

9. Right-click the online raw disk, and select New Simple Volume (Figure 55).

Figure 55. Create new simple volume

The New Simple Volume Wizard appears (Figure 56).



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Figure 56. New Simple Volume Wizard

10. Click Next. The Specify Volume Size window appears (Figure 57).

11. Verify the simple volume size matches the maximum disk space, and then click Next.

Figure 57. Specify Volume Size

The Assign Drive Letter or Path window appears (Figure 58).

12. Select a drive letter, and then click Next.

Note NTFS mount can also be used. In this case, mount a local drive to an empty folder on an NTFS volume by using a drive path instead of a drive letter.



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Figure 58. Select a drive letter

The Format Partition window appears (Figure 59).

13. Complete the following steps:

a. Select Format this volume with the following settings.

b. In the File system list box, select NTFS.

c. In the Allocation unit size list box, select 64K.

d. In the Volume label field, type a name for the volume.

Note Remember that smaller volumes will contain logs when deciding naming conventions.

e. Verify Perform a quick format is selected.

Figure 59. Select drive format settings



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14. Click Next. The Completing the New Simple Volume Wizard window appears (Figure 60).

Figure 60. Completing the New Simple Volume Wizard


A new volume is created.

16. Repeat steps 7-12 for each new, uninitialized disk.

The storage is prepared for Exchange. The Microsoft Exchange product documentation provides more information about how to setup Exchange on VNXe storage.



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77

Chapter 7 Management of Exchange on VNXe


Monitor and manage Exchange environments ........................................... 78

Expand existing deployments................................................................... 78

System resource utilization ...................................................................... 82

Monitor system health ............................................................................. 83

System performance ................................................................................ 85

Management of Exchange on VNXe


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Monitor and manage Exchange environments After the Exchange storage is deployed, it must be managed and monitored to diagnose and fix problems, and to manage growth. This chapter explains how to expand existing deployments and monitor the status of the VNXe.

Expand existing deployments As a company grows, users are added. However, this growth can cause problems if new users do not have the resources they require. It is a best practice to initially provision Exchange environments with some room for immediate growth. For example, if there are 200 users now and 300 users are expected to join by the end of the year, it is a best practice to provision for 300 users.

Expanding the storage for the Exchange deployment extends the total amount of storage available to Exchange. It does not lead to a performance increase.

VNXe also provides the ability to expand the deployment beyond the original scope.

Expand storage pools To expand storage pools, perform the following:





3. Click Configure Disks to open the Disk Configuration Wizard (Figure 62).




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The Select Configuration Mode window appears (Figure 63).

a. Select Manually add disks to an existing pool.

b. In the Select Pool list box, select the storage pool where the disks will be added.

Figure 63. Add disks to an existing pool

4. Click Next. The Select Amount of Storage window appears (Figure 64).

Note On the VNXe platform, drives are added to storage pools in multiples of the base RAID group size. For example, if the initial RAID group was five drives, the pool can be expanded by 5, 10, or 15 drives

Figure 64. Select number of drives to add



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Figure 65. Summary window




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Figure 66. Results window

7. Click Close to return to the Storage Pools window.

Add users to an existing deployment The decision process for adding mailboxes to an existing group, or adding a group to the pool, is highly dependent on the Exchange architecture and is beyond the scope of this document.

To add users to an existing deployment, navigate to Storage > Microsoft Exchange > Exchange Details (Figure 67).



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Figure 67. Exchange expansion options

Note After expanding the storage resource available to the Exchange server, expand the Windows volume to take advantage of the extra space. Expand storage pools on page 78 provides more information.

The VNXe storage arrays provide a simple dashboard interface to examine the health of the system. This section describes some of the features.

System resource utilization Select System > System Capacity.

The Storage Resource View in the System Capacity page shows the system utilization graph (Figure 68). This graph shows the percentage of storage in use, broken down by application.

