• Article

Configure Jetstress 2010 Test Scenarios

 

Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP1, Exchange Server 2010

Topic Last Modified: 2012-07-23

Running a Jetstress test includes the following phases:

  • Configure and review a test scenario

  • Prepare test databases

  • Run the load simulation

You use either JetstressWin.exe or JetstressCmd.exe to create and configure your test scenario. You can create a test XML configuration file or change an existing configuration file. Both Jetstress applications use the common Jetstress core library. Therefore, you'll have comparable test results with the same XML configuration file. Which interface you use is up to you, depending on whether you prefer a graphical user interface or a command-line approach.

This topic describes the Microsoft Exchange Jetstress user interface (JetstressWin.exe). You can use this interface to select various types of test scenarios. Type JetstressWin.exe at a command prompt to get started. As you go through the configuration pages, each page accepts and validates user inputs, and provides immediate feedback about configuration errors.

Note

To see a sample disk subsystem throughput test, see Example Disk Subsystem Throughput Test.

Welcome Page

On the Welcome to Microsoft Jetstress page, click Start new test to begin your Jetstress testing.

Open Configuration Page

On the Open Configuration page, you can select either Create a new test configuration or Open an existing configuration file. When you open an existing configuration file, settings from the specified XML file are loaded into configuration pages. Then you can modify existing settings, if required.

Define Test Scenario Page

There are two categories of test scenarios you can select from the Define Test Scenario page. The following options apply on this page:

  • Test a disk subsystem throughput   Determines how your storage system can perform in three test types: performance of database transactions, streaming-backup, and soft recovery.

  • Test an Exchange mailbox profile   Helps you determine whether your storage system meets or exceeds the planned Exchange mailbox profile. This test simulates the load and I/O you are planning on running on your Mailbox server and determines if your storage solution can meet the latency and throughput required to provide an acceptable user experience given your mailbox count and user profile. For more information, see Mailbox Server Storage Design. In the Exchange mailbox profile test scenario, you can specify the number of mailbox users and input/output (I/O) per second per mailbox to simulate the profiled Exchange mailbox load. The Exchange mailbox profile is specifically used with the performance test type of database transactions.

    Note

    We recommend that you run the disk subsystem throughput test and use the mailbox profile test if you need to modify behavior. For example, if you have deployed much larger LUNs than you require or are using a shared storage system and don’t want to run it at 100 percent for operational reasons.

You can also enter a test scenario description in the Describe test scenario text box. The test description will be in your test report. It may be useful to make a note about your test case, with information about items such as "HBA driver version x.xx; HBA parameters: Queue Length (128), Queue Target (0)."

Select Capacity and Throughput Page

The Select Capacity and Throughput page is available if the Test a disk subsystem throughput option is selected in the Define Test Scenario page.

You can select the following options:

  • Size the database using storage capacity percentage   This option sizes the test database using the percentage of the maximum storage capacity. Jetstress reserves 25 percent of the initial database file size for its future growth during test runs. For example, if you decide to size databases at 100 percent of the storage capacity of 100 gigabytes (GB), Jetstress creates initial databases of 80 GB and reserves 25 percent of 80 GB for the database file growth. We recommend that you use the default values.

  • Test a disk subsystem throughput   This option sizes the target I/O throughput (database I/O per second, or IOPS) by the percentage of the maximum throughput capacity of the disk subsystem. We recommend that you use the default values.

Additionally, if the automatic tuning frequently fails, you can select Suppress tuning and use thread count. For more information, see Configuring Thread Count.

Exchange Mailbox Profile Page

The Exchange Mailbox Profile page is available if the Test an Exchange mailbox profile option is selected in the Define Test Scenario page.

You can select the following options:

  • Number of mailboxes   The projected number of mailboxes you plan for the host server to host.

  • Mailbox IOPS   The projected user IOPS. It's important to verify this number, and we recommend that you include 20 percent headroom based on the current profile measurement.

  • Mailboxes size (MB)   Target user mailbox size. This number is used to calculate the database size at time of creation.

As with the Select Capacity and Throughput page, you can select Suppress tuning and use thread count. For more information, see Configuring Thread Count.

Select Test Type Page

The Select Test Type page is available when the Test a disk subsystem throughput or Test an Exchange mailbox profile option is selected in the Define Test Scenario page. The types of tests that the tool simulates are as follows:

  • Performance   Generates the Exchange type of I/O by accessing a database that has Jet transactions.

  • Database backup   Measures the performance of a backup solution. Be aware that Jetstress can perform a backup to disk only to a device that can be mounted with a drive letter.

  • Soft recovery   Measures the log replay rate.

  • Multi-Host Test   Select this check box to pause the Jetstress tests (both performance and soft recovery) before the database checksums are run. By pausing, you can coordinate multiple hosts running Jetstress in parallel, and prevent the checksum of one host from interfering with the performance test on another host. Multiple host tests should only be used when testing multiple hosts against a common storage area network (SAN).

You can also select the Run background database maintenance option. For more information, see Maintain Mailbox Databases.

Define Test Run Page

The Define Test Run page has the following options, which are displayed depending on the test types:

  • Output path for test results   Enables you to specify the directory where Jetstress will save the performance logs and test reports.

  • Test duration (hours)   Enables you to specify the period for performance sample gathering. If you specify less than or equal to six hours, the resulting performance log will contain six hours of performance samples. The performance test becomes a stress test when the duration is longer than six hours so that it uses a lenient set of the disk I/O latency thresholds.

  • Use disk for database backup test   You will only see this option if you select Soft recovery from the Select Test Type page. This option enables you to specify a destination folder that will serve as the backup device. If you don't select this option, the streaming backup operation reads from the backup database stream, but doesn't write to any backup device. The actual streaming backup solution could be worse than what you can do with this backup path depending on the data transfer rate to the backup device.

Define Database Configuration Page

The Define Database Configuration page displays the following message if your computer doesn't have sufficient memory installed to host 100 databases.

The number of databases is limited by the physical memory on the computer. You should consider installing additional RAM to support databases (256 MB/database).

On this page, you can specify the following options:

  • Number of databases   You can specify up to 100 databases.

  • Number of copies per database   You can specify the number of copies per database when Exchange is configured as a mailbox resiliency solution. This simulates the log replication behavior (log reads).

  • Browse to the Exchange Database path   

  • Browse to the Exchange Log Path   

Jetstress validates user input directory paths as you move to the next configuration page. Jetstress enables you to host multiple database paths on the same disk drive.

Note

The streaming backup paths data grid view is visible if the Use disk for database backup test option is selected on the Define Test Run page.

Select Database Source Page

The Select Database Source page has the following options:

  • Create new databases   When you select the Create new databases option, you create a database for your test.

  • Attach existing databases   When you select the Attach existing databases option, attaching databases can take a long time if the existing databases have had any previous shutdowns due to errors.

  • Restore backup databases   When you select the Restore backup databases option, you can back up a test database, and then restore from the backup to reproduce comparable test results for later test runs.

Review & Execute Test Page

The Review & Execute Test page provides a summary of the test scenario that Jetstress will run. The following options are available:

  • Prepare test   Prepares the test database and changes the database source to the Attach existing databases option.

  • Execute test   Proceeds to prepare test databases, runs any required automatic tuning, and runs the Jetstress test that you've configured.

  • Save test   Saves the settings that you've configured to a new or an existing configuration file.

Test in Progress Page

The Test in Progress page will begin database initialization.