Topic Last Modified: 2013-02-21

During the planning and deployment of Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 for your Lync Server 2013 Front End pool, an important consideration is the placement of data and log files onto physical hard disks for performance. The recommended disk configuration is to implement a 1+0 RAID set using 6 spindles. Placing all database and log files that are used by the Front End pool and associated server roles and services (that is, Archiving and Monitoring Server, Lync Server Response Group service, Lync Server Call Park service) onto the RAID drive set using the Lync Server Deployment Wizard will result in a configuration that has been tested for good performance. The database files and what they are responsible for is detailed in the following table.

Data and Log Files for Central Management Store

Central Management store database files	Data file or log purpose
Xds.ldf	Transaction log file for the Central Management store
Xds.mdf	Maintains the configuration of the current Lync Server 2013 topology, as defined and published by Topology Builder
Lis.mdf	Location Information service data file
Lis.ldf	Transaction log for the Location Information service data file

Data and Log files for User, Conferencing, and Address Book

Core Lync Server 2013 database files	Data file or log purpose
Rtc.mdf	Persistent user data (for example, access control lists (ACLs), contacts, scheduled conferences)
Rtc.ldf	Transaction log for Rtc data
Rtcdyn.mdf	Maintains transient user data (presence runtime data)
Rtcdyn.ldf	Transaction log for Rtcdyn data
Rtcab.mdf	Real-time communications (RTC) address book database is the SQL Server repository where Address Book service information is stored
Rtcab.ldf	Transaction log for Address Book Service
Rtclocal.mdb	Hosts the conference directory
Rtcxds.mdf	Maintains the backup for user data
Rtcxds.ldf	Transaction log for Rtcxds data

Data and Log Files for Call Park and Response Group

Application database	Data file or log purpose
Cpsdyn.mdf	Dynamic information database for the Call Park application
Cpsdyn.ldf	Transaction log for Call Park application data file
Rgsconfig.mdf	Lync Server Response Group service data file for the configuration of the services
Rgsconfig.ldf	Transaction log file for the Response Group application configuration
Rgsdyn.mdf	Response Group service data file for runtime operations
Rgsdyn.ldf	Transaction log for the Response Group service runtime data file

Data and Log Files for Archiving and Monitoring Server

Archiving and Monitoring database files	Data file or log purpose
LcsCdr.mdf	Data store for the call detail recording (CDR) process of the Monitoring Server
LcsCdr.ldf	Transaction log for call detail recording (CDR) data
QoEMetrics.mdf	Quality of Experience data file stored from the Monitoring Server
QoEMetrics.ldf	Transaction log for Monitoring data
Lcslog.mdf	Data file for the retention of instant messaging and conferencing data on an Archiving Server
Lcslog.ldf	Transaction log for Archiving data

In this topic, references are made to disk and to RAID set. Note that in the configuration of SQL Server resources, referring to a disk means a single hardware device. A hard disk drive with two partitions, one holding log files and the other partition holding data files, is not the same as two disks, each dedicated to either log or data files.

In reference to RAID sets, there are a number of different RAID technologies from various vendors. And, with the proliferation of storage area networks (SAN), RAID sets dedicated to a single system are rarer. You should consult with your RAID or SAN vendor to determine what the best configuration is for your disk layout when configuring for SQL Server performance with Lync Server 2013.

Note also that not all disk drives are created equally; some perform better than others. Even drives from the same manufacturer can vary in performance because of rotational speed, hardware cache size, and other factors.