Figure 68. System capacity — Storage Resource View



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Click the Utilization History View tab.

The System Utilization History graph shows the history of the storage utilization (Figure 69). Moving the cursor over the top of the plot line shows the usage by specific date.

Figure 69. System capacity — Utilization History View

These graphs help administrators identify and understand trends and patterns in capacity needs in advance so there is sufficient time to plan for the future. Examine these graphs periodically to observe trends, and conduct resource planning.

Monitor system health Select System > System Health.

The System Health window (Figure 70) displays the state of the array components. It provides both an interactive graphical interface, and an expandable list of hardware components. Select a component to display a description and health information.

The GUI displays a graphical “carousel,” where selecting the various components brings them to the front.

The carousel contains:

• Front and rear view of the disk processor enclosure (DPE)

• Front and rear view of the disk-array enclosure (DAE)

If more than one DAE is present, all DAEs appear in the carousel. To display information about a particular system component, click one of the following:

• An element of the hardware graphic

• An element in the expandable component list



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If the component is faulted or has any issue, a pop-up window appears with descriptive information.

Figure 70. System health

A detailed description of the selected component is provided in the Component Description pane.

Table 2 lists the icons for various health status levels.

Table 2. Health status icons

Select System > Storage Resource Health.

The Storage Resource Health window (Figure 71) provides an up/down status of existing storage resources. Select a resource to display additional information.



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Figure 71. Storage Resource Health pages

System performance Select System > System Performance.

The System Performance window displays array activity over time (Figure 72). Click Timeframe in any pane and adjust the slider to change the 24 hour default timeframe.

Figure 72. CPU, network, and volume activity



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Alerts Select System > System Alerts.

The System Alerts window (Figure 73) displays the alerts reported by the VNXe. Select an alert to view the details and severity in the Alert Information pane.

Figure 73. Show system alerts

Table 3 lists the icons for the various severity levels.

Table 3. Alert severity



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System logs Select System > Logs.

The Logs window displays the logs saved in the system (Figure 74). Login attempts promoted to alerts are also listed.

Figure 74. System logs

Table 4 lists the logging standards for various icons.

Table 4. Logging standards



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Support The VNXe interface has integrated support features. Select the help options directly from the user interface (Figure 75).

Figure 75. Support options

VNXe online documentation is accessible from the array interface. Use this interface to attend online training sessions, participate in the VNXe community, and search for EMC Support.


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Appendix A Adding a Hot Spare

This appendix presents the following topic:

Adding a new Hot Spare ........................................................................... 90

Adding a Hot Spare


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Adding a new Hot Spare Complete the following steps to add a new drive to the hot spare pool:





3. Click Configure Disks to open the Disk Configuration Wizard (Figure 77).


The Disk Configuration Wizard appears (Figure 78).

4. Select the storage pool configuration mode:

a. Select Manually add disks to an existing pool

b. In the Select pool list box, select Hot Spare Pool box

Adding a Hot Spare


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Figure 78. Selecting the configuration mode

5. Click Next. The Configure Spares window appears. This window shows all types of drives in the system (Figure 79).

6. Select the number of hot spares to configure from each list box. The recommended number of hot spares is indicated with an asterisk.

Adding a Hot Spare


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Figure 79. Select number of spares

The Summary window appears (Figure 80).

7. Click Next. The Summary page appears.

8. Click Finish. The Results page appears (Figure 81).

Adding a Hot Spare


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Adding a Hot Spare


94

9. Click Close. The Storage Pools page appears.



95

Appendix B Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations

This appendix presents the following topics:

Storage configuration overview ................................................................ 96

Using the recommendation tables ............................................................ 97

Exchange 2007 on VNXe3100 recommendations ...................................... 97






96

Storage configuration overview The application-driven approach to storage management used on the VNXe series provides wizards to configure physical storage and apply application-specific best practices. While this approach isolates the Exchange administrator from most of the complexities of architecting shared storage, it is important to make appropriate selections when using the Disk Configuration Wizard.

