> We are an ISP and I need to know how many servers it will take to
> host 45,000 email boxes...
45,000 empty, unused mailboxes is a pretty easy job for a 386. :o)
You have to think in terms of resource utilization; mail servers
really can't be sized in terms of mailboxes. Here are some pointers:
- If you're using the IMail native database, your bottleneck will be
processor speed and disk I/O if using IWEBMSG/IWEBCAL; disk I/O alone
if using POP3/SMTP only.
- If you're using a remote ODBC database, your bottleneck will
probably be at the SQL level if using IWEBMSG/IWEBCAL extensively,
followed by processor speed and disk I/O, as ODBC has a way of
"throttling down" such systems. If using remote ODBC and POP3/SMTP
only, you should continue to concentrate on disk I/O primarily.
- Unless you absolutely need to integrate with outside apps, do not
use ODBC; spend the cash you would spend on your SQL server on another
mail function.
- Mail servers should not use RAID 5 arrays, as almost all functions
are balanced between read/write; use RAID 1 or 0+1 only.
- Get as much controller cache as you can. 64 MB is sort of becoming
the new entry-level, for cards in the range of ~$400-$500. If your
hardware can swing multiple cards, two 64 MB caches are better than
one 128 MB, since (see below) you'll be creating multiple functional
arrays anyway.
- When optimizing disk I/O, use as many dedicated spindles as possible
for the following functions:
. IMail spool
. IMail web spool
. OS pagefile(s)
. OS system
. IMail EXEs
. IMail logs
. Host mailbox topdir(s)
. Host web template topdir(s)
- Using additional inbound and outbound mail gateways--thus making
your original question of "how many servers will it take to host nnn
mailboxes" actually valid, since the server will be, in fact, a
mailbox server only--is the only way to go. You may already be
planning for this, but since you didn't say so, the note must be made.
- If it's possible to use multiple domains for those 45,000 users, all
the better. You can create the domains now and host them on one box
with multiple IPs, then expand the physical server farm without having
to inform your users.
-Sandy
------------------------------------
Sanford Whiteman, Chief Technologist
Broadleaf Systems, a division of
Cypress Integrated Systems, Inc.
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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