Exchange/Outlook QoS

[James Bond]

I'm currently migrating a large company from regular SOHO type connections (Business Cable, Business DSL) to MPLS. Each of the migrated sites is running outbound QoS on the router.

I've got several applications prioritized by port and DSCP, but some users are complaining that Outlook is running slow.

What is the best way to run QoS for Outlook/Exchange?

 

[spidey07]

What's the utilization look like? QoS only really comes into play when there's congestion/queuing. If their mail server is located across a WAN you don't want them working directly from the server, that will be painful.

Also what were the speeds with cable/dsl and what speeds are they at now?

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: spidey07
What's the utilization look like? QoS only really comes into play when there's congestion/queuing. If their mail server is located across a WAN you don't want them working directly from the server, that will be painful.

The remote sites are connected via point-to-point T1s back to our datacenter. Exchange server sits at datacenter.

These sites are tiny. Three hosts per site.

There isn't much congestion most of the time, but some of the users don't know any better and will stream audio and download stuff while they are at work. I'm currently using QoS for Voice, RDP (primary application is run through a term serv).

A couple of the sites are larger, administrative sites. These users do a lot of VoIP and Exchange. It's one of these sites that I'm trying to get Exchange QoS working on... if possible.

 

[drebo]

You should definitely make sure Exchange is configured in Cached mode in Outlook. That will probably make Outlook less "slow".

Additionally, VoIP should be higher priority than email. In fact, email is generally considered to be the lowest priority.

 

[spidey07]

Right. Best practice is to put it in the bulk transfer queue which is barely above your scavenger class.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Right. Best practice is to put it in the bulk transfer queue which is barely above your scavenger class.

What I'm wondering is how to match the traffic at all. I plan on putting it on the second lowest priority, I just can't figure out how to identify it.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I suppose I could just identify it by using destination address (Exchange server IP).

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: spidey07
Right. Best practice is to put it in the bulk transfer queue which is barely above your scavenger class.

What I'm wondering is how to match the traffic at all. I plan on putting it on the second lowest priority, I just can't figure out how to identify it.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I suppose I could just identify it by using destination address (Exchange server IP).

I see you've put your thinking cap back on.

Good for you! I thought you lost it.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: spidey07
Right. Best practice is to put it in the bulk transfer queue which is barely above your scavenger class.

What I'm wondering is how to match the traffic at all. I plan on putting it on the second lowest priority, I just can't figure out how to identify it.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I suppose I could just identify it by using destination address (Exchange server IP).

I see you've put your thinking cap back on.

Good for you! I thought you lost it.

Hehe - thanks for getting me thinking Spidey

 

[Tommouse]

Exchange uses RPC, so it will start on TCP/135 and then it will jump to a random high port. This exchange (har ... har...) can be caught and ports dynamically opened/QoS rules applied if your device doing the marking is sophisticated enough. If not you can try restricting the ports that the RPC mapper hands out. We almost did this at work, but then we figured out a different way to go about what we needed. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/154596

And yea, to echo what the others say, definitely go with Cached mode for these users.

Good luck!

 

[Emulex]

buy the sites a cable modem backup link for their dual wan $150 router/firewall. then you'll have 10-12 meg download at each site

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: Emulex
buy the sites a cable modem backup link for their dual wan $150 router/firewall. then you'll have 10-12 meg download at each site

Several of the larger sites do this, but it isn't worth it for the smaller ones. Thanks for the suggestion though

I share your opinion though... Shit, they are already spending how much per site for a T1 into an MPLS cloud... what's another $45/mo for some Cable?