IBM Lotus Domino Express/Linux performance test results on HP ProLiant ML350 G3 servers
Abstract..... 2 What is IBM Lotus Domino Express?.... 3 What is UnitedLinux and how does it work with SuSE Linux?... 3 HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server.... 4 Ideal environment: small/medium workgroups... 4 Typical use:..... 4 Test configuration..... 5 System under test HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server... 5 Driving systems..... 5 Installing SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8/UnitedLinux 1.0... 6 HP SmartStart.... 7 SuSE Linux Extension Pack for IBM Lotus Domino server... 8 Installing IBM Lotus Domino Express... 9 IBM Lotus Domino Collaboration Express performance testing... 9 Summary..... 11 For more information.... 12

Abstract

This solution brief has been compiled to assist HP customers with the installation and deployment of IBM Lotus Domino 6.5 Collaboration Express on SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 with United Linux 1.0 operating software running on the HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server. Domino Express is designed for small to medium business (SMB) environments with fewer than 1,000 users. The configuration of the HP ProLiant ML350 G3 is optimized for this type of implementation, while leaving sufficient performance headroom to support related applications, such as anti-virus and/or anti-spam. This paper will also review the most recent performance findings during the application testing which took place within the HP performance labs in Nashua, NH in December of 2003.
What is IBM Lotus Domino Express?
IBM Lotus Domino Collaboration Express is a new version of Lotus collaboration software, specifically designed for small to medium-sized businesses. Domino Express includes Domino e-mail, calendaring, scheduling, custom Domino application features, plus a choice of client access types. It is designed for use by smaller enterprises, providing cost effective messaging and collaboration functionality, and simplified licensing. Domino Express is targeted at companies with as few as 5 employees or as many as a 1,000 active e-mail users. It is built with the same enterprise quality Lotus Domino and Notes 6 software that powers missioncritical applications for corporations worldwide. Lotus Domino Express is a complete messaging and collaboration solution for 1,000 or fewer users, who need proven power in a simplified and optimized form.
Note: Please see the For more information page at the end of this document.
What is UnitedLinux and how does it work with SuSE Linux?
UnitedLinux (UL) is a standards-based, Linux operating system developed by Conectiva, The SCO Group, SuSE Linux and Turbolinux. It is designed to be an enterprise-class, industrystandard Linux operating system. UL provides a single, stable, uniform platform for application development, certification, and deployment. It allows Linux vendors, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and Independent Hardware Vendors (IHVs) to support a single Linux offering rather than many different versions. United Linux is an attempt to stop the fracturing and fragmentation within the Linux community. UnitedLinux 1.0 was first released in November 2002. It is the engine that powers products sold by the four companies, each with its own value-added features, services and pricing and is an inaugural member of the UnitedLinux Technology Partner program. UnitedLinux LLC is a private company equally owned by the four partners. The partners make all decisions regarding the future of UnitedLinux and the UnitedLinux product. Further information regarding UnitedLinux can be found at: http://www.unitedlinux.com

HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server
The HP ProLiant ML350 G3 platform is an expandable rack or tower server delivering affordable two-way performance and essential availability to corporate workgroups and growing businesses. The third generation HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server, pictured below in Figure 1, delivers on a long tradition of engineering excellence with state of the art technologies that maximize reliability and performance at an affordable price.
Figure 1. HP ProLiant ML 350 G3 server
Ideal environment: small/medium workgroups
A flexible server that can handle a variety of applications Data protection and basic availability features for workgroup productivity Headroom for growth Ease of deployment and management

Typical use:

File/print/fax server Groupware Databases such as Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Workgroup applications

