SME and SMR licensing in CCR

[acistmedical]

How many SME and SMR licenses do i need for 2 node CCR exchange 2007 cluster?

Also, what is the main difference between SME and SMR?

Do i need both?

Any advantages of one over another?

Thanks

[beaupre]

SME is licensed on a per controller or per host basis.

For a CCR cluster and host-based licensing, you will need to license SME on each CCR node.

For a CCR cluster and controller-based licensing, you only need to license the controller where the Exchange LUNs are located.

SMBR is licensed on a per mailbox basis. Typically, the SMBR licenses are sold in packs.

SME gives you the ability to recover Exchange mailbox storage groups (one mailbox store per SG in CCR).

SMBR is used to recover individual mailboxes and or individual mailbox items without having to use a recovery storage group and ExMerge to recover mailbox items.

Usually, most customers will purchase both.

Thanks,

Mark

[acistmedical]

Thanks for the reply.

You said:

SME gives you the ability to recover Exchange mailbox storage groups (one mailbox store per SG in CCR).

We have one storage group (now, will have more later) with 3 mail stores, does that mean that SME will be able to recover only 1 mail store?

Also, for per host licensing, if i want to back up only passive node (according to best practices) all i need is 1 license, true?

[beaupre]

Sorry for the confusion. SME does not have a limitation on the number of mailbox stores or storage groups that it can backup.

In an Exchange CCR configuration you can only have one mailbox store per storage group.

If you are planning on three mailbox stores, then you will need to configure 3 storage groups in Exchange 2007.

For each Storage Group, you will need to create a LUN to store the mailbox database and a LUN to store the transaction log on each CCR cluster node.

Thanks,

Mark

[acistmedical]

For each Storage Group, you will need to create a LUN to store the mailbox database and a LUN to store the transaction log on each CCR cluster node.
Thanks,
Mark

Can i create just 2 LUNs per host? one would store all 3 mail dbs (in different folders), another one would store logs

[beaupre]

I believe that the SME configuration wizard will not let you put three CCR-enabled databases on the same LUN.

Besides, SME backup and restore at the LUN level. If you put all of the databases on the same LUN, you would be restoring all three databases even if you only had a problem with only one database.

Why do you want to put all three databases on a single LUN?

Thanks,

Mark

[acistmedical]

Besides, SME backup and restore at the LUN level. If you put all of the databases on the same LUN, you would be restoring all three databases even if you only had a problem with only one database.
Why do you want to put all three databases on a single LUN?
Thanks,
Mark

I think that it would make management much easier, for exchange and netapp too.

Each box would have 2 drives, LUNS, let say F: (for db) and G: for logs. So 4 total LUNS on netapp to manage, 2 per controller = 2 per exchange box.

If i go with separate LUN per storage group i need 4 drives per exchange, 3 for db, 1 for logs (if im correct, or 6, 3 for db, 3 for logs). So from netapp side i will have to manage 6 or 12 LUNS, just for exchange, 4 to 6 per controller.

Just looks much simpler and easier with 1 LUN for DB and 1 for logs per box.

So if SME backups and restores at LUN level, there is no granurality involved? no way to restore just one DB from that LUN, do i have to restore full LUN?

[beaupre]

SME restores are at the LUN SG LUN level.

For three storage groups, you can definitely do 4 LUNs per CCR cluster node. (3 DB/1 Log)

If drive letters are a concern, you can use NTFS mount points. I have deployed CCR with NTFS mount points with no problems.

Thanks,

Mark

[rgraves2572]

I would check with your NetApp account representive. We were only required to purchase one SME license for our Exchange CCR enviroment.

-Robert