Archive Server Requirements and Storage

The archive server is responsible for connecting to the back-end mail server (Exchange), ingesting data, converting it to XML, and storing the data. IPRO also supports different types of data connectors. The following requirements apply to the Archive server and are recommended for optimal performance.

Processor

4 total cores minimum

Memory

8 GB RAM (8 GB for worker nodes)

Network

GB Ethernet

Storage

Up to 4 different types of storage can be set up. Smaller organizations may choose to store everything together, while larger organizations may opt to for more granularity.

Storage 1: Operating System

150 GB for OS, applications, temp and swap space. VM is delivered with this volume, thin-provisioned.

Storage 2: Archives
  • Adequate local or attached storage for archived messages is required.
  • Messages are stored in XML format, accounting for approximately 20% of the total mailbox size.
  • Archives have a read/write profile of 5/95, an expected performance of 500 IOPS for both random read and write, with a recommend block size of 4K.
  • Archives do not change once written, so they can be stored on read/write media or a WORM device.

Storage 3: Attachments
  • Adequate local or attached storage for archived attachments is required.
  • Attachments are stored in their native format, accounting for approximately 80% of the total mailbox size.
  • Attachments do not change once written, so they can be stored on read/write media or a WORM device.

Storage 4: Audit Files
  • Adequate local or attached storage for audit files is required.
  • Size of audit files requires approximately 15% the amount of archived data (e.g., 1 TB of archives would mean 150 GB of audit files).
  • Audit files are very small in size. Recommended block size of storage device is 2K.
  • Audit files track all operation on archive data and need to be updated, so they cannot be written to a WORM device.

Operating System (pre-installed on VM)

Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Standard

VMware
  • ESX 5.5 or greater
  • Vmotion supported
  • VMFS (RDM not required, but suggested for better performance)
  • Disk caching on disk array

Hyper-V
  • Hyper-V Server 2016 and higher
  • Disk caching on disk array

Outlook Client Add-in Requirements
  • Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10 (no server class machines)
  • Internet Explorer 11, latest builds of Firefox and Chrome
  • Outlook Client 2010 SP1+, 2013, 2016, or 2019

Outlook Web Access / Outlook Web App Requirements

Administrative and end-user access to archives in an Exchange environment can be accomplished through either an IPRO button in OWA or through the web-based IPRO Search portal.

  • Internet Explorer 11, latest builds of Firefox and Chrome
  • Outlook Web Access 2010, 2013, 2016, or 2019