Test configuration

The test was set up using two groups of hardware: the driving systems - to generate the 1,000 user connection and activity load on the system under test- and the system under test (SUT). The SUT utilized the following hardware configuration
System under test HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server
Two Intel Xeon 2.8 GHz, processors (dual processor capability) with 512-KB level 2
cache standard (full speed) and Hyper-Threading Technology
Up to 533-MHz Front Side Bus (model dependent) Integrated Dual Channel Wide Ultra3 SCSI Adapter HP Smart Array 532 Storage Controller NC7760 PCI Gigabit Server Adapter (embedded) 2GB of 2-way interleaving capable PC2100 DDR SDRAM, with Advanced ECC
capabilities (Expandable to 8GB)
Five expansion slots: four 64-bit/100-MHz PCI-X, one 32-bit/33-MHz PCI Two USB ports Standard 6 x 1 Wide Ultra320 ready Hot Plug Drive Cage Storage was configured as two separate arrays which consisted of 6 internal 36.4 GB
Ultra3 SCSI disk drives. Two for the OS, page file, and Domino executables. And four for the data (user mail files). Each array was configured with RAID 0+1.
500W Hot-Pluggable Power Supply

Driving systems

Two HP DeskPro EN systems were used as the client driver systems running Notesbench benchmark utilities, to generate the Domino Express R6.5 mail workload and activity on the SUT. Each was configured with:
A single 450 MHz Intel Pentium II processor 6 GB hard drive 512 MB of RAM
All systems were connected over an isolated TCP/IP LAN using 100Base T. All of the default Lotus Domino server tasks were active and running during the Lotus Domino Express R6Mail testing, which ran for approximately 10 hours, after all of the 1,000 users were connected to the server and routing mail respectively.
Installing SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8/UnitedLinux 1.0
Please see the HP support - reference library page for instructions on installing Linux on HP
ProLiant hardware. This site also contains white papers, manuals, service notifications and frequently asked questions. UnitedLinux 1.0 - HP support - reference library, http://wwss1pro.compaq.com/support/reference_library/viewreferencelibrary.asp?country code=1000&catid=773&famid=804&prodid=6103|UnitedLinux+1.0 Also see - HP management software for Linux on HP ProLiant servers HOWTO reference library document #TC030701HT, http://wwss1pro.compaq.com/support/reference_library/viewdocument.asp?countrycode= 1000&prodid=6103|UnitedLinux+1.0&source=TC030701HT.xml&dt=262&docid=19647

Note: Be sure to see the For more information page at the end of this document for information on obtaining and installing HP ProLiant hardware drivers.
The specific drivers that were loaded for this particular test were:
Systems ROMPaq Firmware Upgrade Diskette for HP ProLiant ML350 G3 (D14) servers NCx7xx Firmware and PXE Update Utility HP ProLiant NC61xx/NC77xx Gigabit Ethernet NIC Driver for Linux Offline ROM Flash for HP SmartStart Maintenance: ROM Update Utility Smart Array 5i

and SA-532

Note: All HP ProLiant servers are shipped with current drivers and BIOS updates.

