I have moved! Go to updated version of this article.
Sometime you need to know exactly what the database in the device is used for. This KB03974 BlackBerry device databases definition functions table comes particularly handy if you need to restore particular functions or device settings such as speed dials, ring profile, calendar options, certain phones behaviour. By referring to the table you will have some idea of how to please the most demanding boss / fussy clients / executives by restoring the brand new or a replacement unit back to how it was customized in the old BB.
Another good example would be Phone Call Logs, instead of doing over-the-air (OTA) sync and restore, which might take long time, you can restore it from your backup. (For instructions and guide how to do this refer to my previous post titled: BlackBerry Device Advanced Selective Restore Backup)
Often times, we tend to restore everything and overwrite destination device databases with the one from backup. Be cautious! I would not do that, you will get warning dialog box confirming your action. Why?
- Depending on the user manipulation on BES. If user was removed (deleted) from BES and later added into BES and then activated with new device, you probably might run into synching issues because you just restored and overwritten the new security key pair with the old one between BES and the device.
- If the user was never deleted and you later restored and overwrote all databases from that device, you might get away with it.
Still, I would pay attention to system realted databases such as Handheld Key Store, Policy, Random Pool, Service Book and not too mess around with. Afterall, those are not user friendly configurable options anyways.
Useful Link
(Note: If link is broken, let me know or Google for KB number.)
Chee
Pointer: How to Size Exchange 2007 Mailbox Storage Hardware Requirements – the Practical Way
May 20, 2008
Pointer: How to Size Exchange 2007 Mailbox Storage Hardware Requirements – the Shorcut Way
Frequently I got questions from peers on how to start designing for Exchange 2007 hardware? I’d usually point them to Google. Easier said than done, without pointers, most people get lost. The reason for this article is NOT blogging about the concept and definition of Exchange but rather a call-to-action pointers that I used when designing Exchange solution. This is a pointer article not documentation or recreation of Technet document. You can read tons of white paper out there.
You need to have general concept of Exchange 2007, how email works and ideally managing couple of Exchange servers before. Bear in mind Exchange 2007 has many server roles; this article concentrates only on the mailbox server in Storage Planning and Sizing, which is the core functionality of Exchange anyways.
Often than not, I find that with this approach it is easier to start the discussion with clients about their requirements and can actually get the sense of what their bottom line is, which, in turn will save you some time in designing a solution that wraps around their budget. It also serves as a good starting point to consider other third party applications integration that might use Exchange SMTP Transport, Backup solutions, and any additional features or add-ons you would like to have such as BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) and etc. You can then adjust, size and package your solution accordingly.
I will provide links for additional readings. Let’s get to the point.
Pointer 1 (short read)
Three Most Critical factors to consider when selecting hardware:
i. Processor (Planning Processor Configurations from Technet)
ii. Amount of Memory (Planning Memory Configurations from Technet)
iii. Storage (Planning Storage Configurations from Technet)
After you understand the guides from the articles above (refer to links alongside), then go to
Pointer 2 (home work)
Go to Exchange 2007 Mailbox Server Role Storage Requirements Calculator spreadsheet and click download. (alternatively, you can grab it from my box at the bottom of right column) and follow the steps and explanation outlined in the blog post from the Microsoft Exchange Team Blog and fill-in the form calculator.
Pointer 3 (think and revise)
What do I do with those information collected?
i. Give it to your preferred storage vendor
ii. Served as catalyst for more ideas such as what-if scenarios
Useful Questions and Ideas:
Some questions that you might want to ask yourself, your clients, customers, vendors, management, business decision makers and etc.
– Understand how user usage behaviour. Many times we find that end-users or line-of-business (LOB) apps are using the Exchange environment as a transport mechanism, and without in-depth discovery, some of these points are missed, creating unexpected down-time that reflects poorly on the IT staff and you!
– It’s more than just storage now. It’s about managing data. Anyone can sell you storage, anyone. But look at vendors that will help you manage that data such as provisioning, backup and recovery, DR, etc.
– Shop around for storage vendors and don’t afraid to ask challenging questions! They want the business and you want what you paid for eventually. Learn from them. The more you ask the more you become more intelligent in making wise decision. If you are going to replicate that data, what tools will those vendors provide to help do that?
– Consider if end-user work from home. With more and more workforce physically work from home, consider apply some policy or use Network Access Protection (NAP) to control and maintain your SLA. The reason is you will have corporate executives wanted to use Outlook Anywhere from their cottage old PC with slow internet connection.
– On the disk subsystem or storage. There are some very exciting technologies, (which I myself having hard time to keep up with) that can change the paradigm of how you have to approach DR, backups, and sizing. Not to mentioned the much talk about green computing initiatives with Virtualization. Consider Compellant not to mention household brand name like NetApps, EMC, 3PAR, etc.
– Add IOPS for BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) users. Because BES isn’t a cached mode connection, and the service account is making so many MAPI calls to the mailboxes, it can easily require 3-6 time the IOPS compared to a cached mode Outlook 2007 client. Use the calculator’s ‘extra IOPS’ to build some in.
– Licensing, if you are provider sign up for SPLA from Microsoft and Alliance Partner from RIM.
– If you are end-user considering VL from Microsoft with SA and purchase your own license for BES and the CALs. Try using ActiveSync and grab one of those Windows Mobile device from your carrier bundled and subsidized. Connection license is already paid for with Exchange CALs anyways. consider iPhone (with ActiveSync)
Shortcut or Practical? Both.
Chee
Customer often asked if it is possible to log all BlackBerry PIN and SMS messages. Yes, it is possible. If you are the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) Administrator or experienced vendor who actually went through the BlackBerry Partner exams common sense tell us that PIN messages and SMS are not part of BES. Hence, we naturally thought it is NOT possible to log or audit it. As the matter of fact, these logging/ audit features are an exception.
It turned out that BES 4.1 support this. KB05024 explains the steps required to perform just that. Audit log location will be populated daily with folder named after yyyymmdd format.
The log covers some pretty serious and wealthy of information such as “Name.ID”,”Email Address”,”Type of Message”,”To”,”From”,”Callback Phone Number”,”Body”,”Send/Received Date”,”Server Log Date”,”Overall Message Status”,”Command”,”UID”.
As you can see it raises some privacy concern and whether is a good thing to do that. It may subject to abuse and believe me not, I’m sure some corporate executives may think that PIN and SMS are safer than corporate email. Not with BlackBerry! On the other hand this feature is good and excellent feature to log all communication and for compliancy purpose such as for the government and military, where transmission of data is viewed as serious threat. So be sure to table out with your corporate executives and make it an IT policy whether or not to include this feature, protect the audit directory with NTFS security and assigned only designated user account to it.
To organize, retrieve and make the raw/ logged data from the BES useful, readable and presentable for compliance purpose, check out this product from RETAIN.
There is also a blog comment about the product written by Robb Dunewood.
Chee
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