Looking for a document describing the recommended design for public folder databases (yes - they are still there). Information found concerning Exchange 2007 databases sofar is maximum database size for not replicated DBs 100GB, for replicated DBs 200GB - all that having mailbox databases and CCR in mind. Now, public folder databases are not allowed/possible within CCR (as we do have more then one pf and severall servers) so we have to go for seperate Exchange 2007 servers hosting public folders. There is a limitation within Exchange 2007 (standard and enterprise edition) that only ONE public folder database per server can be created. Thinking about the recommendation mentioned above, database size without replication should not be larger than 100GB, would mean be having currently 600GB within PF, we have to implement 6 dedicated PF servers containing one 100GB pf database each => that can't be true, can it ?Therefore I'm looking for a design document describing PF DB design and recommendations for necessary server hardware (mem, cpu) for Exchange 2007 PF server. As access behaviour (usage pattern) to PF Databases may vary, guidance for PF design (hw) including that would be welcomed as well. Thanks

I am not sure if there is any specific document for PFserver desing. You can do the HW sizing based on number of users, concurrent connestions to PF and size of the database. For Capacity planning follow the link http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996658(EXCHG.65).aspxYou can have a look in the http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124200(EXCHG.65).aspxRaj

Hi, Please understand that the 100GB is just a recommended database size. The true maximum size for your databases should be dictated by the SLA in place at your organization. Determining the largest size database that can be backed up and restored within the period specified in your organization's SLA is how you determine the maximum size for your databases. In addition, I also suggest you read following article: Understanding Public Folders http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996658(EXCHG.65).aspx When you plan for how many public folder databases to create in your organization, consider the following best practices: For large enterprise topologies where public folders are heavily used, deploy dedicated public folder servers. This best practice stems from the general best practice of dedicating CPU resources and disk resources to isolated server functions. Having fewer larger public folder databases scales better and is more easily managed than having several smaller public folder databases. By reducing the number of public folder databases, you can decrease the time that is required to back up and restore many smaller databases. You also reduce the amount of background replication traffic. Additionally, online maintenance of fewer larger databases is quicker than online maintenance of many smaller databases. Finally, it is easier to manage a smaller number of public folder databases from the perspective of applying permissions and content access, and implementing efficient replication and referrals. The best practice of having fewer larger public folder databases is especially helpful when you consider your topology from the organization level. However, at the server level, some management and maintenance tasks, such as backup and restore processes, can be more quickly performed if you have several smaller databases. Ultimately, the number of public folder databases that you deploy must address your business requirements. As you determine the number of databases that you want to deploy, you must balance the cost of replication traffic against the costs of database backup, maintenance, and restore times. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Mike Shen TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb @ microsoft.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~