HP SmartStart

HP SmartStart optimizes single-server setup, providing a simple way to deploy reliable and consistent server configurations. HP SmartStart assists the server deployment process by preparing the system for installing "off-the-shelf" versions of leading operating system software. HP SmartStart is included in the HP ProLiant Essentials Foundation Pack, which also includes the Management CD. The HP ProLiant Essentials Foundation Pack ships with every HP ProLiant ML and DL 300, 500 and 700 Server and is available for subscription or as a downloadable image so you can be up to date with the latest HP SmartStart applications, software drivers, management agents and utilities. The HP ProLiant Software Maintenance Subscription, formerly known as the HP SmartStart subscription, now includes 4 CDs: SmartStart CD, Management CD, the new HP ProLiant Software Maintenance CD, and the new HP ProLiant Firmware Maintenance CD. This service provides customers 4 new releases of HP SmartStart for a period of approximately one year. A single-release of this pack, called a Request Pack, is also available for order at HP SmartStart 7.00 - World Wide QuickSpecs, http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/11808_div/11808_div.HTML Visit the HP SmartStart website for the latest information about HP SmartStart and other related software. The HP SmartStart website includes the following and more:
What's New information Purchasing a subscription Support Information Server and OS Support Matrices Links to the latest HP ProLiant Software and Driver download pages
Visit us at HP.com HP ProLiant Management - SmartStart - index, http://www.hp.com/servers/SmartStart.
SuSE Linux Extension Pack for IBM Lotus Domino server
This add-on product assists with and simplifies the installation and automates the tuning of the IBM Lotus Domino groupware solution for SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8, also know as SLES8. SuSE Linux Extension Pack for Lotus Domino (the Extension Pack) provides an installation routine that was specially developed by IBM Lotus and SuSE Linux and reduces the effort required for the migration of existing Lotus installations to a minimum. Customers will benefit from the stability and performance of SuSE Linux Enterprise Server. The Extension Pack enables an uncomplicated and seamless system configuration. According to IBM Lotus, administrators can save up to 14 hours during the installation and set up of Lotus Domino Express by using the Extension Pack thanks to the automated preconfiguration of users, permissions, start/stop scripts, and optimized libraries. Users will benefit from response times that are up to 60% shorter than those of comparable server operating systems. Please see the SuSE Linux Extension Pack for Lotus Domino website for further detail. http://www.suse.de/en/business/products/server/sles7/sles_ia32/extension.html

Installing IBM Lotus Domino Express
The installation of Lotus Domino Express is basically the same as installing the standard version of Lotus Domino R6. Simply mount the CD-ROM, or cd /media/cdrom, go to the /linux directory, type./install, and follow the prompts. In this case, the standard mail server was installed and the default paths were used for the Lotus Domino executables and the Domino data directory. Please reference the IBM Lotus Domino 6 for Linux RedBook http://publib-b.boulder.ibm.com/Redbooks.nsf/RedpieceAbstracts/sg246835.html?Open
IBM Lotus Domino Collaboration Express performance testing
It should be noted that this testing was completed in a non-production lab environment, and both the operating system and the Lotus Domino environment were unaltered. This means that the installation and configuration defaults were accepted and no other tuning parameters were added to the Lotus Domino or operating system environment. A single Lotus Domino mail.box was used in a single Lotus Domino partition. The total test ran for approximately 10 hours which included the user ramp up and ramp down activity. The Lotus Domino Express R6Mail test with 1,000 users on the HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server yielded an average of 4.19% CPU usage, with HP ProLiant Hyper Threading enabled. The memory usage showed an average of 1.9 GB utilization, throughout the test. Transactions per minute were equal to 1433 on average throughout the test, and the average response time was 34 milliseconds.
Figure 2. Lotus Domino Express CPU usage

CPU Usage

586 Minutes

% Busy

Figure 3. LotusDomino Express Memory Usage

Memory Usage

Total Memory 581 Minutes

Summary

This default installation was completed with the utmost of ease and yielded no problematic issues. Being certified, and successfully deployed by thousands of users, SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 is a stable and proven platform for Lotus Domino. Customers should be sure to load the latest Linux service packs and HP hardware drivers for their Linux installations. Keep in mind that IBM Lotus does not support any alterations to the standard Linux environment. The SuSE Extension Pack for Lotus Domino is certified by IBM Lotus and proved to be a very useful addition to the Domino configuration. Its use is recommended. The Extension Pack defines and automates many Domino related configuration and install tasks, which proved to be a definite benefit and saved significant time for the administrator.

Note: Please see the For more information page at the end of this document for more information on HP certified and supported Linux and HP ProLiant server solutions.
Clearly the new Lotus Domino Express application is more than capable of running efficiently on minimal hardware configurations for small to medium-sized business environments of 1,000 users or fewer. But, one does see that Lotus Domino will consume basically all the memory resources allotted, given the opportunity. Keep in mind that no alterations were put in place and that this application was simply loaded out of the box in a standard configuration.

