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Using the Performance Optimizer

You can use the Performance Optimizer, a tool provided with Microsoft Exchange Server, to obtain the maximum performance from your system. The Setup program prompts you to choose whether to run Performance Optimizer following Setup. You should also rerun the Performance Optimizer:

  • After changing the server hardware configuration.
  • After changing the server's role in the site, such as adding or removing a connector.
  • To help move files to other physical disks.
  • To experiment with different parameter settings.

    • The Performance Optimizer analyzes the server's disk and memory configurations to determine the best location for the information store, directory, message transfer agent (MTA), and transaction log files. It also determines how much memory should be used for the information store and the directory, based on the total memory available on the server.

    The Performance Optimizer performs the following optimization tasks:

    1. Analyzes the hard disk configuration and determines which drives provide the fastest sequential access time and random access time. Reserves the drive with the fastest sequential access time for the transaction log file.


      2. Note   The Performance Optimizer inspects logical drives, not physical disks. If a physical disk is divided into multiple partitions, it analyzes each partition and indicates that files should be moved to different partitions on the physical disk. Although there are no performance gains in this configuration, the Performance Optimizer makes this recommendation because it cannot detect whether the drives are physical or logical.
    2. Chooses the fastest random access drive on which to place the files for the selected server type. For example, if the server is a public folder-only server, it places the public information store on the fastest random-access drive.
    3. Detects the amount of physical memory in the server and calculates the size of the caches for the directory and the information store, based on the information you provide about how the server will be used.
      4. The default values for the directory and information store caches are appropriate for most installations. Although larger caches may provide better performance in some circumstances, performance depends on the amount of physical memory available.