[OT] - Sizing SendMail Servers

[Peter Peters]

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 00:53:40 -0300, you wrote:

>This is slightly off topic. We have been asked to size an installation based on Linux
>as the O.S. for handling emails for about 200,000 to 300,000 users. I expect the
>emails to be quite small per user (just a guess so far of 5k or less) because this is
>mobile email oriented. I have no information yet about how many messags there would be
>per day (maybe 1,000,000?). There would be no spam checking at this phase. I expect
>that this will require load balancing a few servers (one for scanning and x por
>mailboxes?). I have 3 questions:

I'd prefer a system where the scanning is separated from the mailboxes.
Both can put a heavy load on the system and you don't want to have the
two influence eachother.

I have been looking into clustering. Esp. into the modular cluster
systems from Tatung. But because we can handle the load (300.000
messages a day) with 3 servers (at the moment) it is something for later
this year (or even next year).

You can build real clusters (one system comprising of a number of
computers) or load balancing (a lot of different computers each with its
own system) where you can configure systems to be part of the load
balancing system or not. If you have some spare you can even configure
systems "off-line" and "swap" them with systems that need to be
upgraded.

--
Peter Peters, senior netwerkbeheerder
Dienst Informatietechnologie, Bibliotheek en Educatie (ITBE)
Universiteit Twente,  Postbus 217,  7500 AE  Enschede
telefoon: 053 - 489 2301, fax: 053 - 489 2383, http://www.utwente.nl/itbe

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