[ExchangeList] Re: Exchange and virtualization

 

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

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