Recommended Partition Size

[Guest Richard Perry]

I would like to see what other's are doing for creating partitions on Server

2003 with Server 2008 in mind.

 

Typically, I create a C drive for OS and Applications (16 GB), and leave the

remaining disk space as a D drive for user/application created files.

 

In the past, space limitations on the system drive has been a concern when

the C drive was 6, 8, or even 12 GB depending on the flavor of Windows

Server running.

 

Building out a new Server 2003 box, with the idea of upgrading to Server

2008 shortly after RTM, and that this would be a single purpose server (file

or print or application), what would the recommended size for the system

partition be?

 

Richard

[Guest Leythos]

Re: Recommended Partition Size

 

In article <106AA458-30AB-49AE-84AF-66DD4EDAD203@microsoft.com>,

RichardPerry@newsgroup.nospam says...

> I would like to see what other's are doing for creating partitions on Server

> 2003 with Server 2008 in mind.

>

> Typically, I create a C drive for OS and Applications (16 GB), and leave the

> remaining disk space as a D drive for user/application created files.

>

> In the past, space limitations on the system drive has been a concern when

> the C drive was 6, 8, or even 12 GB depending on the flavor of Windows

> Server running.

>

> Building out a new Server 2003 box, with the idea of upgrading to Server

> 2008 shortly after RTM, and that this would be a single purpose server (file

> or print or application), what would the recommended size for the system

> partition be?

 

OS on RAID-1, full drive size, 1 partition.

DATA on RAID-5 with hot spare, 1 partition

 

If SQL/Exchange

 

Data Files on RAID-5 + HS

Log Files on RAID-1

 

Spare backup drive array for doing updates, patches, SQL daily backups,

etc... RAID-1.

 

--

 

Leythos

- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.

- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a

drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"

spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

[Guest Richard Perry]

Re: Recommended Partition Size

 

Short of creating a 146 GB system drive, does anyone else have input?

 

Richard

 

"Leythos" <void@nowhere.lan> wrote in message

news:MPG.21995dd680b816249897d2@adfree.usenet.com...

> In article <106AA458-30AB-49AE-84AF-66DD4EDAD203@microsoft.com>,

> RichardPerry@newsgroup.nospam says...

>> I would like to see what other's are doing for creating partitions on

>> Server

>> 2003 with Server 2008 in mind.

>>

>> Typically, I create a C drive for OS and Applications (16 GB), and leave

>> the

>> remaining disk space as a D drive for user/application created files.

>>

>> In the past, space limitations on the system drive has been a concern

>> when

>> the C drive was 6, 8, or even 12 GB depending on the flavor of Windows

>> Server running.

>>

>> Building out a new Server 2003 box, with the idea of upgrading to Server

>> 2008 shortly after RTM, and that this would be a single purpose server

>> (file

>> or print or application), what would the recommended size for the system

>> partition be?

>

> OS on RAID-1, full drive size, 1 partition.

> DATA on RAID-5 with hot spare, 1 partition

>

> If SQL/Exchange

>

> Data Files on RAID-5 + HS

> Log Files on RAID-1

>

> Spare backup drive array for doing updates, patches, SQL daily backups,

> etc... RAID-1.

>

> --

>

> Leythos

> - Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.

> - Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a

> drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"

> spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

[Guest Leythos]

Re: Recommended Partition Size

 

In article <OqJs1dAIIHA.3848@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl>,

RichardPerry@newsgroup.nospam says...

> Short of creating a 146 GB system drive, does anyone else have input?

 

Isn't it about performace?

 

Drives are very cheap.

 

16GB is small, 32GB would be more than enough for most, but, since we

don't know what you're really going to be doing, 32GB might not be

enough.

 

--

 

Leythos

- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.

- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a

drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"

spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

[Guest Ken Zhao [MSFT]]

Re: Recommended Partition Size

 

Hello Richard,

 

Thank you for using newsgroup!

 

As far as I know, Windows Server 2008 will need 10GB minimum available disk

space. We recommend 49GB or more disk space. If you want to upgrade to

Windows Server 2008 in the future, you may set the recommended partition

size. For more information about system requirement in Windows Server 2008,

please refer to:

Windows Server 2008 System Requirements

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/sysreqs.mspx

 

Thanks & Regards,

 

Ken Zhao

 

Microsoft Online Support

Microsoft Global Technical Support Center

 

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[Guest Kerry Brown]

Re: Recommended Partition Size

 

"Richard Perry" <RichardPerry@newsgroup.nospam> wrote in message

news:106AA458-30AB-49AE-84AF-66DD4EDAD203@microsoft.com...

>I would like to see what other's are doing for creating partitions on

>Server 2003 with Server 2008 in mind.

