This article applies to MessageMaster Server when used with Microsoft SQL Server as the database engine. If you are using MSDE or SQL Server 2005 Express as the database, it does not apply.
You are installing MessageMaster server and you have hundreds of clients sending messages to it. You need to know the recommended server hardware requirements for such a high-volume installation. (As a guideline, if you have less than 250 clients sending in messages, and you have not enabled additional security auditing, you will be able to get by with any machine that can run SQL Server comfortably.)
MessageMaster relies heavily on its SQL Server database. Any utilized SQL Server requires lots of memory. We recommend 1 to 2 GB of memory, depending on the number of EventMaster / MessageMaster clients you have, and the volume of messages that your server has to process as a result.
At least a Pentium 4 800 MHz processor. If your server is running another intensive application, you may want to consider a dual processor.
Your disk space requirement will largely depend on your message volume, and how many months of messages you choose to keep in your database before you purge / archive. As a guideline, you can calculate on 1 GB of database space for every million messages stored.
As with any SQL Server, you'll need to think about your disk performance as well. There are several areas of the disk that will be accessed intensely, and having them all on the same hard drive will dramatically decrease your server's performance. Instead, you'll want to have 3 to 5 separate physical drives to be able to spread out the high-access areas.
If you must install MessageMaster on a server with only 1 or 2 disks, you will have a lower level of performance unless your message volume is very low (100 clients or less).