Dell PowerVault 775N (Rackmount NAS Appliance) - Manual (Page 50)

Applications and Exchange Tools
Feature Pack Deployment Guide 50
Planning for the Use of Exchange Tools and
Applications with the Feature Pack
Exchange administrative tools and applications are used to perform database procedures that
may require the transfer of data between servers and over the network. For example, data is
typically transferred between the server that hosts the databases and transaction logs and either
the Exchange server or a backup server.
The location of a tool or application relative to remotely stored Exchange databases and
transaction logs can have a great impact on the amount of data transferred across the network,
and, therefore, the amount of processing time that is required. The number of network data
transfers depends on what kind of operation is requested.
Applications such as Backup Utility for Windows (NTBackup), which access Exchange
databases and transaction logs by using an Exchange application programming interface (API),
require additional network data transfers. This is especially true if such an application is run
from the Windows Storage Server computer. In this situation, data must travel from the
Windows Storage Server computer to the Exchange server, and then from the Exchange server
back to the Windows Storage Server computer.
When deciding where to place an Exchange tool or application in relation to the Exchange
databases and transaction logs hosted by a Windows Storage Server computer, consider the
effects of different system configurations. Select a system configuration that is most efficient for
database operations. This configuration is probably one that minimizes the number of network
data transfers and, in turn, the processing time that is required for database operations.
For example, backup and restore operations are affected by the placement of Exchange
databases in relation to the Exchange administrative tool or application, and by the addition of
optional backup servers. These factors determine the number of network data transfers that are
required to complete a database process. The number of required network data transfers in turn
affects processing time.
Table 4.1 shows the effects of three different network configurations on data transfers over the
network during backup and restore operations.
Configuration 1, shown in Figure 4.1, has the following components:
An Exchange server running NTBackup, with an attached tape device
A Windows Storage Server computer hosting the Exchange databases and transaction logs
Figure 4.1 Configuration 1: Backup/Restore on Exchange Server
Configuration 2, shown in Figure 4.2, has the following components:
An Exchange server
A Windows Storage Server computer hosting the Exchange databases and transaction logs,
and running NTBackup, with an attached tape device