>

> Typically, I create a C drive for OS and Applications (16 GB), and leave

> the remaining disk space as a D drive for user/application created files.

>

> In the past, space limitations on the system drive has been a concern when

> the C drive was 6, 8, or even 12 GB depending on the flavor of Windows

> Server running.

>

> Building out a new Server 2003 box, with the idea of upgrading to Server

> 2008 shortly after RTM, and that this would be a single purpose server

> (file or print or application), what would the recommended size for the

> system partition be?

>

 

 

Drives are cheap. I'd follow Leythos' advice and add a couple of drives for

a RAID 1 system. If that's totally out of the picture then I'd allow at last

30 GB. I'm making system partitions 60 GB now. It's way too much pain to try

to fix this later when the fix is relatively cheap and very easy if you do

it now.

 

--

Kerry Brown

Microsoft MVP - Shell/User

http://www.vistahelp.ca

[Guest Brian Cryer]

Re: Recommended Partition Size

 

"Richard Perry" <RichardPerry@newsgroup.nospam> wrote in message

news:106AA458-30AB-49AE-84AF-66DD4EDAD203@microsoft.com...

>I would like to see what other's are doing for creating partitions on

>Server 2003 with Server 2008 in mind.

>

> Typically, I create a C drive for OS and Applications (16 GB), and leave

> the remaining disk space as a D drive for user/application created files.

>

> In the past, space limitations on the system drive has been a concern when

> the C drive was 6, 8, or even 12 GB depending on the flavor of Windows

> Server running.

>

> Building out a new Server 2003 box, with the idea of upgrading to Server

> 2008 shortly after RTM, and that this would be a single purpose server

> (file or print or application), what would the recommended size for the

> system partition be?

 

Why partition? It just leads to problems later on if one of the partitions

isn't big enough.

--

Brian Cryer

http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian

[Guest Richard Perry]

Re: Recommended Partition Size

 

Thanks for your input. The newest server that I am working with has 6x 146

GB drives. To maximize space, I plan on configuring this as a 5 drive

RAID5+HS. And since the server holds 6 drives, adding a RAID1 to the mix

isn't an option on this server.

 

On our main data servers that are connected to the SAN, I do configure them

as a RAID1, but I used to partition them so that I could store configuration

files, scripts, and backups on the data partition. Therefore, a server with

2x 73GB drives, I would configure (for Server 2003) this with a 20 GB system

partition, and leave the rest for data/backups.

 

It seems that your suggestion in a scenario like this is to configure the

RAID1 to hold the system on the entire drive space, and then add more drives

to create a data storage location.

 

Thanks for all your input! I haven't asked this question in many years, and

it wasn't that long ago that the suggestions were to keep the system

partition as small as possible and maximize the space fore data storage.

 

Richard

 

"Leythos" <void@nowhere.lan> wrote in message

news:MPG.219979747045b0179897d8@adfree.usenet.com...

> In article <OqJs1dAIIHA.3848@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl>,

> RichardPerry@newsgroup.nospam says...

>> Short of creating a 146 GB system drive, does anyone else have input?

>

> Isn't it about performace?

>

> Drives are very cheap.

>

> 16GB is small, 32GB would be more than enough for most, but, since we

> don't know what you're really going to be doing, 32GB might not be

> enough.

>

> --

>

> Leythos

> - Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.

> - Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a

> drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"

> spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

[Guest Leythos]

Re: Recommended Partition Size

 

In article <13992D6E-CA0A-49EE-BE94-D4F14DE70730@microsoft.com>,

RichardPerry@newsgroup.nospam says...

> It seems that your suggestion in a scenario like this is to configure the

> RAID1 to hold the system on the entire drive space, and then add more drives

> to create a data storage location.

 

Yep, and normally, with SCSI or SAS I just get one set (RAID-1) for the

OS, and then another set for the data. Drives are cheap and servers that

can handle the number of drives are cheap - if you are willing to get

one that big. The IBM 3800 series is a nice box, we also use Chenbro

Dual Sided cases with Intel Server motherboards and roll our own server

for the ultimate in configurations.

> Thanks for all your input! I haven't asked this question in many years, and

> it wasn't that long ago that the suggestions were to keep the system

> partition as small as possible and maximize the space fore data storage.

 

That was alway the killer for me - small OS partitions. Dell still

screws it up for SBS, making a default 12GB Partition for SBS 2003....

 

In most cases I install Server apps, not users data/apps, on the C drive

- Antivirus, Firewall logging, VNC, things like that, and a small

partition would work, but I would suggest 31GB as the default size any

more.

 

--

 

Leythos

- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.

- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a

drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"

spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)