The combinations shown in the tables are tested and approved.

How the VNXe allocates disks to a Storage Pool To create a storage pool, a predetermined number of disks are configured into a RAID group based on information supplied through the Disk Configuration Wizard. Together, the type, number, and RAID configuration of disks in the pool constitute a storage profile (Table 5). The Disk Configuration Wizard presents and recommends available profile options based on the number and type of disks installed.

It is very important to understand that each storage profile will present a minimum, fixed capacity based on the disk size and RAID configuration, and the pool space can be increased (or decreased) only in RAID-dependent multiples, as shown in Table 5.

In general, the recommended options will fit in this minimum capacity1, but a simple calculation of the number of users multiplied by the mailbox size should be done, and the result should fit in the space reported for the pool2.

Table 5. VNXe storage profiles

Storage profile (storage pool type)

Disk type (available sizes) RAID configuration Disks assigned in

multiples of Balanced Perf/Capacity (Performance Pool)

SAS (300, 600, 900 GB)

4+1 RAID 5 (VNXe3100) 4+1 RAID 5 (VNXe3150) 6+1 RAID 5 (VNXe3150 and VNXe3300)

5 (VNXe3100) 5 (VNXe3150) 7 (VNXe3150 and VNXe3300)

High Performance (Custom Pool)

SAS (300, 600, 900 GB)

3+3 RAID 1/0 6

High Capacity (Capacity)

NL-SAS (1, 2 TB)

4+2 RAID 6 6

1 The recommendations do not include space for snapshots. Appendix C iSCSI Snapshot Sizing provides additional information for snapshot planning. 2 The usable space on a given disk will be less than its raw capacity. Usable space in a storage pool can be affected by factors beyond the scope of this guide, so planning should be based on space reported by the VNXe as opposed to manual calculations.

Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations


97

Using the recommendation tables The following tables indicate the recommended storage profile for given combinations of number of users, mailbox size, Exchange version, and VNXe model.

Locate the desired number of users and maximum mailbox size in the appropriate table for the Exchange version and VNXe model. Select the indicated storage profile at step 3 of the Disk Configuration Wizard.

Deviating from the recommendations outlined in the tables may result in poor performance. Exceeding the maximum number of users shown in any of the tables, regardless of mailbox size, is likely to degrade performance.

Note The tables do not allow space for snapshots. If snapshots are desired, Appendix C iSCSI Snapshot Sizing provides more information.

Exchange 2007 on VNXe3100 recommendations

Table 6. Exchange 2007 on VNXe3100 examples

Maximum mailbox size

Users 300 GB Disks 600 GB Disks Recommended storage profile

350 1 GB 2 GB Balanced Perf/Capacity (R5) or High Performance (R10)

400 937 MB 1.875 GB 450 800 MB 1.6 GB 500 750 MB 1.5 GB 650 625 MB 1.25 GB

High Performance (R10) only 750 500 MB 1 GB 900 400 MB 800 MB 1,000 375 MB 750 MB


Table 7. Exchange 2010 users on VNXe3100 examples



300 1.25 GB 2.5 GB Balanced Perf/Capacity (R5) or High Performance (R10)

350 1 GB 2 GB 400 875 MB 1.75 GB 500 750 MB 1.5 GB 600 750 MB 1.5 GB

Balanced Perf/Capacity (R5) only 800 625 MB 1.25 GB 1,000 375 MB 750 MB


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Table 8. Exchange 2010 users on VNXe3150 examples


Users 300 GB Disks 600 GB Disks 900 GB Disks Recommended storage profile

300 1.67 GB 3.33 GB 5.00 GB Balanced Perf/Capacity (R5) or High Performance (R10)

350 1.43 GB 2.86 GB 4.29 GB 400 1.25 GB 2.50 GB 3.75 GB 500 1.00 GB 2.00 GB 3.00 GB 600 0.83 GB 1.67 GB 2.50 GB

Balanced Perf/Capacity (R5) only 800 0.62 GB 1.25 GB 1.86 GB 1,000 0.50 GB 1.00 GB 1.50 GB 1250 0.40GB 0.80 GB 1.20 GB

2x High Performance (R10)* 1500 0.33 GB 0.67 GB 1.00 GB

* Select 12 disks in step 4 of the Disk Configuration Wizard.





