Exchange DAG on GPT disk

Exchange 2010 Mailbox Server Role Requirements Calculator
http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2009/11/09/3408737.aspx

Look for this

I dont think there should be any but good to check

- Rancy

GPT is much reliable compare to MBR. A it allow's you to expand till 256 TB. However MS suggest not to keep multiple db's on same disk. However, till now I haven't practical used or seen anyone is using GPT.

http://searchexchange.techtarget.com/feature/Choosing-a-disk-configuration-for-your-Exchange-Server-2007-storage

However for Exchange 2013 it is a recommended as best practice to use GPT. So it seems MS might have designed 2013 to use GPT in much better way compare to its previous versions of Exchange. More to read:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee832792.aspx

Thanks for the answers, we will be deploying 2 server DAG, the OS and the Exchange installation will be on the MBR Disk, the Exchange Data and other files with be on the GPT disk.

We have multiple exchange database, none of which are larger than 300Gb

Makes sense but are you planning for multiple DB's on the same Drive ?

- Rancy

Yes, we will be putting multiple DB's on the same drive. Our total size of exchange data is about 1Tb.

multiple databases per drive are not really supported on 2010 it is actually one of the new features of 2013.


Why don't you just create multiple LUN/Drives for each DB and stick to MBR

Akhater dont mind but can you share a doc that says that Multiple DB's on per drive is not Supported ?

I think its more of a recommendation for not affecting all DB's at the same time

- Rancy

Hi Rancy

actually in the 2013 what's new it is written (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd638137(v=exchg.150))

Support for multiple databases per disk   Exchange 2013 includes enhancements that enable you to support multiple databases (mixtures of active and passive copies) on the same disk, thereby leveraging larger disks in terms of capacity and IOPS as efficiently as possible.


so i conclude it is a new support in 2013 so it wasn't there in 2010

Maybe I should have used "not recommended" instead of "not supported" you are right

Our databases will be in a secondary drive in a RAID5 configuration using GPT. Our secondary mailbox server will be set up the same. So if we have any drive failures not only will the DAG keep us live, we can easily replace a drive without anything being affected.

Abaskett: it makes sense what your saying

- Rancy