For more information

HP Products & Services http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/prodserv.html Lotus Domino Express http://www-306.ibm.com/software/swnews/swnews.nsf/n/jmae5rfja2?OpenDocument&Site=lotus HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server -http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantml350/index.html Software and drivers http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/index.html HP, the market leader in industry standard computing, is driving enterprise Linux with open, costeffective, and comprehensive solutions that deliver the best return on your IT investment: http://h10018.www1.hp.com/wwsolutions/linux/customers.html?jumpid=go/customers HP ProLiant server certification matrix http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/linux/hpLinuxcert.html HP ActiveAnswers website for technical documentation, white papers and other Lotus Domino, HP ProLiant server solutions: http://activeanswers.compaq.com/ActiveAnswers/Render/0%2C1027%2C1-6-100-2251%2C00.htm
2004 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Lotus and Domino are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation and/or IBM Corporation, in the United States, other countries, or both. Intel, Pentium and Xeon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. [02/2004]-1

Everett Silvertips score stronger business operations with HP SMB server

Everett Silvertips

With the HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server and Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 software, we received the technology, power and scalability required to give the Silvertips everything needed for the near future. The Hot Plug drives and RAID 5 drive array, combined with the HP StorageWorks DLT tape backup, give me the assurance that in the unlikely event we have a hardware problem Ill have the resources to recover quickly. Having the support network of HP ProLiant behind the hardware is assurance you cant pay for. Terry Thom, Controller/IT Director, Everett Silvertips
The Everett Silvertips minor league hockey team, based in Everett, Washington, launched as a U.S. Division member of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in November 2002. The presence of the Silvertips another name for grizzly bear that comes from its silver-tipped fur is very exciting for local hockey enthusiasts as well as players. In addition to providing a closer arena for a popular spectator sport, this new division team provides a new training ground and showcase for talented players ages 16 to 20. Many of the players are future NHL contenders. Business challenge As their inaugural season approached, the Silvertips business organization found itself facing off against several IT challenges. The Silvertips had seen nothing but growth in all areas. Locating and signing hockey talent requires constant communication among players, management and coaches of the Silvertips and its parent organizations. Each year, 36 road trips need to be planned and executed. Players need to be in contact with their families and friends while on the road. Numbers of fans increased rapidly. The opening of the new 8,300-seat Everett Event Center, now the teams home, also opened the door for greatly increased game attendance. The staff rocketed from one to15 full-time employees. Such rapid growth led to the Silvertips reevaluating the peer-to-peer network that was set up for their business operations. To keep up with
I am very confident that the HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server with the HP StorageWorks DLT 80 Internal Tape Drive was the right decision for the Silvertips.
John Washenberger, SeaDak Solutions
projected demands, the IT staff and management made the decision to implement an aggressive upgrade of their IT infrastructure. The game plan The Silvertips IT staff outlined several areas for solutions. These included the goals of running back-office operations efficiently in a secure network environment, ensuring communications with players, their families, coaches and management, managing customer accounts efficiently by using a centrally located database that can be maintained easily, and providing remote access from the corporate office to ensure easy retrieval of operational information and efficient system maintenance. SeaDak Solutions, a Bainbridge Island, Washington-based developer and business solutions provider, was recruited to work with the Silvertips IT staff on the new game plan for business operations. HP and Microsoft solutions were tapped to create an affordable IT solution that could handle projected increases in operating system traffic caused by increased recruiting, administration and ticket sales. SeaDaks John Washenberger recommends the HP ProLiant ML350 G3 as the file/print and database hosting server, Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 network solution and Microsoft SQL Server 2003 for a robust database. The ProLiant ML350 G3 server with an internal tape drive would be the best match to the organizations requirements for power, scalability and reliability. Microsoft Windows Server 2003, included in Windows Small Business Server 2003, is a highly reliable network operating system. Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 integrates e-mail, fax, database and shared Internet into one platform and provides a pre-configured internal website.
Making it work I feel it is very important as a consultant that I try to steer my clients in a direction with solutions that will provide flexibility and allow them to scale up to meet new demands down the road, says Washenberger. I am very confident that the HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server with the HP StorageWorks DLT 80 Internal Tape Drive was the right decision for the Silvertips. The system in place will provide them with the reliability, redundancy and back-up capabilities allowing them to take their mind off IT issues to focus on serving their fans and winning games. This platform provides the reliability and flexibility to make full use of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 and its components, which are hosted on a single server. Therefore, when selecting a server to host this software, the user must be certain that the server not only offers good performance and reliability but also offers flexibility so that it can be scaled to meet existing and anticipated needs. For power, the server was configured with Intel Xeon processors running at 2.40GHz, an integrated Dual Wide-Ultra3 SCSI adapter, high-speed IDE CD-ROM drive and just over 1GB memory. The ProLiant ML350 G3 servers scalable features include six Hot Plug drive bays, five available expansion slots and up to 8GB of memory. The ProLiant ML350 G3 server provides flexible configurations for many applications, including the file/print as well as mail and messaging capabilities needed by the Silvertips. Hot Plug drives using RAID 5 for data security along with HP StorageWorks DLT tape backup and a Smart Array 641 drive controller rounded out the platform for reliability. HP is the only vendor to offer a battery in the battery-backed cache module for PCI RAID controllers

