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3 Replies Last post: Nov 29, 2006 8:38 AM by saxa

Exchange 2003 in a vmware with Windows host

Nov 29, 2006 6:22 AM

Click to view mjrogers99's profile Novice mjrogers99 30 posts since
Feb 27, 2006
I did search before I posted this. Is anyone running a production Exchange 2003 guest with a Windows host? If so any horror stories or reasons not to do it?

My production physical Exchange server is almost full and I need a temporary place to move some people until mgmt can decide on a quota policy.

I have a vmware Exchange server that I use for testing and restores. I could quickly put that up and move people.

I run about 16 servers in vmware and have never had a problem. However, none of them are as mission critical as Exchange. It makes me a little nervous.

Thanks for any input you may have!
Re: Exchange 2003 in a vmware with Windows host Nov 29, 2006 6:41 AM
Click to view larstr's profile Virtuoso larstr 2,299 posts since
Mar 11, 2004
Please tell us a bit more on your environment. Exchange 2003 is normally a good canditade for virtualization. We have run A MSCS Exchange cluster on ESX for more than 3 years now with great success. We're a relatively small company (400 users) and I have seen some others recommend that you should have one virtual exchange server per 500-1000 users.

VMware also have this paper:
Running Microsoft Exchange Server in a Virtual Machine Using ESX Server 2.5

Even though it's for ESX it should be relevant for a VMware Server install.

Lars
Re: Exchange 2003 in a vmware with Windows host Nov 29, 2006 6:49 AM
in response to: larstr
Click to view mjrogers99's profile Novice mjrogers99 30 posts since
Feb 27, 2006
Thanks for the reply. We have about 275 users on a single hp dl360. No SAN or clustering just regular scsi raid and no quotas. The server is almost full at 200gb and I need a temp place to move people until mgmt makes a decision on quota size.

The vmserver would be an hp dl360 4gb ram plenty of scsi raid disk space and a windows host os.

Just a little nervous because it is Exchange. I don't wat to lose anybody's mail.
Re: Exchange 2003 in a vmware with Windows host Nov 29, 2006 8:38 AM
in response to: mjrogers99
Click to view saxa's profile Master saxa 1,334 posts since
Jun 2, 2006
Just a little nervous because it is Exchange. I don't wat to lose anybody's mail.

Backup? :)

Exchange runs quite pleasant on VMware Server.
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