By having an installation guide, Contoso will be able to ensure standardization across the enterprise, reducing total cost of ownership (TCO), and easing troubleshooting steps.

The scope of this document is limited to installation of an Exchange 2010 Mailbox server for Contoso on the x64 version of the Windows Server 2008 (SP2 or R2) operating system.

The administrator should have working knowledge of Windows Server 2008 concepts, Exchange 2010 concepts, the Exchange Management Console and Exchange Management Shell, the command line, and various system utilities. This document does not elaborate on the details of any system utility except as necessary to complete the tasks within.

In addition, before implementing the server role, the administrator should review the Overview of the Mailbox Server Role topic in the Exchange Server 2010 Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=187526).

This document assumes that Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition is installed on the intended Client Access server per company baseline regulations which include the latest approved service pack and hotfixes. In addition, the following system prerequisites have been installed:

• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and the update for .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 959209, An update for the .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 is available (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=3052&kbid=959209).
  
  
• Windows Management Framework (Windows Remote Management 2.0 and Windows PowerShell 2.0).
  
  

This document assumes that forest and domain preparation steps have been performed as described in the Prepare Active Directory and Domains topic in the Exchange Server 2010 Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=187262).

This document assumes that the account you will be using for the Exchange tasks has been delegated the Server Management management role, as described in the Server Management topic in the Exchange Server 2010 Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=187265).

This document also assumes that both Exchange 2010 Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 will be secured following the best practices found in the Windows Server 2008 Security Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=122593).

Important:
The procedures within this document should be followed sequentially. If changes are made out of sequence, unexpected results may occur.

1. Verify that Remote Desktop is enabled.
   
   
2. As an optional process, install Microsoft Network Monitor (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=86611).
   
   

1. Log on to the server with an account that has been delegated at least local administrative access.
   
   
2. Click Start > Control Panel, and then double-click Network and Sharing Center.
   
   
3. Click Manage Network Connections.
   
   
4. Locate the connection for the internal network and rename it according to your organization's naming standards.
   
   
5. Right-click the connection and then select Properties.
   
   
6. For Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), add the following:
   
   
   1. Static IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway
      
      
   2. DNS Server IP Addresses
      
      
   3. Select the check box to Append parent suffixes of the primary DNS suffix.
      
      
   4. WINS IP Addresses (if using WINS)
      
      
7. If you are using Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), configure the IPv6 settings according to your organization's network standards.
   
   

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
   
   
2. Click Start, Administrative Tools, and select Computer Management.
   
   
3. Expand Storage and click on Disk Management.
   
   
4. Using the Disk Management snap-in of the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), format, rename, and assign the appropriate Drive Letters so that the volumes and DVD drive match the appropriate server configuration. Refer to the Database Log LUN appendix at the end of this document for the actual drive configuration that should be used.
   
   

   Drive configuration

   LUN	Drive letter	Usage
   1	C	Operating system, Exchange binaries, and tracking logs
   2	E	Exchange databases
   4	L	Exchange transaction logs
   5-x	--	Additional drives for databases and logs
   6	Z	DVD drive

1. Connect to the server via Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
   
   
2. Obtain the latest hotfixes approved by your company for your version of Windows Server 2008 x64 (SP2 or R2) and copy them to the server.
   
   
3. Launch the hotfix setup via one of two ways:
   
   
   1. Double-click the file and follow the GUI instructions.
      
      
   2. Perform a silent installation using the following command from an administrative command prompt:
      
      

      	Copy Code
      <hotfix>.msu /quiet /norestart

4. Click Yes for any Digital Signature not Found dialog boxes that may appear.
   
   

   Note:
   These dialog boxes will not appear in environments that have not deployed the Windows Security templates.

5. Wait for all file copies to complete, and then restart the server. You can use the Processes tab in Windows Task Manager to monitor the hotfix installation progress. When the wusa.exe process has exited, the hotfix installation is complete.
   
   

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then select Properties.
   
