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rondv
Contributor
Contributor

Running EXchange 2007 in VMware environment

Can Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server be run in VMware enviroment?

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Jasemccarty
Immortal
Immortal

The VM platform ESX/VMware Server/etc would have to support 64-bit Windows as well as the hardware.

So yes, with the right hardware and VMware product.

Jase McCarty - @jasemccarty
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letoatrads
Expert
Expert

Yep, I've got Exchange 2007 installed on ESX in a lab environment setting and looking to migrate some of my production mail-boxes to one in a bit.

Definitely a new look and feel, but I sincerely hope they have come through with a more robust database. I REALLY dislike the eseutil command....

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kix1979
Immortal
Immortal

Might want to read this thread.

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=61983&tstart=0

Thomas H. Bryant III
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rondv
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for the information

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Zaferus
Contributor
Contributor

At the VMWorld conference several of the sessions I attended all had the same message about mid to large Exchange environments or large databases on VMWare:

\- It's not a good fit, unless you are using it specifically for HA and put the Exchange/database as the only application on the server(s).

Realistically for the price to do this most companies will just go to a cluster or have spare hardware onhand. For test and maybe even DR it may be workable. Or if your environment is small enough it may also work.

-Z

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rondv
Contributor
Contributor

We only have about 300 E-mail users on our current exchange server we are also using Exchange for Cisco's unified messaging. I would think this is a small environment.

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werd02131
Contributor
Contributor

I have a Vmware ESX 3.01 server and just tried installing the Exchange 2007 Volume License version and it DOESN'T work! I built an win2k3 x64 VM from scratch and when you run the setup.exe you immediately get script errors and are unable to run the Step 4. Install Exchange portion.

I've updated my server with vmware patches as well as MS patches, and I think MS put some code in the initial javascript Setup.exe package to check for virtual machines. Other .exe and .msi files do not work either.

Anyone had the same experience? (I'm hoping not!)

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TomHowarth
Leadership
Leadership

I am glad to see it is not just me having this issue, I thought it was a dodgy ISO image, and am currently downloading the DVD again.

Tom Howarth VCP / VCAP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: http://www.planetvm.net
Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment
Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410
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werd02131
Contributor
Contributor

it's the iso image from their website! I received the dvd from MS a couple of days ago and it works perfectly! I tried the iso image for enterprise and standard off of the website and both don't work. It's strange, It's been almost a month since the release, and MS hasn't fixed it? Makes me think that Exchange 2007 might turn out to be a flop! So far the management console is worse than any other Exchange console that I've seen before!

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TomHowarth
Leadership
Leadership

the biggest irritant for me regarding Exc2007 is the fact that they have removed the ability to manage exchange users from DSA.MSC now if I want to create a new user and a mail account I have to user the Exchange tools rather than Users and Computers.

what a pain in the 4r$e that is. and yes the new console is a croc of doggy poo. as well

Tom Howarth VCP / VCAP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: http://www.planetvm.net
Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment
Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410
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TomHowarth
Leadership
Leadership

but on the plus side I can confirm that it runs fine in a Virtual instance of Windows 2003.

Tom Howarth VCP / VCAP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: http://www.planetvm.net
Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment
Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410
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Brian_Olivier
Contributor
Contributor

Hello,

From my experience, yes it can run in a VMware environment.

However some serious testing needs to be done and I guess if it comes to support from Microsoft you are on you own.

Regards,

Brian

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