Exchange Server 2007 and Virtuialization

18 Dec 2008 7:46 PM

Gunnertac

How well does Ex Svr 2007 work under Virtualiztion? I'm only thinking about
doing it for DR purposes. It seems far easier to restore a Virtual Machine
than a production Exchange Server. Specifically, I'm considering a 2Qty Quad
Core processor HP DL 380 and would like to experiment with loading just
HyperV on the bare server and then run Ex Svr 2007 in a Server 2008 Virtual
Machine. A couple years ago I was advised by a MS guru not to run a
production Ex Svr in a virtual machine. Is that still a standard answer or
has hardware and software come up enough to make this a solid package with
decent performance? I would like to consider adding a couple other
application virtual machines as well on the same box. TIA for help

50 users, currently with 40Gb Store.

How much RAM would you recommend?

--
Tim

18 Dec 2008 8:24 PM

Ed Crowley [MVP]

Microsoft may have supportability issues with it, so check to be sure you're
going to be doing it right:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc794548.aspx

If your virtual machine has adequate CPU, I/O and other resources, then you
should be just fine. With 50 users, you're not exactly likely to be
stressing a server.

--
Ed Crowley MVP
"There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."
..

Show quoteHide quote

"Gunnertac" <Gunner***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:16C70374-2AB1-475E-9A5B-EE8546B6A2BE@microsoft.com...
> How well does Ex Svr 2007 work under Virtualiztion? I'm only thinking
> about
> doing it for DR purposes. It seems far easier to restore a Virtual Machine
> than a production Exchange Server. Specifically, I'm considering a 2Qty
> Quad
> Core processor HP DL 380 and would like to experiment with loading just
> HyperV on the bare server and then run Ex Svr 2007 in a Server 2008
> Virtual
> Machine. A couple years ago I was advised by a MS guru not to run a
> production Ex Svr in a virtual machine. Is that still a standard answer or
> has hardware and software come up enough to make this a solid package with
> decent performance? I would like to consider adding a couple other
> application virtual machines as well on the same box. TIA for help
>
> 50 users, currently with 40Gb Store.
>
> How much RAM would you recommend?
>
>
> --
> Tim

19 Dec 2008 9:42 PM

Gunnertac

Thanks for the quick reply. I have another question. I will eventually
move/migrate all mailboxes from Ex Svr 2003 to this Ex Svr 2007 box. I
currently have Ex Svr 2003 Enterprise Edition. That was because of Standard
Ed store limitation. Do I need to buy Ex Svr 2007 Ent Edition because I'll be
mgrating from a 2003 Ent Edition?

--
Tim

Show quoteHide quote

"Ed Crowley [MVP]" wrote:

> Microsoft may have supportability issues with it, so check to be sure you're
> going to be doing it right:
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc794548.aspx
>
> If your virtual machine has adequate CPU, I/O and other resources, then you
> should be just fine. With 50 users, you're not exactly likely to be
> stressing a server.
> --
> Ed Crowley MVP
> "There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."
> ..
>
> "Gunnertac" <Gunner***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:16C70374-2AB1-475E-9A5B-EE8546B6A2BE@microsoft.com...
> > How well does Ex Svr 2007 work under Virtualiztion? I'm only thinking
> > about
> > doing it for DR purposes. It seems far easier to restore a Virtual Machine
> > than a production Exchange Server. Specifically, I'm considering a 2Qty
> > Quad
> > Core processor HP DL 380 and would like to experiment with loading just
> > HyperV on the bare server and then run Ex Svr 2007 in a Server 2008
> > Virtual
> > Machine. A couple years ago I was advised by a MS guru not to run a
> > production Ex Svr in a virtual machine. Is that still a standard answer or
> > has hardware and software come up enough to make this a solid package with
> > decent performance? I would like to consider adding a couple other
> > application virtual machines as well on the same box. TIA for help
> >
> > 50 users, currently with 40Gb Store.
> >
> > How much RAM would you recommend?
> >
> >
> > --
> > Tim
>
>

21 Dec 2008 5:19 PM

Ed Crowley [MVP]

You may want Enterprise Edition for other reasons, but the version from
which you are moving the mailboxes from shouldn't be one of them. A desire
to implement CCR or move beyond five storage groups (if you plan to grow
more than ten times your current size) might affect your choice.