   
3. Under the Computer Name, domain, and workgroup settings, click Change Settings.
   
   
4. Click Change.
   
   
5. Choose the Domain option button, and then enter the appropriate domain name.
   
   
6. Enter the appropriate credentials.
   
   
7. Click OK and OK.
   
   
8. Click OK to close System Properties.
   
   
9. Restart the server.
   
   

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Verify (or add if not already there) that the Domain Admins account and the user account that will perform the Exchange installation are members of the local Administrators group on this server.
   
   
3. Verify that your user account is a member of a group which is a member of the local Administrators group on the Windows Server 2008 server. If it is not, use an account that is a member of the local Administrators group before continuing.
   
   

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then select Manage.
   
   
3. Expand the nodes to find Configuration\Local Users and Groups\Users.
   
   
4. Right-click Administrator, and then select Set Password. Change the password so that it meets strong complexity requirements.
   
   

This section describes several useful tools that aid administrators in Exchange administration and in troubleshooting support issues.

Debugging Tools for Windows allow administrators to debug processes that are affecting service and determine root cause.

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Download and install the latest 64-bit Debugging Tools from Install Debugging Tools for Windows 64-bit Version (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=123594).
   
   

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then select Properties.
   
   
3. Select the Advanced System Settings.
   
   
4. Under Startup and Recovery, click Settings.
   
   
   1. Under Write Debugging Information, select Kernel Memory Dump from the memory dump drop-down list.
      
      
   2. Click OK.
      
      
5. Under Performance, click Settings.
   
   
6. Click the Advanced tab.
   
   
7. Under Virtual Memory, click Change.
   
   
8. On servers that have a dedicated page file drive, follow these steps:
   
   
   1. In the Drive list, click C:, and then click Custom size.
      
      
   2. For the C: drive, set the Initial Size (MB) value to a minimum of 200 MB. (Windows requires between 150 MB and 2 GB page file space, depending on server load and the amount of physical RAM that is available for page file space on the boot volume when Windows is configured for a kernel memory dump. Therefore, you may be required to increase the size.)
      
      
   3. For the C: drive, set the Maximum Size (MB) value to that of the Initial Size.
      
      
   4. In the Drive list, select the page file drive (for example, the P: drive), and then click Custom size.
      
      
   5. In the Initial Size (MB) box, type the result of one of the following calculations:
      
      If the server has less than 8 GB of RAM, multiply the amount of RAM times 1.5.
      
      If the server has 8 GB of RAM or more, add the amount of RAM plus 10 MB.
      
      
   6. In the Maximum Size (MB) box, type the same amount that you typed in the Initial Size box.
      
      
   7. Delete all other page files.
      
      
   8. Click OK.
      
      
9. On servers that do not have a dedicated page file drive, follow these steps:
   
   
   1. In the Drive list, click C:, and then click Custom size.
      
      
   2. For the C: drive, in the Initial Size (MB) box, type the result of one of the following calculations:
      
      If the server has less than 8 GB of RAM, multiply the amount of RAM times 1.5.
      
      If the server has 8 GB of RAM or more, add the amount of RAM plus 10 MB.
      
      
   3. Delete all other page files.
      
      
   4. Click OK.
      
      
10. Click OK two times to close the System Properties dialog box.
    
    
11. Click No if prompted to restart the system.
    
    

    Note:

    For more information about page file recommendations, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles: How to determine the appropriate page file size for 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=3052&kbid=889654); and Overview of memory dump file options for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=3052&kbid=254649).

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Click Start, and then select Computer.
   
   
3. Right-click D Drive, and then select Properties.
   
   
4. Click the Security tab.
   
   
5. Click Edit.
   
   
6. Click Add, and then select the local server from Locations.
   
   
7. Grant the following rights as outlined in the following table.
   
   

   Drive permissions

   Account	Permissions
   Administrators	Full Control
   SYSTEM	Full Control
   Authenticated Users	Read and Execute, List, Read
   CREATOR OWNER	Full Control

8. Click the Advanced button.
   
   
9. Select the CREATOR OWNER permission entry, and then click View/Edit.
   
   
10. Select Subfolders and Files Only from the drop-down list.
    
    
11. Click OK two times.
    
    
12. Click OK to close the drive properties.
    
    
13. Repeat steps 3-12 for each additional drive (other than the C drive).
    
    

Submit a change request to the appropriate operations group and have the computer object moved to the appropriate organizational unit (OU).

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Open a Command Prompt window.
   
   
3. Verify that the server is in the correct domain and Active Directory site. At the command line, type the following:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   NLTEST /server:%COMPUTERNAME% /dsgetsite

4. The name of the Active Directory site to which the server belongs will be displayed. If the server is not in the correct Active Directory site, submit a change request to the appropriate operations group and have the server moved to the appropriate Active Directory site.
   
   

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Open a Command Prompt window, and then change paths to the C drive.
   
   
3. Run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   dcdiag /s:<Domain Controller> /f:c:\dcdiag.log

   Note:
   Change <domain Controller> to a domain controller contained within the same Active Directory site as the Exchange server.

4. Review the output of C:\dcdiag.log file, and verify that there are no connectivity issues with the local domain controller.
   
   
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each domain controller in the local Active Directory site.
   
   

   Note:

   Domain Controller Diagnostics (DCDiag) is a Windows support tool that tests network connectivity and DNS resolution for domain controllers. If the account being used does not have administrative privileges, several tests under the Doing primary tests heading may not pass. These tests can be ignored if the connectivity tests pass. In addition, the log file may report that some service validation tests did not pass. These messages can be ignored if the services do not exist on the domain controller.

The Microsoft Exchange Analyzers help administrators troubleshoot various operational support issues. Connect to a server in the environment that either has the Exchange 2010 SP1 (or later) Management tools installed through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.

1. Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, and then select Exchange Management Console.
   
   
2. Open the Toolbox node.
   
   
3. Double-click Best Practices Analyzer.
   
   
4. Check and apply any updates for the Best Practices Analyzer engine.
   
   
5. Provide the appropriate information to connect to Active Directory and then click Connect to the Active Directory server.
   
   
6. In the Start a New Best Practices Scan, select Health Check, and then click Start Scanning.
   
   
7. Review the report, and take action on any errors or warnings that are reported by following the resolution articles that are provided within the Best Practices Analyzer.
   
   

1. Connect to the server via Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Open an administrative command prompt window.
   
   
3. Install the Microsoft Filter Pack. For details, see 2007 Office System Converter: Microsoft Filter Pack (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=137042).
   
   
4. Open an elevated command prompt, navigate to the \Setup\ServerRoles\Common folder on the Exchange 2010 installation media and use the following command to install the necessary operating system components:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   ServerManagerCmd -ip Exchange-MBX.xml -Restart

1. Connect to the server via Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
   
   
2. Install the Microsoft Filter Pack. For details, see 2007 Office System Converter: Microsoft Filter Pack (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=137042).
   
   
3. On the Start Menu, navigate to All Programs > Accessories > Windows PowerShell. Open an elevated Windows PowerShell console, and run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Import-Module ServerManager

4. Use the Add-WindowsFeature cmdlet to install the necessary operating system components:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server -Restart

This document uses the command-line method for installing the Exchange 2010 server roles; however, you can also use a GUI called the Setup Wizard. For more information about how to use the Setup Wizard to install an Exchange 2010 server role, see the Perform a Custom Exchange 2010 Installation topic in the Exchange Server 2010 Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=187220).

Important:

If this is the first Mailbox server role being installed into an organization that does not contain any version of Microsoft Exchange, and you have client computers running Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, you must also specify the optional /EnableLegacyOutlook setup parameter. In addition, if this is the first Exchange 2010 server role being installed into an environment that does not contain any version of Microsoft Exchange, you must also specify the /OrganizationName setup parameter.

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access. If the Exchange server has been provisioned for delegated setup, the account must be delegated the Server Management or the Delegated Setup role (or higher).
   
   
2. Follow the procedure detailed in the Install Exchange 2010 in Unattended Mode topic in the Exchange Server 2010 Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=187229). For example, the following command installs the Mailbox server role, provides a custom database name, database path, and transaction log file location.
   