500 750 MB 1.5 GB Balanced Perf/Capacity (R5) or High Performance (R10)

750 500 MB 1 GB 1000 375 MB 750 MB 1500 250 MB 500 MB High Performance (R10) only 2000 375 MB 750 MB

2x High Performance (R10)* 3000 250 MB 500 MB

* Select 12 disks in step 4 of the Disk Configuration Wizard.



Maximum mailbox size* Users* 300 GB Disks 600 GB Disks Recommended storage profile 500 750 MB 1.5 GB High Performance (R10) 500 1.625 GB 3.25 GB Balanced Perf/Capacity (R5) 750 1 GB 2 GB 1,000 750 MB 1.5 GB 1,250 625 MB 1.25 GB 1,500 500 MB 1 GB 2,000 750 MB 1.5 GB 2x Balanced Perf/Capacity (R5)* 3,000 500 MB 1 GB

Storage Pool Overview and Recommendations


99

* To support the highest two tiers, select 14 disks in step 4 of the Disk Configuration Wizard.


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101

Appendix C iSCSI Snapshot Sizing


Snapshot overview .................................................................................. 102

Calculate space requirements .................................................................. 102


102

Snapshot overview A snapshot is a point-in-time view of an iSCSI data store. It is a foundation element of data recovery in the event of data corruption or system failure. For planning purposes, snapshots require the same amount of space as currently used by the data store plus additional space for new or changed data. The amount of storage pool space occupied by the iSCSI data store and snapshot depends on how much data changes from the time when the oldest snapshot is taken.

It can be difficult to determine the space required for a snapshot. The VNXe snapshot provisioning wizard recommends a reasonable protection size suitable for a wide variety of situations.

Note While the VNXe application-driven wizards help allocate space for snapshots, the actual capability to take and schedule snapshots is provided by additional software.

Calculate space requirements Consider the following aspects to calculate the space required in a pool:

• The size of the LUN. For a 100 GB LUN, the minimum pool size starts at 100

GB.

• For the first snapshot, provision enough space to ensure that the system stays stable and the data is protected even in a worst-case scenario. For example, if every single block of data in the LUN is changed while the snapshots are active, the pool requirement is doubled, that is, 200 GB.

• Enough space is required to accommodate subsequent snapshots, each with a variable amount of changed data. If you create snapshots every day for a week and about 10 percent of the data is expected to change, then the pool requirement becomes 270 GB (after adding the extra 10 percent multiplied by 7).

iSCSI Snapshot Sizing


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• Snapshots may be used at some point in time. If read-only access is required to the snapshot, then no additional space is required. However, to get write access to the snapshot, an additional amount of space that is proportional to the amount of data change is required. Therefore, if 1 percent of the data will change in the writeable copy, the required space for the pool is 271 GB for a 100 GB LUN.

A single snapshot presents the largest cost in terms of space reservation. As the number of snapshots grows, the amount of storage required changes by the data change rate for that snapshot.

Note The VNXe platform uses the same underlying technology as the EMC Celerra® product family. For a complete discussion of sizing considerations in a wide variety of use cases, The Sizing Considerations for iSCSI Replication on EMC Celerra—Technical Note available on the EMC Powerlink® website provides more information.

Note The sizing information presented in this section is only applicable to iSCSI LUNs. The shared folder snapshots on the VNXe platform use a different set of technologies that have different sizing requirements.


