Microsoft supports Exchange Server 2003 in production on hardware virtualization software (virtual machines) only when all the following conditions are true: * The hardware virtualization software is Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 or any later version of Microsoft Virtual Server. * The version of Exchange Server that is running on the virtual machine is Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later. * The Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Virtual Machine Additions are installed on the guest operating system. * Exchange Server 2003 is configured as a stand-alone server and not as part of a Windows failover cluster. * The SCSI driver that is installed on the guest operating system is the Microsoft Virtual Machine PCI SCSI Controller driver. * The virtual hard disk Undo feature is not enabled for the Exchange virtual machine. As well please check the below reply in ms forum * I am already aware of the support policy - just to clarify the support policy is not as locked down as it suggests - IF you have an Exchange issue with a VM Microsoft will do their very best to help you resolve it, it's just not their preferred route and they reserve the right to ask you to recreate the problem on a "bare metal" server - which I think is perfectly fair. I think in terms of offering more and more services on virtualization it's pretty conclusive that this is the direction that technology has been heading to for some time. I know huge organizations with over 10,000 virtualized servers because on those scales TCO is a critical factor and the HA facilities vrtualization offers bests most convential hardware/replication solutions at this point in time. Suggesting that virtualization is for test/dev systems only is not really true and many system integrators will also validate that many of their top 100 clients are heavily investing and using virtualization. The issues that I know of with virtualizing Exchange are; Support Policy Virtualization Performance Overhead of ~5-20% over bare metal Staff Skillsets around the virtualization layer The Benefits Seamless HA Snapshotting Lower TCO on larger deployments Smaller Carbon Footprint Better utilization of Hardware I'm personally excited about Hyper-V I think the current release is an impressive piece of technology i'm excited to see how it matures into the next wave release. From: Kamuni, Prabhakar Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 8:16 PM To: 'exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx' Subject: RE: [ExchangeList] Re: Exchange and virtualization You understood my sentence wrongly I am not telling that we can't install Exchange in Vmware, Please read my first reply. I am just talking about PSS Support prospective. Specially about Exchange servers clusters when you use MSCS Did you implement any MSCS clusters - Exchange in Vmware Environment? Its not that you can't do, just I mean its not recommended choice. Might be I am wrong , but when I called Microsoft they told me its not supported by PSS when I implement clusters in Vmware Environment. Patrick, Please can you tell about scenario, the two servers which you are planning is clusters or not and let me know the user base? Is it 1000's of users or hundreds? Cheers!!! Prabhu ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael B. Smith Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 8:03 PM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: Exchange and virtualization You are incorrect. Exchange is supported on VMware. And Exchange is supported in Hyper-V. Your sources and understanding are out of date. Regards, Michael B. Smith, MCITP:SA,EMA/MCSE/Exchange MVP My blog: http://TheEssentialExchange.com/blogs/michael I'll be at TEC'2009! http://www.tec2009.com/vegas/index.php From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kamuni, Prabhakar Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 9:17 AM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: Exchange and virtualization As per my understanding MS will not support Exchange on Vmware/ESX which ever version :-) But I think when MS release HYPER-V they will support Exchange on virtualization. Cheers!!! Prabhu Thanks and Regards PRABHAKAR KAMUNI | ECG- De Beers Project | Tech Lead Unisys Global Services India | 135/1 Residency Road | Bangalore | Business Phone +91 4159 4828|Net 759 4828 Mobile: 0091-9945333367 THIS COMMUNICATION MAY CONTAIN CONFIDENTIAL AND/OR OTHERWISE PROPRIETARY MATERIAL and is thus for use only by the intended recipient. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the e-mail and its attachments from all computers. ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Chris Wall Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 7:33 PM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: Exchange and virtualization Just an FYI - Microsoft does support Exchange 2007 virtualization on all server roles except for the Unified Communications role. See the following links for exact information: http://blogs.technet.com/ucedsg/archive/2008/11/12/exchange-server-2007- sp1-now-supported-on-vmware.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc794548.aspx From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kamuni, Prabhakar Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 8:41 AM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: Exchange and virtualization Patrick, There is no direct answer with me but let me tell you my view Are you going with MSCS? How many users? You have? Based on this answer I can explain you. If it is a small amount of users and you are not having MSCS, without thinking any you can go-ahead and install your exchange in Vmware. If you have 1000's of users and if you're planning to go with MSCS personally I suggest you to go with Physical boxes. Even if you have Exchange 2007 for - HUB, CAS, UM, Edge you can go with VM servers, but for mailbox cluster nodes in Exchange 2007 also I suggest to go with Physical servers. Thanks and Regards PRABHAKAR KAMUNI | ECG- De Beers Project | Tech Lead Unisys Global Services India | 135/1 Residency Road | Bangalore | Business Phone +91 4159 4828|Net 759 4828 Mobile: 0091-9945333367 THIS COMMUNICATION MAY CONTAIN CONFIDENTIAL AND/OR OTHERWISE PROPRIETARY MATERIAL and is thus for use only by the intended recipient. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the e-mail and its attachments from all computers. ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Patrick Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 7:00 PM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: Exchange and virtualization Thanks. So it would be recommended to install both on physical boxes? I have seen the document on MS not supporting VMware ________________________________ From: "Kamuni, Prabhakar" <Prabhakar.Kamuni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 1:15:24 PM Subject: [ExchangeList] Re: Exchange and virtualization Patrick, There is no harm running Exchange in ESX/Vmware environment Only thing since it is high I/O operations application Microsoft will not suggest to Install SQl/Exchange in Vmware Environment. Note: If you have any problem with Exchange, Microsoft PSS will not support you :-) Thanks and Regards PRABHAKAR KAMUNI | ECG- De Beers Project | Tech Lead Unisys Global Services India | 135/1 Residency Road | Bangalore | Business Phone +91 4159 4828|Net 759 4828 Mobile: 0091-9945333367 THIS COMMUNICATION MAY CONTAIN CONFIDENTIAL AND/OR OTHERWISE PROPRIETARY MATERIAL and is thus for use only by the intended recipient. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the e-mail and its attachments from all computers. ________________________________ From: exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:exchangelist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Patrick Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 6:12 PM To: exchangelist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ExchangeList] Exchange and virtualization Hi Guys, We have an exchange 2003 server in a VMware environment. I am sure I have read somewhere that it is not adviceable to run either Exchange or Sql on VM's. Anyone got any documentaion / whitepaper to back that up, or have I got it wrong. Thanks Patrick