   

   	Copy Code
   setup.com /r:M /mdbName "<Server Name> MBX DB1" /dbfilepath e:\MBXDB1\priv01.edb /logfolderpath l:\log01

3. Do not restart the server, even if required.
   
   

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has local administrative access.
   
   
2. Obtain the latest company approved rollup, and then copy it to the server.
   
   
3. Launch the Windows Installer patch (the MSP file) setup via one of two ways:
   
   
   1. Double-click the MSP file, and then follow the GUI instructions.
      
      
   2. Perform a silent installation using the following command from an administrative command prompt:
      
      

      	Copy Code
      msiexec /i <Path and filename of MSP file> /q

4. Click Yes for any Digital Signature not Found dialog boxes that may appear.
   
   

   Note:
   These dialog boxes will appear only in environments that have deployed the Windows Security templates.

1. Launch the Exchange Management Shell with an account that has been delegated the Server Management role.
   
   
2. Follow the procedure documented in the Enter Product Key topic in the Exchange Server 2010 Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=187234).
   
   

1. Connect to the server via Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access.
   
   
2. Follow the procedure documented in the Register Filter Pack IFilters with Exchange 2010 topic in the Exchange Server 2010 Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=187516).
   
   
3. Optional: If you want the ability to search PDF files, install the Adobe PDF iFilter (http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4025) and follow the Configuring PDF iFilter for MS Exchange Server 2007 (http://www.adobe.com/special/acrobat/configuring_pdf_ifilter_for_ms_exchange_server_2007.pdf) documentation.
   
   

Note:
The third-party Web site information in this topic is provided to help you find the technical information you need. The URLs are subject to change without notice.

By default, Exchange 2010 optimizes the server’s processor scheduling management for background services.

1. Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has local administrative access.
   
   
2. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then select Properties.
   
   
3. Select the Advanced System Settings.
   
   
4. Under Performance, click Settings.
   
   
   1. Click the Advanced tab.
      
      
   2. Verify that Processor Scheduling is set to Background Services.
      
      
5. Click OK.
   
   

Several of the diagnostics tasks used to monitor Exchange require that you create test mailboxes on the mailbox servers.

1. Connect to the Exchange 2010 Mailbox server through Remote Desktop, and then log on with an account that has been delegated local administrative access and was also delegated the Server Management role (or higher).
   
   
2. Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and then select Exchange Management Shell.
   
   
3. Change the directory path to <Exchange Server Install Path>\Scripts.
   
   
4. Type New-TestCasConnectivityUser.ps1 and press Enter.
   
   
5. Enter a temporary password, and then follow the prompts to create the test mailboxes.
   
   

If you provided the /mdbname, /dbfilepath, and /logfolderpath parameters when you installed the mailbox server, you can skip this section.

1. Launch the Exchange Management Shell with an account that has been delegated the Server Management role.
   
   

   Important:
   The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. Revise these values to reflect the actual values for your organization.

   First database configuration at Contoso

   Database parameter	Old	New example
   Name	Mailbox Database <GUID>	<ServerName> MBX DB 1
   Log Path	%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\v14\Mailbox\Mailbox Database <GUID>	L:\LOG01
   Database Filename and Path	%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\v14\Mailbox\Mailbox Database <GUID>\Mailbox database <GUID>.edb	E:\MBXDB1\Priv01.edb

2. To dismount the database, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Dismount-Database "Mailbox Database <GUID>"

3. To change the mailbox database name, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Set-MailboxDatabase "<Old DB Name>" -Name "<New DB Name>"

4. To change the location of the database's transaction logs and the location of the database file, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Move-DatabasePath "<Database Name>" -LogFolderPath "<New Log Location>" -EdbFilePath "<New DB Path and FileName>"

5. To mount the database, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Mount-Database "<New DB Name>"

If a public folder database was created during the installation of the Mailbox server role, the public folder database will be placed in the default location. If there is no public folder database, you can skip this section.

1. Launch the Exchange Management Shell with an account that has been delegated the Server Management role.
   
   

   Important:
   The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. Revise these values to reflect the actual values for your organization.

