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Exchange Team Blog
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We updated the Exchange 2007 Mailbox Storage Requirements Calculator (again)...

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The_Exchange_Team
Platinum Contributor
Mar 15, 2007

...that we blogged about here.

What's new, you ask?  Quite a bit... we've been busy.

  1. We have changed the way you input transaction log growth.  In the previous versions you had to enter how many transactions (in gigabytes) you expected the server to generate in a day.  Many customers found that was hard to quantify and thus left the default value.  The problem there is the default value was specific to the example configuration provided.  Thus changing any of the values resulted in truth a different transaction log generation profile.  Now what we do is base transaction log generation growth on the message profile.  So a heavy message profile mailbox will generate 28 transaction logs per day.  This provides us and you a way to accurately predict the database and log capacity requirements based on the message profile.
  2. We incorporated the effects of using online mode clients in terms of the database read I/O operations.  For more information on the effects online mode clients can have against the mailbox server read I/O operations, see the Storage Validation blog article.
  3. We added a new tab to the calculator.  We now have a Backup Requirements tab that outlines the backup scheme based on the backup methodology and frequency chosen.
  4. We made a few bug fixes in a few calculations (e.g. we were adding in the I/O Overhead Factor twice in the case of transaction log I/O transfers).
  5. General formatting changes to ensure that users would understand the requirements around per replica, per node, etc.

We have attached the new version of the calculator to the original post. Let us know if any questions/suggestions!

- Ross Smith IV

Updated Jul 01, 2019
Version 2.0

17 Comments

  • All,

    We replaced v7.7 with v7.8 which adds a note regarding the need for the Analysis Toolpack if using Excel 2003 and we fixed a compatibility conditional formatting issue on the Backup Requirements tab.

    It's attached on the original storage calculator blog linked earlier in this blog posting.

    Ross
  • Hey Jeff/Del,

    I figured out the issue.  You are using Excel 2003 aren't you?  By default certain formulas are not enabled unless you load the Analysis Toolpack.  For instance, I make use of MROUND function in this version of the calculator and that is only loaded in 2003 with the Analysis Toolpack.

    To load the Analysis Toolpack:

    1. On the Tools menu, click Add-Ins.
    2. In the Add-Ins available box, select the check box next to Analysis Toolpak, and then click OK.
    3. If you see a message that tells you the Analysis Toolpak is not currently installed on your computer, click Yes to install it.
    4. Click Tools on the menu bar. When you load the Analysis Toolpak, the Data Analysis command is added to the Tools menu.

    Ross
  • You you change the Outlook Mode to Online Mode the IOPS Profile/Mailbox, Required Database IOPS, and Required Log IOPS displays an error which reads, "The formula contains unrecognized text."
  • Hi Del,

    What error are you getting when you choose Online Mode?

    Ross
  • Great, v2 help's us a ton to move forward with SAN storage planning.  some quick feedback on v3
    1). We see now when using LCR, LUN calculations are easier to understand.  
    2). When using "Online Mode", Require DB and Logs IOPS and IOPS/Profile /Mailbox seems to have a calculation error.
  • Brian,

    Please see the original post, in other words this:

    http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2007/01/15/432207.aspx

    Rather than have different versions floating in different posts, I have removed the older version from the original post and put a new version (v3) in.
  • Can we have a link to the new storage calculator?