Virtualizing exchange

[PaulGillespie]

Hello all,

I'm installing a new domain for a client, this will consist of 2 DCs, an exchange server and also a couple of servers for 3rd party apps.

I'm going to go down a virtual server route for some servers but i'm unsure about virtualizing exchange.

The client has 55 workstations and an info store of around 15GB. Their growth rate will not outgrow the 75Gb limit in exch2003 and i would say that their exchange needs are fairly standard/basic, the key thing is reliability. The exchange server will also have GFI mail essentials for anti spam and symantec for exchange AV scanning.

I was going to instal this on a VMWARE server, the host will have dual quad core 2.0 xeon processors and about 8Gb of ram, disks will be SAS in a raid array.

I was going to virtualise the exchange server along with one of the DCs which will also be a file server witharound 50Gb of files, again, i would say that file access will not put a high load on this virtual server.

I have read the Microsoft document on the support of exchange on virtual servers and would like to hear from anyone out there who has done it or from anyone with good reasons not to do it.

This will be my first virtual server environment and a couple more will follow early next year so i want to go into this with my eyes open.

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Paul

 

[skialta]

Virtualizing Exchange is no big deal - provided that it's setup properly on the correct hardware/software. When you say VMware server, do you mean the free VMware Server or ESX? Also, assuming VMware ESX how many hosts do you plan to have? Do you have a SAN to take advantage of things such as VMotion?

 

[PaulGillespie]

Hi Skialta,

We were planning on using the free version of VMware. We were planning on having 2 hosts. No SAN.

What hardware would you suggest? i'm new to virtulization but not exchange.

Thanks
Paul

 

[58sniper]

Just an FYI that Exchange on VMWare is not supported by Microsoft, and likely never will be.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[PaulGillespie]

Yeah i did know that. VMware was my preferred choice but we may decide to run it on Microsoft Server.

Pat, have you ran a virtual exchange server? what's the general setup and how did it perform compared to a physical one?

Thanks

Paul

 

[58sniper]

Everything we do is both supported by Microsoft, AND configured to best practice standards.

The only time I've run it virtualized is for testing of a plan, client demos, and conference and training presentations. I've run it in both VMWare and Virtual Server. They ran ok, but weren't under terrible loads.

I'm a big fan of physical Exchange boxes with Direct Attached Storage.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[PaulGillespie]

Thanks Pat, i think i'd prefer a physical exchange server personally given it's importance to the company.

Thanks for the input.

Paul

 

[58sniper]

Oh - also, I'm pretty sure Microsoft still does not support virtualized Exchange if you're doing UC.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[PaulGillespie]

UC?

Thanks

Paul

 

[58sniper]

Unified Communications - in 2007. Just something to keep in mind when planning your 2007 migration.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[PaulGillespie]

Thanks Pat, that's worth knowing. plan is for 2003 just now but with an upgrade towards the end of 2008.

Thanks again.

Paul

 

[zbnet]

MS do support virtual Exchange 2003 servers, but only with some pretty strict conditions being met - see this post for the full details:

http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2005/10/31/413382.aspx

Also, support for Exchange 2007 virtual servers will only come when VS supports the 64-bit version of the guest operating system.

 

[58sniper]

Right - but keep that in context. That's only on Virtual Server. They don't support it on VMWare.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[Zelandakh]

VS and VM both work for Exchange with the above caveats. I'm running 2 Exchange servers in VM on the same physical box and it runs very nicely - both 64 bit too.

But I wouldn't want to run a whole organisation in VM, just too dangerous.