   Public folder database configuration at Contoso

   Database parameter	Old	New example
   Name	Public Folder Database <GUID>	<ServerName> PUB Store 2
   Log Path	%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Mailbox\Public Folder Database <GUID>	L:\LOG02
   Database Filename and Path	%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Mailbox\Public Folder Database <GUID>\Public Folder database <GUID>.edb	E:\MBXDB2\Pub02.edb

2. To dismount the database, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Dismount-Database "Public Folder Database <GUID>"

3. To change the public folder database name, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Set-PublicFolderDatabase "<Old DB Name>" -Name "<New DB Name>"

4. To change the location of the database's transaction logs and the location of the database file, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Move-DatabasePath "<Database Name>" -LogFolderPath "<New Log Location>" -EdbFilePath "<New DB Path and FileName>"

5. To mount the database, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Mount-Database "<New DB Name>"

You can skip this section if the default schedule for the Managed Folder Assistant to apply messaging records management (MRM) settings does not need to be changed.

1. Launch the Exchange Management Shell with an account that has been delegated the Server Management role.
   
   
2. To enable the Managed Folder Assistant, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Set-MailboxServer <MailboxServerName> -ManagedFolderAssistantSchedule <AssistantSchedule>

   Note:
   Refer to the "Records management configuration for Contoso" table in the Server Configuration Appendix at the end of this document for the information that you need for the commands.

You can skip this section if the default message tracking parameters are appropriate for the environment.

1. Launch the Exchange Management Shell with an account that has been delegated the Server Management role.
   
   
2. To configure message tracking settings, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Set-MailboxServer <MailboxServerName> -MessageTrackingLogPath <LogPath> -MessageTrackingLogMaxAge <MaxAge> -MessageTrackingLogMaxDirectorySize <LogDirSize> -MessageTrackingLogMaxFileSize <LogFileSize> -MessageTrackingLogSubjectLoggingEnabled <SubjectLogEnabled>

   Note:
   Refer to the "Message tracking configuration for Contoso" table in the Server Configuration Appendix at the end of this document for the information that you need for the commands.

1. Launch the Exchange Management Shell with an account that has been delegated the Server Management role.
   
   
2. Use the appropriate tables in Database / Log LUN Appendix and Database Configuration Appendix at the end of this document for information that you need for the commands.
   
   
3. To create the database, run the following command:
   
   

   Copy Code

   New-MailboxDatabase -Name "<DB Name>" -LogFolderPath <Transaction Log Location> -EdbFilePath <Database Path and FileName> -OfflineAddressBook <OfflineAddressBook> -PublicFolderDatabase <PFDatabase> | Set-MailboxDatabase -IssueWarningQuota <WarningQuota> -ProhibitSendQuota <SendQuota> -ProhibitSendReceiveQuota <SendReceiveQuota> -MailboxRetention <dd.hh:mm:ss> -DeletedItemRetention <dd.hh:mm:ss> -MaintenanceSchedule <MaintenanceSchedule> -QuotaNotificationSchedule <QuotaSchedule> -RetainDeletedItemsUntilBackup <RetainDeletedItemsUntilBackup>

4. To mount the database, run the following command:
   
   

   	Copy Code
   Mount-Database "<Database Name>"

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each database that needs to be created.
   
   

The following table is an example configuration that can be applied to the Mailbox server, depending on requirements.

Important:
The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. Revise these values to reflect the actual values for your organization.

Records management configuration for Contoso

The following table is an example configuration that can be applied to the Mailbox server, depending on requirements.

Important:
The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. Revise these values to reflect the actual values for your organization.

Message tracking configuration for Contoso

With mailbox resiliency, you do not have to perform daily full backups because the mailbox database copies and other features provide the first line of defense against physical corruption and data loss. Therefore, there are two approaches to how backups can be performed in an environment enabled for mailbox resiliency:

• Use an Exchange -aware, Volume ShadowCopy Service (VSS)-based application to perform backups and restores, as needed.
  
