Advice on server migration.

Wow. There's a lot of speculative "Read somewhere on the net" BS in this thread...

Exchange and SQL don't really hammer the box at all on their own. I can install both in VMs on my laptop and they'll work fine. The required resource depends solely on the concurrent access loading. So assuming installing both on common hardware would overload it is clear indication of lack off knowledge/experience/concept of scalability.
Even then CPU usage isn't really ever a bottleneck (unless you install the IIS(or similar) front end on the SQL server too).
The two resources both Exchange and SQL will munch up when under heavy load is Memory and IOPs. Which in a virtual environment are easy to come by. Especially when SANs are involved, networked storage pretty much gives you IOPs on tap.

I'm with ethos on this.

For smaller applications provided your underlying arrays are properly configured as is the SQL server configured correctly, the OP setup is fine. Just ensure you make the most of what you have, EG. 50:50 read and write cache ratio on the controllers, RAID1, or 10 not 5 6 or 50. You split up your ldf,mdf and binaries (and tempDB depending on how your DB Schema works) onto devices with separate I/O queues and use MPIO where possible.

Directed primarily towards ThorpedoUK - You might have seen it all and done it. But so have I....except mine all worked? Though if I set all my disk trays to run in RAID6 not RAID10 I could probably mimic your results.

Further note regarding consultancy, most of the people selling you vSphere are also reseller partners of a major SAN Manufacturer, so will often try to get you to buy some. This shouldn't be interpreted as a performance benchmark any more than any other sales shpeel.

Let us not also forget costs as a factor. Generally speaking VMs start to pay off when you can virtualise 4 or more physical boxes onto one. You also only get the best out of Virtualisation when you can implement Hardware independant high availability etc, which requires 3 physical boxes and 3 licenses and isn't really cost effective for two virtual machines.
 
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Good post Skidilliplop, pretty much how I would have summed it up if I had made the effort in my original post.
 
slylittlefox said:
This. We do it at over 50 client sites around the country on inexpensive servers.

Thorpedo, you must appreciate that your experience != everybody's experience. And your "I don't care, I'm right" attitude makes you come across as a right ****.
Click to expand...

Sorry guys, one too many shandies that night, didn't mean to sound arrogant :)

I too would be interested to know how it went!
 
Im homeeeee! (have been for a week!)
Well it all went to pot, Why?
here is why...
We have our equipment set up in a room that is not suited for the purpose, small space, above a boiler room and no aircon, With only half of the hardware on the heat was already getting our of hand, the architects had apparently estimated the heat output and had planned for an extractor fan to do this job!
i raised concerns on day one, the site foremen contacted heating consultants and not aircon consultants who said the heat was fine!
I refused to power the server on until there was adequate equipment to keep this cave at a constant 21 Celsius, Two days later we were sorted.

The job itself went like a dream, everything is virtualised on an ESX box not ESXi, performance was fantastic but as to be expected really, there are only 8 users for now.

I had an overlaying worry that i would be encountering serious performance issues since reading some of the above reply's but hey, it was a better sense of achievement when things went so well.

I was on site the estimated 2.5 days but over in Guernsey for 5, what a lovely place Guernsey is!.

I am making a return visit next week with the Ex-merged mailboxes and all user data, i now have to get BES 5.x installed and set up.

I wasn't aware at planning stages but there are a few Macs on site, i am a total numpty when it comes down to Macs, is there something i need to enable on the server for a Mac to join to the domain? i had managed to get the macs to browse to the CIFS shares that was about it :(

Thanks to all that helped me here. i don't know why i was so bothered as it all came back to me as i did the work.
 
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Thanks for the update.
As far as Comms rooms go that's not actually that bad :P it does need aircon though, but that'll sort it all.

I do love the switched spur with the sticker "do not turn off". If it's not supposed to turn off, use an un-switched fused spur! lol And a speed control... that'll be useful to you lol :)

I'm not even going to start imparting my experience of architects room/heat/power specs/air con engineers I'll be here all day.

Suffice to say i currently have a comms room in a rented office suite which has inadequate aircon and the aircon guys swear the room is a 20C despite the fact you can feel on your skin everything made of metal is warm to the touch in there.

I'll upload a PIC of where they put their sensor on which they based their conclusion in a moment.

Edit - Here be the pic!
lgqw9.jpg


HMMMMM WONDER WHY THAT READS 20 DEGREES EH?
 
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nice kit. could you explain what some of it is?

The first rack on the left looks like some kind of HDMI switch matrix for room distribution? The second rack looks like some kind of baluns for HDMI to Cat5? What in the next 2 racks?
 
Sorry, I have to put my cynical hat on again :p That one '£81k retail' server is running every app/service for the entire network?

Would be curious to know what all the AV kit it and what it does :)

Glad it went well!
 
Thanks all,

This kit you see is only half of the gear on site, the crazy thing is... this is an Estate over in Guernsey, the sort of place one could only dream of, absolutely out of this world... There is only one Family living here, their house keepers, butlers, estate manager, maintenance team and gardeners all live in houses on site too, so this equipment is just to power their entertainment needs.

I took our server out of that comms room until we had the air con sorted.

The Company i work for installed all of this hardware over a 3 year period so im not entirely sure what it all is myself!! :S

I can tell you though:
8 x 8 HDMI Matrix
8X8 - Intelix - DIGI-HDMI
5x Sky+ HD TB Boxes with some fancy switching system to be manged by a Pronto device rather than a remote.
2x DF Solutions Links - Media Streamers - Zone Players
2x 8TB Base Stations / Media Servers
6 Selves of Pronto Serial I/F Converters - Convert cat5 to serial for the Pronto devices throught the estate, (a pronto is a £1500 7" Touch screen tablet used as a remote)
1x Tray of Cat5/6 Extenders
R710 Server - Backup and DC
Two-Way Radio UHF Base Station
3 x AM/FM Tuner - 1U
3 x DAB Tuner
16 x 32 Audio Matrix ADA - Suite 16
4 x Xantech - PA635 Power Amplifier 2 - 2U
10 x Xantech - PA1235 Power Amplifier 1 - 3U
GES & CCTV Video Server
Telephone PBX Panasonic - KX-TDA100
Bunch of POE Switches for Intercoms, Gates, Lighting switches and AP's
3 x ADSL Modems.
Automated Gate system management.
Relay switch system for the grounds lighting, heated pools, sports center, under water TV and Sound and Water features.
 
What the kit does, in a nut shell, its an over the top home theater system.
Each and every room has TVs and Projectors with 5.1 / 7.2 sound.

The whole estate is managed by these hand held Pronto devices, they control everything and anything, so most of this hardware controls that side of things.
 
Wow.
I thought we were pushing the boat out a bit with IPTV and a VOD Portal in a hospital. Even the Hospitality systems we have serving 80 rooms pales in comparison to some of that kit!

I will remember your name next time they want to add some service or feature to the telly system here ;)
 
mast3r said:
Thanks all,

This kit you see is only half of the gear on site, the crazy thing is... this is an Estate over in Guernsey, the sort of place one could only dream of, absolutely out of this world... There is only one Family living here, their house keepers, butlers, estate manager, maintenance team and gardeners all live in houses on site too, so this equipment is just to power their entertainment needs.
Click to expand...

Very nice! :cool:

You work for 'CC'?
 
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