104


105

Appendix D CIFS Shared Folder Configuration


Using shared folders ................................................................................ 106

CIFS shared folder configuration overview ................................................ 106

Create a shared folder storage pool .......................................................... 106

Configure a shared folder server ............................................................... 106

Configure a shared folder ......................................................................... 111


106

Using shared folders Shared folders, or simply “shares,” have many uses. In context of this guide, a share is created as a backup location for Microsoft Exchange data, but the same procedure can be used to create shared folders for home directories or group shared folders.

CIFS shared folder configuration overview This section describes the process for configuring a Windows file share on VNXe utilizing the Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocol and the VNXe application-driven wizards.

There are three broad steps in creating a shared folder: 1. Create a shared folder storage pool

2. Configure a shared folder server

3. Configure shared folder storage

Create a shared folder storage pool Follow the steps described in Chapter 3 to allocate a storage pool for a shared backup folder with the following adjustments:

1. In step 5b, select the Manually create a new pool radio button and Shared

folders – Backup for the application.

2. In step 7, select the highest-rated disk type with sufficient maximum capacity.

Configure a shared folder server To configure a shared folder server, complete the following steps:


2. Click the Settings tab, and then click Shared Folder Server Settings (Figure 82).

CIFS Shared Folder Configuration


107

Figure 82. Shared Folder Server Settings location

The Shared Folder Server Settings dialog box appears (Figure 83).

Figure 83. Shared Folder Settings dialog

3. Click Add a Shared Folder Server.

The Shared Folder Server wizard appears (Figure 84).

4. Specify naming and connectivity information for the shared folder server:

a. In the Server Name field, type a name for the shared folder server.

b. In the IP Address field, type the IP address for the new share.

c. In the Subnet Mask field, type the subnet mask for the new share.

d. In the Gateway field, type the gateway for the new share.


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e. Click Show Advanced to expose storage processor, Ethernet port, and VLAN ID list selection options:

i. In the Storage Processor list box, select the default storage processor.

Note The selected storage processor will service requests to the shared folder. It is a best practice to balance overall array activity between the two storage processors on the system.

ii. In the Ethernet Port list box, select an unused port.

iii. If VLAN tagging is in use, click the click to edit, and in the VLAN ID list box, specify a VLAN ID for the new share.

Figure 84. Shared Folder Server wizard (with advanced fields exposed)



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5. Click Next. The Shared Folder Types window appears (Figure 85).

6. To select the services for the shared folder server, complete the following steps:

a. Select Windows shares (CIFS).

Note You can use both the NFS and CIFS protocols to access shared folders on the VNXe platform. For Exchange, only CIFS is required.

b. In the Windows Domain field, type the Windows domain name.

c. In the field below the DNS Servers field, type an IP address.

d. Click Add.

The IP address appears in the DNS Servers field.

e. In the User Name field, type a user ID with domain administrator rights in the target domain.

f. In the Password field, type the password.

Note It is a best practice to join the CIFS server to a domain and use Active Directory authentication instead of setting up local users on the storage array.

Figure 85. Shared Folder Types dialog

7. Click Next. The Server Summary window appears (Figure 86).

8. Verify the information is correct, and then click Finish.


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Figure 86. Server Summary

9. The Results window appears (Figure 87).

10. Verify success of each step and then click Close.




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The shared folder server appears in the Shared Folder Server Settings page.

Configure a shared folder After a shared folder server is configured, you can create a shared folder on it.

To configure a shared folder, complete the following steps:


2. Click the Storage tab, and then click Shared Folders (Figure 88).

Figure 88. Shared Folders Storage location

The Share Folders Storage window appears (Figure 89).

Figure 89. Shared Folders Storage window

3. Click Create. The Specify Shared Folder Name window appears (Figure 90).


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4. Specify the folder naming details:

a. In the Name field, type a name for the shared folder.

Note Provide an appropriate share name so that you can identify it later.

b. In the Description field, optionally type a description for the shared folder.

