Inside the Partnership

EMC ItemPoint: Build in Item Level Recovery for your EMC Snaps, Clones and Bookmarks… Oh My!

by Sam Marraccini (@EMCMSFT)

Introducing EMC ItemPoint: Built in Item Level Recovery for individual Exchange Message Recovery!   ItemPoint integrates with your existing EMC infrastructure to provide message level recovery from your EMC Snaps, Clones and Bookmarks.

High availability for Microsoft Exchange has long been a leading topic of conversation as I visit EMC Customers.  Since the early days of Exchange 2003, I really can’t recall a customer conversation that hasn’t revolved around it.

In the days of Exchange 2003, a MS Cluster configuration was the design of choice, with Exchange 2007 it would be a combination of CCR and SCR.  Of course with Exchange 2010 it is all about the DAG.  The Database Availability Group (DAG) being the integrated high availability solution for Exchange 2010 mailbox servers.

The conversation inevitably leads to a review of Exchange recovery types and service levels.   What exactly does an Exchange mailbox service level mean?  Is it based on “Server” availability, end user outlook up-time?  What if an Executive is looking for a message that has been “Shift-Deleted”?  

Enter EMC ItemPoint:  Item Level recovery for Exchange Messages, fully integrated with EMCs Replication Manager and RecoverPoint.

As you design your Exchange (or any messaging) environment, it’s a good idea to create a simple service level chart like the one below:

	RTO (Recovery Time Objective)	RPO (Recovery Point Objective)
Message
Mailbox
Database (Storage Group)
Server
Site (DR)

Your answers will very, as will your design.  Just remember that the Exchange 2010 DAG will protect you from a mailbox server outage, not the other areas. 

Maybe a long term legal compliant archive is the right solution for message and mailbox recovery.   VSS, Hardware or software, is a must for protecting against a corrupted or damaged database.  Site extension of a DAG will greatly benefit with EMCs Replication Enabler for Exchange (REE).

EMCs full suite of Microsoft Exchange based solutions provides the appropriate level of protection for the specifics of you exchange service levels.  To learn more about the EMC Microsoft Exchange Recovery Solutions contact your EMC account team or your EMC mSpecialist.   Sam.Marraccini@EMC.com or here EMC ItemPoint on EMC.com

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For all of the latest information regarding EMC and Microsoft be sure to join the Everything Microsoft at EMC Community

Flash Evolves, SQL Soars, and We’re just getting started!!! Enter EMC VFCache!

by Sam Marraccini (@EMCMSFT)

Back at EMC World in May 2011 EMC showed, and promised, a server side PCIe Flash based IO accelerator.  In case you missed it, earlier this week EMC introduced VFCache, the promised deliverable from EMC World.

As always virtualgeek is all over the announcement, the background, technology and overall impact associated with VFCache.

VFCache moves the most frequently used data to the server-based PCIe card, putting the most active data closer to the application, thus reducing the need to traverse the storage network and array. Bottom line: Decreased response time = Increased Performance. That’s all cool, what does it mean to my Microsoft Apps?

A key point of the announcement is the extensive “Real World Application Testing” already completed by EMC engineering.  Specifically, the work done with Microsoft SQL, resulting in 87% better response with VFCache enabled. Even more impressive is the small print.

“Solutions architecture consists of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, Cisco UCS, and EMC VNX5300. Testing employed a standard TPC-C like OLTP workload with a 750GB database and a 90/10% read/write mix. VFCache enabled on all data LUNs, but not on log LUNS. No tuning of SQL database.”

That’s 87% better performance with no SQL tuning using SQL 2008 R2. As you have heard here and on Inside the Partnership, EMC is a diamond Sponsor of the SQL2012 launch. If we are seeing this type of improvement with SQL2008, what could you expect from a SQL2012 deployment? Stay Tuned….

 In the meantime, here is the full whitepaper “EMC VFCache Accelerated Microsoft SQL Server”, detailing the SQL testing. As always, you will find all of the latest information on the Everything Microsoft at EMC Community site.

To be notified of the latest Inside The Partnership videos, follow me on twitter @EMCMSFT and subscribe to Inside the Partnership on the YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/sammarraccini.

 For all of the latest information regarding EMC and Microsoft be sure to join the Everything Microsoft at EMC Community

Gearing up for #SQL2012 and #MMS2012 to kick start a year like no other!!

by Sam Marraccini (@EMCMSFT)

2012 is shaping up to be a non-stop technology filled ride with new products, new integration and just cool stuff!   If you spend your day with Microsoft Application keep up to date with the latest by following me on twitter @EMCMSFT.  

EMC is a Diamond Sponsor of the SQL Server 2012 launch.  EMC is participating in the global launch including the virtual launch event March 7^th, you can register here.  You can expect much more here and on future episodes of Inside the Partnership here.

In addition to the SQL launch we are busy preparing for the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS), EMC World, and Microsoft Teched.  Look for lots of new technology announcements at all three shows.   And that's in the first half of the year!

I recently sat down with John Terescik.  John is largely responsible for the direction of EMCs Systems Center integration across EMC products.  With the highly anticipated launch of System Center 2012, EMC is preparing for the Microsoft Management Summit.  EMC is once again a Gold Sponsor of MMS.  John and I spoke about what that means.   For a summary of MMS2011, check out Inside the Partnership Episode #2

 

The Microsoft Management summit will lead us into EMC World.  Look for lots of announcements and new integration with Microsoft technologies, much more to come from EMC World.

EMC is once again a Platinum Sponsor of Microsoft Teched.  If you think we did it big in 2011, just wait till 2012.   For a recap of EMC at Microsoft Teched 2011 check out Inside The Partnership Episode #6

Thanks for watching.  To be notified of the latest Inside The Partnership videos, follow me on twitter @EMCMSFT and subscribe to Inside the Partnership on the YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/sammarraccini.

For all of the latest information regarding EMC and Microsoft be sure to join the Everything Microsoft at EMC Community