Installing Exchange 2010

[Demuz]

Hi,

How would you install and configure a Exchange 2010 VM? Server will have about 100 mailboxes. Starting with just single virtual server that holds all the Exchange roles (Edge and UM will not be used). In future there is a possibility that second server will be added (two node DAG).

[MagnetBoy]

I installed Exchange 2007 in two VMs:

• Edge Transporter VM
  
• Hub Transporter VM with 110 mailboxes!
  
• Specifications for Hub Transporter VM(edge is simplier):
  
  • RAM    =  8GB
    
  • CPU    =  2 virtual sockets (1 core per socket)
    
  • 4 vmdk's
    
    • OS vmdk
      
      • datastore-OSs
        
      • SCSI controller: LSI Logic SAS
        
      • Device node: 0:0
        
      • 55GB vmdk size
        
    • First Storage group vmdk
      
      • datastore-data
        
      • SCSI controller: Paravirtual
        
      • Device node: 1:0
        
      • 112GB vmdk size
        
    • Second Storage group vmdk
      
      • datastore-data
        
      • SCSI controller: Paravirtual
        
      • Device node: 2:0
        
      • 112GB vmdk size
        
    • Transaction Logs vmdk
      
      • datastore-data1 higher tiering
        
      • SCSI controller: Paravirtual
        
      • Device node: 3:0
        
      • 20GB
        
  • Network adapter  = VMXNET 3
    

[weinstein5]

This should help - VMware's Best Practices guide - http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-13273

[mittim12]

Here is another resource for you, http://www.vmware.com/solutions/business-critical-apps/exchange/index.html.  

[Josh26]

Hi,

55GB May be a "recommended" C: but in reality I've built plenty of servers with 70GB drives that are filling just with Microsoft's updates and similar that continually chew through the space. Our current recommendation is 90GB minimum.

100 users isn't a lot for Exchange.