At this stage of the Exchange Server 2007 scenario for System Center Capacity Planner 2007, you have created a capacity model by using the Capacity Planner Model Wizard, and you have noted from the Model Summary that the total number of users at branch sites is evenly distributed. The creation of the capacity model is a result of following the Step by Step for Pre-Deployment Sizing topic. However, this does not accurately reflect your deployment because some branch sites actually have more users than others. Therefore, you need to revise your capacity model to update the number of users at each site. You also want to revise the computer hardware that is used by some of your sites. The actions that are described in the following sections to ensure that your capacity model matches users’ locations and to ensure that the hardware infrastructure that you want meets your needs.

Add and Modify Resources in the Model Editor

You can refine your capacity model by adding details to it that more closely match the hardware you plan to deploy and that match the location of users at branch sites. During this process, you ensure that all other details about the deployment infrastructure are accurate.

Using topology views in the Capacity Planner Model Editor, you can view and edit details about your global and site topology by using the available tasks in each view. Although there are many tasks available, in this scenario you make updates by using only the following tasks:

Edit site information—Use this task to edit the site name for the selected site.

Edit connection details—Use this task to edit the bandwidth available for each network connection that is used in the site.

Add a LAN Switch—Use this task to add additional LANs or perimeter LANs for each site. You can add descriptive names for the network you want to add.

Add a WAN connection—Use this task to add WANs for each site. You can also specify the uplink and downlink speeds and the percentage of available bandwidth for each.

Add a site to site connection—Use this task to specify how sites are connected to perimeter networks by the uplink speed, the downlink speed, the percentage of available bandwidth for each, and the latency of the connection.

Add a SAN—Use this task to add a storage area network (SAN) by specifying a SAN name and disk configuration. You can also use this task to add a SAN switch and define the number and speed of the interconnects between the SAN and SAN switch.

Edit server hardware configuration—Use this task to change the name and assign the computer configuration for each server in the scenario where the computer configuration of some of your servers is not yet available. You must use the Capacity Planner Hardware Editor to define the computer configuration that you want to use and then perform this task again, applying the configuration you add to the Hardware Editor.

Edit server role—Use this task to add or remove the server components that are assigned to each server in a site. Server role components consist of the following:

  • Active Directory

  • Client Access

  • Edge Transport

  • Hub Transport

  • Mailbox

  • Passive Node - CCR

  • Passive Node - SCC

  • Passive Node - SCR

You can also map the data files that are used by various server role components to disk volumes on the server.

Additionally, you can use this task to assign a server usage profile to a server. Each server in the site can use a unique profile.

Edit usage profile—Use this task to edit, copy, and delete usage profiles for servers and clients. A usage profile determines how a modeled application is usually used. In this case, you can specify information to describe how users use Exchange Server resources and how background load affects Mailbox servers.

Edit client profile—Use this task to apply a client usage profile for a group of users in each site that best describes how the group accesses and uses the resources that are available to them. Each group of clients can use a unique profile. For each client profile, you can specify the following:

  • Name of the profile

  • Type of clients that are included in the profile

  • Number of users in the group

  • Name of the mailbox server that serves the clients

Run a Simulation

After you create a capacity model by using the Model Wizard or after you refine it by using the Model Editor, you are ready to run a simulation, which simulates the performance of your deployment. When you run the simulation, a summary of the elapsed time is displayed. If simulation adjustments are identified, they are displayed when the simulation runs.

In the scenario where a network connection for a Mailbox site has been mistakenly removed, a number of adjustment messages are displayed. Once you correct all critical adjustment messages, you will successfully run a simulation. Then you can review simulation results. You might also have some noncritical adjustment messages that you want to investigate.

See Also