Exchange 03 Std DB reaching max cap - Time to Upgrade?

[magicrjm]

I am currently running MS Exchange 03 Standard Ed. Here are my server specs:

HP Proliant DL380 G4
4 CPU x 3.6GHz
4 GB RAM
Windows Svr 03 Std Ed.
600 GB Raid 5 w/hot spare
Warranty Expired May of 2009

My Exchange database is currently sitting at 65GB. With Exchange 03 Std's max capacity at 75GB the red flag is being raised. I would like to ask the msexchange community opinions to help solve this issue. Here is what I have come up with:

Budget Solution:
In-place upgrade on existing hardware to Exchange 03 Enterprise Edition. Will need to purchase Exchange 2007 with downgrade rights. Get to keep existing CALs, no need to purchase new ones.

Good Solution:
Buy new 64 bit capable physical server with new Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2007 CALs and transition to 07 and utilize all the new features.

Best Solution:
I have a HP Storage Works iSCSI SAN with 500GB free space and a HP c7000 blade enclosure with an empty slot.
Purchase new Blade Server, VMWare VSphere 4 license, Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2007 CALs and run the Exchange Server in a VM over iSCSI. I could add this Blade as a new host to my existing VSphere cluster.

Does anyone have any additional thoughts or comments???

 

[58sniper]

Both 2003 and 2007 are outdated. Best solution is to go to Exchange 2010.

But first, look at the event ID 1221 messages for your mailbox database. Subtract the amount of whitespace listed from the 65GB amount, and that's how big your database really is. There are plenty of things to help reduce database bloat, including adjusting deleted item retention time (DIRT), 3rd party email archiving, lower mailbox limits, auto deletion of deleted items, etc.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/