Exchange 2007 place in network and hardware specs

[masterscheef]

hi,
I'm making a demonstration setup with IP-tel Unified Com and i have a LAN with a DMZ and an internet connection. I want to put a exchange 2007 server and LCS 2007 in my network. I want to have the exchange server 2007 publicly availeble and internal users must make connection with the server. Because it is a test/demonstration setup i want to have all roles i need on one server and it only have to support just a few Users. Where do i have to place the server in my network and what do you recommend for hardware specs. I think i must place the server in the DMZ with all roles on one server. But i dont know what the hardware specs can be minimum for my setup to work. And is it possible to run Exchange 2007 with all roles except edge in a VMware virtual machine? And is it possible to put LCS in another machine on the same server?

I hope to hear something soon, many thanks

 

[Zelandakh]

Specs - lots of RAM and fast disks. Any dual core proc is fast enough as a demo system. Install x64 Windows on it then vmware server then install all except edge on that VM then put LCS on another VM. It runs nicely though I'm using 16GB of RAM in my box!

 

[58sniper]

How are you going to do AD authentication through your DMZ? (answer - you're not).

Put the Edge Transport server in the DMZ, and the rest internal. Lots of documentation on that, as well as hardware requirements based on what roles are on each box, and how many users are on each.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[masterscheef]

Thanks for the messages but what do you mean with Active Directory Authentication not working in the DMZ. I mean what is the result of putting mine Exchange 2007 in the DMZ.Is it a security issue or does it not work when i do that because i want a setting where i dont need much hardware , as little as possible.

Greetings

 

[Zelandakh]

If you put your Exchange server in the DMZ you have to open so many ports to the LAN you may as well not bother. Edge in the DMZ if you really have to and Exchange on the LAN.

 

[masterscheef]

ok, thanks for the reactions. But i have a three-legged DMZ and i only have one nic available for the transport edge. i read that it needs 2 nic's for the transport edge role but can it be done with one nic? And if i place the transport edge in the three-legged DMZ is this more secure than when i place only a exchange server on the lan? because in the docs on microsoft they say that you can use ISA but i dont want that because it is not efficient for my demo environment, i want it secure but it doesn have to be ultra secure.
greetings

 

[58sniper]

Edge transport only needs a single NIC.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt