Wow I guess I opened up a can of worms with my question! But I guess it's all good.
Though I've come to understand the complexity and high resource-load of EXCH, especially the heavily used ones, to think twice about putting it in a VM just yet, I tend to side with Bob and Jose about eventually using them in prod some day. VM technology and especially VMware's have come a long way. I have studied, Used them, talk to real enterprise folks about them, enough to claim that with ESX, VI, VMotion, P2V, etc., IMHO they have solid enterprise-level products. So I think it'll be a matter of time before MS completely caves in to the pressure and also to tute its own VM technology, and officially support EXCH in prod and even cluster scenarios. Now should everyone go out and change their physical boxes to VMs? Of course not. They need to do their homework and really understand the pluses and minuses of doing so. As a rule of thumb, a server should not be virtualized, if the cost of doing so (hardware, software, license, setup, etc.) is more than its physical equivalent. That would be a case for an overloaded EXCH, SQL, or even a DC box. Alex -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jose Manzano Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 4:22 PM To: Exchange Discussions Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) "Assuming for a moment that availability is equal between a virtualized > server and a standard server[1]" I haven't seen a difference in out current Virtual Infrastructure of 30 + Servers. "whether or not one can more cost effectively scale hardware and storage > to support a virtualized Exchange infrastructure" You'd be amazed how efficient ESX is. " and a problem occurs that you cannot solve, your boss is going to have > a hard time understanding why you decided to implement Exchange in an > unsupported fashion so that you can't get support from MS." All I have to say is this 1) I can restore from a previous image (snapshot) faster than you can get ahold of someone at MS Support. 2) I don't care about getting their help. Have you tried calling them to get them to help you with Exchange Issues ? I did last year and was totally disappointed with them. For one the tech didn't know how to get my issue resolved and we ended up fixing the problem in the end , two he could of potentially destroy most of my Priv DB . I actually told the tech I would not do what he was suggesting and that I was going re-import the data in another form and he said that would not work. Well guess what, it worked without any problems. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Chris Scharff Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 2:08 PM To: Exchange Discussions Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) I believe certain configurations are currently supported for certain virtualization scenarios. http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/320220/ > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:bounce- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Andy Blevins > Posted At: Thursday, August 31, 2006 12:29 PM > Posted To: swynk > Conversation: E2k3 cluster question (general) > Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > A basic reason to not virtualize a production Exchange environment is > that it is not supported by Microsoft. So calling PSS for a bug or a > hotfix would not be an option. > > In the near future (most likely in the next 1.5 yrs) I'm sure MS will > begin supporting specific installation types on VMWare and definitely > on Virtual Server, however if you are responsible for an environment, > and a problem occurs that you cannot solve, your boss is going to have > a hard time understanding why you decided to implement Exchange in an > unsupported fashion so that you can't get support from MS. > > Just my .02 cents. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > Chris Scharff > Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 11:26 AM > To: Exchange Discussions > Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > Assuming for a moment that availability is equal between a virtualized > server and a standard server[1], the question still remains as to > whether or not one can more cost effectively scale hardware and storage > to support a virtualized Exchange infrastructure. > > [1] Which I'm leery of if for no other reason than increased complexity > is an enemy of increased availability. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:bounce- > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jose Manzano > > Posted At: Thursday, August 31, 2006 10:22 AM Posted To: swynk > > Conversation: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > > > I'm not too familiar with Microsoft Virtual Server, but I am with > > VMware Virtual Infrastructure. Given adequate hardware resources, and > > proper configuration, I see no problem virtualizing the Exchange > > Servers. I actually plan on moving our Exchange Server over to a ESX > > Virtual environment in the next year or so. I also plan on testing > > Citrix in the new Vmware VI3 since they have supposable optimized ESX > > for Citrix. > > > > Trust me , once you see VMware Vmotion work for the first time, > you'll > > want to virtualize everything :) > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > Alex > > Alborzfard > > Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 10:30 AM > > To: Exchange Discussions > > Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > > > Are you running it on their Server or ESX product? > > If ESX, which version? > > > > > > Alex > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > > East, Bill > > Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 9:07 AM > > To: Exchange Discussions > > Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > > > FWIW we've had a small (400-user) Exchange server running under > VMWare > > for 15 months or so now. We've been very satisfied with it. > > > > I could see where throwing the cluster into the equation could > > complicate things. But probably not as much as running the cluster on > a > > virtual server being run on a Windows partition on a Macintosh. > That's > > on fire. > > > > -- > > be - MOS > > > > Hard reality has a way of cramping your style. --Daniel Dennett > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > > Alex > > > Alborzfard > > > Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 4:01 PM > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > > > > > Dare I ask: what is specifically wrong with virtualizing Exchange > or > > > is it virtualzing an Exchange cluster? What are the major issues > and > > > pitfalls? > > > > > > Alex > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > > > Chris Scharff > > > Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 3:35 PM > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > > > > > In a lab sire. In production.... can't think of a reason other than > > > hating your job and wanting a new one. > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:bounce- > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Wehner, Paul > > > > (wehnerpl) > > > > Posted At: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 2:22 PM Posted To: swynk > > > > Conversation: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > > > Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > > > > > > > I'm going to assemble extra ips, quorum, store volumes and > > > give it a > > > > shot. > > > > Might be moderately useful to have two virtual servers on a > > > two node > > > > cluster. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > > > Behalf Of Ed > > > > Crowley [MVP] > > > > Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 2:04 PM > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > Subject: RE: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > > > > > > > I suppose you could install Microsoft Virtual Server and > > > run the new > > > > Exchange servers in virtual machines, but I don't recommend > > > it for a > > > > production environment. > > > > > > > > Ed Crowley MCSE+Internet MVP > > > > Freelance E-Mail Philosopher > > > > Protecting the world from PSTs and Bricked Backups!T > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of > > > > Wehner, Paul (wehnerpl) > > > > Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 10:34 AM > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > Subject: E2k3 cluster question (general) > > > > > > > > > > > > I have a two node active/passive exchange cluster working fine. > > > > Is it possible to add a second exchange cluster to these two > boxes? > > > > (assuming new ips, different store volumes, etc) Thanks, Paul > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > List posting FAQ: > http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > > Web Interface: 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Attn: Discussion List Management 475 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 Please include the email address which you have been contacted with. _________________________________________________________________ List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm Web Interface: http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/read/?forum=exchange To subscribe: http://e-newsletters.internet.com/discussionlists.html/ To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: Jupitermedia Corp. Attn: Discussion List Management 475 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 Please include the email address which you have been contacted with.