Challenge

Solution

Results

Running back-office operations efficiently in a secure network environment Ensuring communications with players, their families, coaches and management Managing customer accounts efficiently by using a centrally located database that can be maintained easily Providing remote access from the corporate office to ensure easy retrieval of operational information and efficient system maintenance

Hardware:

HP ProLiant ML350 G3 server with internal tape drive Intel Xeon Processor, 2.40GHz Integrated Dual Wide-Ultra3 SCSI Adapter Smart Array 641 Controller (RAID) 3-year limited warranty High-speed IDE CD-ROM drive Compaq NC7760 Gigabit Auto Switching Network Controller (embedded) HP SmartStart and Insight Manager software 256MB total PC2100 registered ECC DDR SDRAM memory (1x256MB)
Efficient services for IT staff, team managers, players and their families Flexibility to pursue and add new business cost effectively

Software:

Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Microsoft SQL Server 2000
that is redundant and replaceable, and to build recovery ROM into the controller. The redundancy offered by the Smart Array 641 architecture allows the Silvertips IT staff to be confident that their critical data will never be in jeopardy. It provides customers with additional confidence so they focus on their customers instead of how their business data is being managed and stored, says Washenberger. Silvertips Controller and IT Director Terry Thom gave the HP hardware solution an enthusiastic thumbs-up for possessing the robustness and reliability needed to play its role in addressing the business challenge. Having the Microsoft SQL database operating on anything but the best isnt a situation I would want to risk this company on. HP, in my opinion, takes the equipment or incompatibility questions out of the equation if something does go wrong. Does having HP equipment influence our decision to grow and try new things? Absolutely! says Thom. HP technical support contributed to the successful installation by responding immediately to assistance requests. Said Thom, The extra effort provided by HP in assisting with our installation and configuration was greatly appreciated. The install script was flawless! The expectation With the new solution set, the Silvertips are confident of high quality business operations and the associated success to be obtained from the ability to better satisfy the needs of their larger family of players and fans. They look forward to upsizing to Microsoft SQL Server 2000 in the near future. They would not have even considered doing this without knowing the host server would be dependable and have built-in backup capabilities. The organization is very pleased and confident of the platform they have implemented. They expect that the ProLiant ML350 G3 with Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 will serve them well now and for years to come. Customer at a glance Company: Everett Silvertips minor league hockey team U.S. headquarters: Everett, Washington Founded: 2002 Employees: 15 Telephone: 425-252-5100 Web site: www.everettsilvertips.com Primary business: Sports team organization support and sales Industry: Sports

For more information on how working with HP can benefit you, contact your local HP service representative, or visit us through the Internet at our World Wide Web address: http://www.hp.com
Copyright 2003 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Intel Xeon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. 5982-2119ENA1