Supported Topologies and Performance Guidance for System Center Essentials 2010

Applies To: System Center Essentials 2010

Summary

Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 manages up to 550 computers (up to 50 servers and up to 500 clients). Essentials 2010 can be deployed in a single-server or multiple-server topology, and can be deployed using different editions of Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

This topic describes supported and unsupported deployment topologies for Essentials 2010 and provides guidance for deployment topologies to maximize performance.

Supported Topologies and Scalability

The following topologies are supported for the deployment of Essentials 2010:

  • Single-Server Topology

    The Essentials management server, reporting server, and Essentials console are all installed on a single computer.

  • Multiple-Servers Topology

    The Essentials management server is installed on a different computer than the Microsoft SQL Server database used by Essentials 2010, or the reporting server is installed on a remote Microsoft SQL Server database server instead of on the Essentials management server.

Note

In addition to the Essentials console, which is installed on the Essentials management server, an Essentials console can be installed as a stand-alone console on a computer other than the Essentials management server. No more than five remote Essentials consoles can be used at a time.

The following table provides a detailed list of Essentials 2010 features and describes the topologies for each feature that are supported or unsupported.

Feature Supported Number Supported Topologies Unsupported Topologies

Essentials management server

1

  • Installed with or without the database server

  • Installed on a domain controller

  • More than one instance per domain

Essentials Reporting server

1

  • Installed as a stand-alone component on a remote database server or with any of the other server components

  • Installed with the Essentials management server on a domain controller

  • Installed in a separate domain

  • Installed as the only component on a domain controller

Essentials remote console

Up to 5

  • Installed as a stand-alone component or with any of the other server components

  • Installed on a domain controller

  • Installed in a trusted domain

  • Installed in an untrusted domain

Managed computers

  • Up to 50 Windows-based server operating system environments

  • Up to 500 Windows-based client operating system environments

  • Installed on a domain controller

  • Installed in a trusted domain

  • Installed behind a firewall

  • Installed in a workgroup

  • Installed in an untrusted domain (unless this is a workgroup)

Network devices

Scales up to 100 devices

Anywhere within network access

Not applicable

Performance Scaling Guidelines

For best performance, consider the following recommendations when choosing the SQL Server edition and number of computers that you will manage with Essentials 2010. Attempting to manage more than the recommended number of computers per topology can result in slower performance.

Important

These recommendations assume that your servers meet the recommended hardware specifications. For more detailed information, see Recommended Hardware in this topic, or System Requirements and Supported Platforms for System Center Essentials 2010.

Recommended number of computers to manage

Recommended topology

Recommended database server

Up to 150 computers total (servers and clients)

Single Server: Essentials management server, reporting server, and database server, all on one computer

SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services

Up to 300 computers total (servers and clients)

Single Server: Essentials management server, reporting server, and database server, all on one computer

SQL Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition

Up to 550 computers total (servers and clients)

Multiple Servers: Essentials management server on a different computer than the database server

SQL Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition

Important

Essentials 2010 requires an instance of SQL Server Reporting Services that is not shared with other applications. If you use an existing instance of SQL Server Reporting Services during Essentials 2010 installation, any reports that are already published on that instance will be deleted. Consider using a different edition of SQL Server with Essentials 2010 if you do not want existing reports to be deleted.

Single-Server Topology

In this topology, all Essentials 2010 features are installed on a single computer (management server, reporting server, and console). The guidelines in this section are based on a single computer that meets the recommended hardware specifications described in the System Requirements section. The performance guidance for single-server topology is the same even when the Essentials console is installed on a different computer.

Using SQL Server 2008 Express Edition

If you use Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services or later versions, we recommend that you manage up to 150 computers (servers and clients combined).

Using SQL Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition

If you use SQL Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition, we recommend that you manage up to 300 computers (servers and clients combined).

Note

To effectively manage more computers in a single-server topology, up to the maximum of 550, the Essentials management server hardware specifications must exceed the recommended system requirements, and the database server must use SQL Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition. Alternatively, a multi-computer topology also provides satisfactory performance for managing up to 550 computers.

Multiple-Servers Topology

In this topology, the Essentials management server is installed on a different computer than the server running SQL Server that Essentials 2010 uses. The reporting server can be on either of these servers or yet another server.

We recommend that you use SQL Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition in this topology for better performance and to manage more computers.

For detailed information about recommended hardware specifications for the Essentials management server and the server that is running SQL Server, see System Requirements and Supported Platforms for System Center Essentials 2010.

Using SQL Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition

If you use SQL Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition, we recommend that you manage up to 550 computers (servers and clients combined).

To maximize Essentials 2010 performance, we recommend that the Essentials management server and database server have at least the following hardware specifications:

  • 2.8 GHz or faster processor(s)

  • 4 GB of RAM

  • 20 GB of available hard disk space (1 GB on system drive)

  • 150 GB of available hard disk space if planning virtualization management

For detailed hardware requirements, see System Requirements and Supported Platforms for System Center Essentials 2010.

See Also

Concepts

Planning to Deploy System Center Essentials 2010
System Requirements and Supported Platforms for System Center Essentials 2010

Other Resources

Microsoft TechNet Library: Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft White Paper: Troubleshooting Performance Problems in SQL Server 2008