[Dovecot] Architecture for large Dovecot cluster

[Thomas Johnson]

Hi Stan-

>> 
>> (Stan gives a great run-down on the economics of using a NetApp or
>> even homegrown NFS filer versus using an object storage backend.)
> 
> Tom I'm sorry I wasted your time with my initial response.
> 

No, you absolutely didn't waste my time, and it was certainly of great advantage to the list.  I think it was a great write-up of the advantages and disadvantages of each different option.  I know my situation isn't the standard one...

>> I am quite familiar with NetApp, and EMC - I used to have a number of
>> Celera file servers back in my BigFish/FrontBridge days.
>> 
>> But now I'm in a situation where I have dozens of servers with spare
>> storage bays and unused CPU cycles sitting in data centers where the
>> power is already provisioned, and a DFS is what makes most sense for
>> me now.
> 
> Had I known these details above up front I wouldn't have responded.  I
> incorrectly assumed you were designing new infrastructure, wading into
> new waters, because few are yet to deploy DFS for mailbox storage these
> days.

I think it's great that you did respond, and thanks for doing so.  I know that this is wading into new waters...I'm just hoping I'm not really the very first :)


>> So, I would like to ask once again- is anyone on the list using the
>> object storage plugin for dovecot at any reasonably large scale,
>> whether it's an in-house storage solution or S3?
> 
> I'm hoping, as I'd guess you are, that someone will respond who is
> already doing this.  If someone has it working well it offers others
> more storage options, which is always a good thing.  Whether it costs
> more or less than the other solutions, it may still be a better option
> for some folks either way.

Dovecot's commercial arm is certainly marketing the object storage.  I'm just hoping someone is actually using it and can offer some guidance.

Tom