Figure 90. Specify Shared Folder Name

5. Click Next. The Configure Shared Folder Storage window appears (Figure 91).

6. Configure the folder settings:

a. Select the storage pool created in the first section of this chapter.

b. In the Size field, type a size for the shared folder, and select the unit of capacity from the list box to the right.

c. If desired, select Thin: Enabled.



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Figure 91. Configure Shared Folder Storage

7. Click Next. The Configure Shared Folder Attributes window appears (Figure 92).

8. Specify the shared folder attributes:

a. Verify Windows shares (CIFS) is selected.

b. Optionally, click Show advanced and select other options as needed.

OpLocks is selected by default.

Note The deduplication feature increases file storage efficiency by eliminating redundant data from stored files, thereby saving storage space and cost.

Note The VNXe FLR feature provides a way to set file-based permissions to limit write access to the files for a specific period of time. Use this if there are regulatory compliance restrictions on the file system. EMC does not recommend this option unless it is required, because the implications of such policy are extensive.


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Note Opportunistic file locks (OpLocks) allow CIFS clients to buffer file data locally before sending it to a server. CIFS clients can work with files locally and periodically communicate changes to the VNXe platform rather than communicate every operation over the network to the VNXe platform. OpLocks is selected in the wizard by default for Windows (CIFS) shared folders. Unless the application handles critical data or has specific requirements that make this mode or operation unfeasible, EMC recommends selecting OpLocks.

Figure 92. Configure Shared Folder Attributes

9. Click Next. The Configure Windows Share window appears (Figure 93).

10. In the Name field, type a name for the share.

Users will use this name to connect to the shared folder.



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Figure 93. Configure Windows Share

11. Click Next. The Configure Protection window appears (Figure 94).

12. Specify the protection storage size:

Note In this example, a backup target is not required. Therefore, the Do not configure protection storage for this storage resource option is selected. However, for other cases, snapshots and a snapshot schedule can be enabled.


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Figure 94. Shared folder protection


Note The number of steps changes from eight to seven as a result of skipping the protection configuration dialog box.


Figure 95. Summary



117


Figure 96. Results

15. Verify success of folder and share creation and then click Close.

The share is now ready for use.


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119

Appendix E Using the Windows Server Backup Utility


Introduction to the Windows Server Backup utility .................................... 120

Windows Server Backup prerequisites ...................................................... 120

Create a backup in Windows Server .......................................................... 120


120

Introduction to the Windows Server Backup utility The Windows Server Backup utility is a snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). It provides a wizard-driven backup and recovery interface to protect data. For the purposes of this guide, it will be installed on the Exchange mailbox server and used to back up the Exchange databases.

Windows Server Backup prerequisites Windows Server Backup is an installable feature of the Windows Server 2008 operating system. While Windows Server 2008 roles and features administration is beyond the scope of this guide, the following outline steps will enable the backup feature:

1. Log in to the Exchange mailbox server as an administrator.

2. Start Server Manager.

3. Under Customize This Server, click the Add Features link to open the Add Features Wizard.

4. In the Select Features dialog box of the wizard, locate and expand the Windows Server Backup Features feature:

a. Select (check) both Windows Server Backup and Command-line Tools.

b. Click Next.

5. On the Confirm Installation Selections dialog box, confirm choices and then click Install.

6. On the Installation Results dialog box, confirm successful installation and then click Close.

7. Close Server Manager.

Create a backup in Windows Server This section explains how to use the Windows Server Backup wizard to create a backup for a sample Exchange environment. Complete instructions for all available options, including the wbadmin command line interface, are provided in the Windows Server Backup Step-by-Step Guide for Windows Server 2008 on the Microsoft TechNet website (technet.microsoft.com).

Note The following steps describe a single-instance backup, which should be executed to ensure that all paths and selections are correct. Thereafter, apply scheduled backup to provide ongoing protection.