  
• Use Exchange Native Data Protection features as your backup methodology. For more information about Exchange Native Data Protection, see the Understanding Backup, Restore and Disaster Recovery topic in the Exchange Server 2010 Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=187541).
  
  

As a result of the backup methodology selected, the LUN layout has to be altered.

Exchange 2010 supports the following LUN layout architectures:

• One LUN per database   A single LUN per database architecture means that both the database and its corresponding log files are placed on the same LUN. To deploy this architecture, you must have two or more copies of your databases, and you must not be using a hardware-based VSS solution.
  
  
• Two LUNs per database   With Exchange 2010, in the maximum case of 100 databases, the number of LUNs you provision will depend upon your backup strategy. If your recovery time objective (RTO) is small, or if you use VSS clones for fast recovery, it may be best to place each database on its own transaction log LUN and database LUN. This approach will exceed the number of available drive letters; therefore, volume mount points must be used.
  
  
• Two LUNs per backup set   A backup set is the number of databases fully backed up in a night. A solution that performs a full backup on 1/7th of the databases nightly (for example, using a weekly or bimonthly full backup with daily incremental or differential backups) can reduce complexity by placing all of the databases to be backed up on the same log and database LUN. This approach can reduce the number of LUNs on the server.
  
  

Exchange 2010 uses VSS included in Windows Server 2008 to take volume shadow copies of Exchange 2010 databases and transaction log files. For basic information about VSS, including both clone and snapshot techniques, review the white paper, Best Practices for Using Volume Shadow Copy Service with Exchange Server 2003 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=122556).

Exchange 2010 enables you to make software-based VSS snapshots of both the active and passive database copies. Taking a VSS snapshot of the passive copy offloads the disk I/O from the active LUN during both the checksum integrity (ESEUTIL), and subsequent copy to tape or disk.

Creating two LUNs (log and database) for a database was the standard best practice for Exchange 2003. With Exchange 2010, in the maximum case of 100 databases, the number of LUNs you provision will depend on your backup strategy. If your recovery time objective (RTO) is very small, or if you use VSS clones for fast recovery, it may be best to place each database on its own transaction log LUN and database LUN. Depending on the number of LUNs required, volume mount points may need to be used.

Some benefits of this strategy include the following:

• Enables hardware-based VSS at a database level, providing single database backup and restore.
  
  
• Flexibility to isolate the performance between databases when not sharing spindles between LUNs.
  
  
• Increased reliability: A capacity or corruption problem on a single LUN will only affect one database.
  
  
• This is also the recommended strategy for databases that do not participate in mailbox resiliency.
  
  

Some concerns with this strategy include the following:

• 100 databases using mailbox resiliency could require 400 LUNs which would exceed some storage array maximums. 100 databases without mailbox resiliency could require 200 LUNs which would exceed some storage array maximums.
  
  
• A separate LUN for each database causes more LUNs per server increasing the administrative costs and complexity.
  
  

Note:
In the following table, the reference to MP stands for Mount Point. X and Y refer to unique databases.

LUN design approach: Two LUNs per database

Single LUN per database architecture means that both the database and its corresponding log files are placed on the same LUN. To deploy this architecture, you must have two or more copies, and you must not be using a hardware-based VSS solution.

Some of the benefits of this strategy include:

• Simplifies storage administration with fewer LUNs to manage.
  
  
• Reduces (potentially) the number of backup jobs.
  
  
• Provides flexibility to isolate the performance between databases when not sharing spindles between LUNs.
  
  

A concern with this strategy is that it limits the ability to perform hardware-based VSS backup and restore procedures (for example, clone snapshots). For VSS details, review the white paper, Best Practices for Using Volume Shadow Copy Service with Exchange Server 2003 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=122556).

Note:
In the following table, the reference to MP stands for Mount Point. X and Y refer to unique databases.

LUN design approach: One LUN per database

Database / LUN Layout

The following table is an example configuration that can be applied to each database that is created or customized for each database on the server, depending on requirements.

Important:
The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. Revise these values to reflect the actual values for your organization.

Database configuration for Contoso