--
Ed Crowley MVP
"There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."
..

Show quoteHide quote

"Gunnertac" <Gunner***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4C58026D-922D-40FF-B3F6-88528E1A7BFA@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for the quick reply. I have another question. I will eventually
> move/migrate all mailboxes from Ex Svr 2003 to this Ex Svr 2007 box. I
> currently have Ex Svr 2003 Enterprise Edition. That was because of
> Standard
> Ed store limitation. Do I need to buy Ex Svr 2007 Ent Edition because I'll
> be
> mgrating from a 2003 Ent Edition?
>
>
> --
> Tim
>
>
> "Ed Crowley [MVP]" wrote:
>
>> Microsoft may have supportability issues with it, so check to be sure
>> you're
>> going to be doing it right:
>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc794548.aspx
>>
>> If your virtual machine has adequate CPU, I/O and other resources, then
>> you
>> should be just fine. With 50 users, you're not exactly likely to be
>> stressing a server.
>> --
>> Ed Crowley MVP
>> "There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."
>> ..
>>
>> "Gunnertac" <Gunner***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:16C70374-2AB1-475E-9A5B-EE8546B6A2BE@microsoft.com...
>> > How well does Ex Svr 2007 work under Virtualiztion? I'm only thinking
>> > about
>> > doing it for DR purposes. It seems far easier to restore a Virtual
>> > Machine
>> > than a production Exchange Server. Specifically, I'm considering a 2Qty
>> > Quad
>> > Core processor HP DL 380 and would like to experiment with loading just
>> > HyperV on the bare server and then run Ex Svr 2007 in a Server 2008
>> > Virtual
>> > Machine. A couple years ago I was advised by a MS guru not to run a
>> > production Ex Svr in a virtual machine. Is that still a standard answer
>> > or
>> > has hardware and software come up enough to make this a solid package
>> > with
>> > decent performance? I would like to consider adding a couple other
>> > application virtual machines as well on the same box. TIA for help
>> >
>> > 50 users, currently with 40Gb Store.
>> >
>> > How much RAM would you recommend?
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Tim
>>
>>

21 Dec 2008 5:19 PM

Ed Crowley [MVP]

Here's a reference:
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/editions.mspx

--
Ed Crowley MVP
"There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."
..

Show quoteHide quote

"Gunnertac" <Gunner***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4C58026D-922D-40FF-B3F6-88528E1A7BFA@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for the quick reply. I have another question. I will eventually
> move/migrate all mailboxes from Ex Svr 2003 to this Ex Svr 2007 box. I
> currently have Ex Svr 2003 Enterprise Edition. That was because of
> Standard
> Ed store limitation. Do I need to buy Ex Svr 2007 Ent Edition because I'll
> be
> mgrating from a 2003 Ent Edition?
>
>
> --
> Tim
>
>
> "Ed Crowley [MVP]" wrote:
>
>> Microsoft may have supportability issues with it, so check to be sure
>> you're
>> going to be doing it right:
>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc794548.aspx
>>
>> If your virtual machine has adequate CPU, I/O and other resources, then
>> you
>> should be just fine. With 50 users, you're not exactly likely to be
>> stressing a server.
>> --
>> Ed Crowley MVP
>> "There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."
>> ..
>>
>> "Gunnertac" <Gunner***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:16C70374-2AB1-475E-9A5B-EE8546B6A2BE@microsoft.com...
>> > How well does Ex Svr 2007 work under Virtualiztion? I'm only thinking
>> > about
>> > doing it for DR purposes. It seems far easier to restore a Virtual
>> > Machine
>> > than a production Exchange Server. Specifically, I'm considering a 2Qty
>> > Quad
>> > Core processor HP DL 380 and would like to experiment with loading just
>> > HyperV on the bare server and then run Ex Svr 2007 in a Server 2008
>> > Virtual
>> > Machine. A couple years ago I was advised by a MS guru not to run a
>> > production Ex Svr in a virtual machine. Is that still a standard answer
>> > or
>> > has hardware and software come up enough to make this a solid package
>> > with
>> > decent performance? I would like to consider adding a couple other
>> > application virtual machines as well on the same box. TIA for help
>> >
>> > 50 users, currently with 40Gb Store.
>> >
>> > How much RAM would you recommend?
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Tim
>>
>>