Re: SBS 2003 Program Files Partition

From: MCSEGURU (mcseguruhere_at_aol.com)
Date: 01/31/05 

Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 19:26:53 GMT

I think I would advise against this. I don't know that you can successfully
get all Program Files to install to D:\ without editing the %ProgramFiles%
environment variable before the integrated SBS setup begins (and I don't
know how negatively this will effect other operations on the server)

If you are creating these volumes (C:, D:, E:, etc...) by partitioning
physical disks, then I don't think you are really gaining anything. Disk
utilization and Disk I/O is the main reason I can think of to separate files
onto different disks. Since partitioning a disk doesn't really effect it's
performance characteristics with respect to I/O you are merely drawing lines
in your sandbox, that in the future you may want to move.

If money wasn't an object, I would recommend creating a Mirror Set for the
OS and Programs and a separate mirror set or RAID set for Data Files (user
shares etc...) on one controller and partitioning these disks with one
partition using the entire disk.

In SBS, exchange doesn't usually grow large enough to warrant separate space
for itself, and additionally doesn't consume enough I/O to negatively effect
much, even on a slower processor server with minimal memory. However on a
large enterprise Exchange Server I would install another Mirror Set for your
Exchange Database and another Mirror Set or RAID Set for your Exchange
database logs on a completely separate controller with only one partition
for each disk.

So with all that said, OS on one disk, and Data (including exchange) on
another with only single partitions on each is really all you need.

There are some articles on how to get the data files that by default are
written to %ProgramFiles% and move them to your Data disk.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sbs/2003/maintain/movedata.mspx

- jeff

"Markus Fuchs" <m.fuchs@nospam.fplusp.com> wrote in message
news:eP16Ni6BFHA.2624@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> Hey,
>
> I'll have to set up a Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Ed. soon
> and wondered how to place the "Program Files" folder on another partition
> than the system. Will the SBS Setup ask me where to place it or do I have
> to
> make an unattended installation file/disk like on Windows 2000/XP?
> What other parts or folders do you separate by using different partitions?
> Can you give me some advice?
>
> I thought of sth. like this:
> C: System (Windows SBS 2003)
> D: Program Files
> E: Data ("File Server")
> F: Shadow Copies (Shadow Copies from E: files)
> G: Repositories (Subversion Repositories)
>
> This will be my first experience with a MS server product. I already read
> most of Charlie Russell's Administrator's Companion and I must admit that
> I'm overwhelmed by all the features SBS 2003 provides and therefore I
> appreciate any help.
>
> Markus
>
>

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