To create a backup, complete the following steps:

1. Click Start > Administrative Tools > Windows Server Backup. The Windows Server Backup window appears (Figure 97).

Using the Windows Server Backup Utility


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Figure 97. Windows Server Backup GUI

2. Click Action > Backup Once. The Backup Once Wizard appears (Figure 98).

Note For information on scheduled backups, consult the step-by-step guide referenced at the top of this section.

No choices are available.

Figure 98. Backup Once Wizard

3. Click Next. The Select Backup Configuration screen appears (Figure 99).


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4. Specify the backup options:

Select Custom.

Figure 99. Select Backup Configuration

5. Click Next. The Select Items for Backup window appears (Figure 100).

6. Click Add Items. The Select Items dialog box appears.

Figure 100. Select Items for Backup



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7. Select the volumes to be backed up and then click OK (Figure 101).

Note For Exchange backup, select only the data and log drives that are part of the Exchange installation. Do not select any non-Exchange drives. Follow Exchange best practices by unmounting the Exchange databases before backing them up

Figure 101. Select Items

The Select Items for Backup window reappears, populated with volumes to be backed up.

8. On the Select Items for Backup window, click Next.

The Specify Destination Type window appears (Figure 102).

9. Select Remote shared folder, and then click Next.


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Figure 102. Specify Destination Type

10. On the Specify Destination Type window, The Specify Remote Folder window appears (Figure 103).

11. Specify the remote folder details:

a. In the Type the path to the remote shared folder field, enter the path to the remote shared folder created in Appendix D CIFS Shared Folder Configuration (Export Path in the Summary screen as shown in Figure 95).

b. In the Access Control area, select Inherit or Do not Inherit based on the security needs of the environment.

Figure 103. Specify Remote Folder



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12. Click Next. The Confirmation screen appears (Figure 104).

13. Click Backup to begin the backup process.

Figure 104. Confirmation window

The Backup Progress window appears (Figure 105).

14. Click Close when the backup is complete.

Figure 105. Backup Progress


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127

Appendix F System Comparison and Limits


Model components and limits .................................................................. 128

Software configuration limits ................................................................... 129


128

Model components and limits The VNXe3100, 3150 and VNXe3300 run the same core software. However, the models use different hardware.

Table 11 compares the VNXe3100 and VNXe3300.

Table 11. VNXe model components and limits

Component VNXe3100 VNXe3150 VNXe3300

System memory (per storage processor)

4 GB 4 (single SP)

8 (dual SP)

12 GB

Connectivity options

12 x 1 GbE 6 x 1 GbE(single SP)

2x 10 GBaseT(single SP)

12 x 1 GbE(dual SP)

4x 10 GBaseT(single SP)

16 x 1 GbE

8 x 1 GbE and 4 x 10 GbE

Maximum number of disks

48 (single SP)

96 (dual SP)

50 (single SP)

100 (dual SP)

150

Allowed drive types

• 300 GB 15k SAS

• 600 GB 15k SAS

• 1 TB NL-SAS

• 2TB NL-SAS

• 100 GB Flash

• 200 GB Falsh

• 300 GB 15k SAS

• 600 GB 15k SAS

• 900 GB 10K SAS

• 1 TB NL-SAS

• 2 TB NL-SAS

• 3TB SAS

• 100 GB Flash

• 200 GB Falsh

• 300 GB 15k SAS

• 600 GB 15k SAS

• 900 GB 10K SAS

• 1 TB NL-SAS

• 2 TB NL-SAS

• 3TB SAS

System Comparison and Limits


129

Software configuration limits Table 12 describes the VNXe operating system limits.

Table 12. Software configuration limits

Parameter Limit

Hosts connected 500

Snapshots per virtual disk 2,000

Virtual disks 256

Snapshots per shared folder 96

Shared folders 500

Maximum virtual disk size 1.999 TB

Maximum shared folder size 15.533 TB

Open files 200,000

Concurrent connections 20,000

Documents

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