DIGITAL Server Systems with
Microsoft Exchange Version 5.5

1. Increased size of the data store from 16 gigabytes under Version 5.0 to virtually no limit for the "Enterprise" Edition of Exchange Version 5.5.
2. Support for clustered system for high levels of availability. The increased data store and support for Exchange failover require the purchase of Windows NT Enterprise Edition that includes support for Microsoft Cluster Server.
3. Improved utilization of symmetric multiprocessor capabilities.
   
4. General server performance improvements.

Testing of Exchange Version 5.5 software on DIGITAL Server platforms demonstrated significant improvements in the scalability of the Exchange Server software across multiple processors (increased scaling when moving from 1 to 2 processors, and particularly from 2 to 4 processors) as compared to Exchange Version 5.0. The following graph shows the number of LOADSIM Medium Workload users¹ that each of the systems can support.

When compared with Exchange Version 5.0, performance increased by 50% across the board on systems with the same number of CPUs. The largest improvement can be found in symmetric multiprocessing scalability performance. Those systems have seen performance improvements at rates of as much as 100%.

The first way to take advantage of all this new system power is to look at server consolidation. Independent research has shown that when an Information Technology manager is able to deploy fewer servers to support the mail users in the company, significant cost-of-ownership savings are generated. The decreased cost is a direct result of the need for fewer systems, less floor space, fewer network connections, fewer support and maintenance resources, and fewer administrative and management resources.

The second way that extra headroom could be utilized is in handling the increased workload that users put on their mail infrastructure. User trends in e-mail to attach more and larger presentation materials, documents, spreadsheets, and so on are likely to continue. Therefore, demands on the mail infrastructure will continue to grow even as the number of users may remain relatively stable. The DIGITAL Server systems give you the extra processing power to cope with increased workloads and an ability to store large amounts of data.

The third way to use this power is to add applications to the mail server that are integrated with Exchange. Microsoft, DIGITAL and many ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) have applications and tools that can be used with Exchange to increase end-user functionality. Applications that are commonly integrated include: Voice/PBX integration, Fax integration, Document management, Workflow, Archiving, and Collaborative Computing (groupware functionality).

Finally, the new failover clustering support in Exchange Version 5.5 Enterprise Edition allows for high-availability implementations for the mail infrastructure. With DIGITAL’s experience in mission-critical enterprise solutions, Exchange Version 5.5 is clearly leveraging the opportunity to be able to operate in such environments. With support for high-availability solutions, you can lower costs even more with fewer downtime incidents, shorter downtime, less system management/administration costs, and fewer message delays.

The mission critical nature of a Mail and Messaging infrastructure makes the DIGITAL Server family of systems an ideal candidate for running a cost-effective clustered solution. Exchange Version 5.5 is clearly designed to benefit from the specific characteristics that large, multiprocessor systems can now offer. DIGITAL is continuing to prove, through superior designs and implementations, that the DIGITAL Server family of systems is the platform of choice for deployment in a wide range of computing environments.

¹ Using Microsoft defined "medium" LOADSIM test criteria. All default settings were accepted and no changes were made before or during the eight-hour test. Successful test criteria are defined by Microsoft: 95^th Percentile response times below one second; Send and Work Queues empty by end of testing; and, no MAPI errors. In general, figure 100 kilobytes of memory per user and 250 to 300 users per disk.

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