The server spec you listed below is truly more than enough for the kind of connections you are going to have. I assume you have your firewalls in place for hosting your front-end server. Remember the FE can be running with minimal of services. As a matter of fact you can even bring down the Information Store Service, since you won't be holding any mailboxes. Hardening Exchange 2003 Servers http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/guides/E2k3SecHardGuid e/9b55d1bd-62b5-44c6-b28d-62ef43eee532.mspx or http://tinyurl.com/578g6 As for capacity planning, there is a Exchange 2000 Capacity Planning & Topology Calculator (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;326239). Since Exchange 2000 and exchange 2003 is not a major upgrade, this tool could still be very relevant. Finally the "Planning an Exchange Server 2003 messaging system" guide is available at Microsoft since 2 Oct, 2004. It is a good read for you. Some details could be irrelevant to you but reading it through once would be useful. You would know what the true capability of your exchange environment. Could help you plan for the future. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/2003/library/messsyst. mspx /Gill > I hope that I may get away with: > CPU = high-end celeron or P4 > RAM = 1GB > HDD: not sure, but I imagine just IDE as I doubt this is essential. > > > This may be naïve but I can only hope... > > Cheers, > Adrian > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: AdrianB [mailto:adrianb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] > > > Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 8:08 AM > > > To: [ExchangeList] > > > Subject: [exchangelist] Front-End server specs > > > > > > http://www.MSExchange.org/ > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > I have been toying with the idea of implementing a > Front-End server > > > for our company. > > > > > > I would like some advice on the specs for the server. There > > are a few > > > web pages on this but assume you have about 5000 clients, > > etc. A bit > > > larger than our company, anyway... And given my limited > > budget, using > > > Australian dollars... > > > > > > > > > Current Infrastructure: > > > 3 x Exchange 2003 Back-end servers > > > - each in a different city, linked back to Head office and the > > > internet through Private WAN (SDSL). > > > > > > We only have about 150 clients total Total number of > emails per day > > > = 4000 Number of staff accessing the FE server at any one > time : max > > > 10, which will grow but not very rapidly. > > > > > > Thanks for any assitance... > > > > > > > > > > > > Cheers, > > > Adrian > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------ > > > List Archives: > > > http://www.webelists.com/cgi/lyris.pl?enter=exchangelist > > > Exchange Newsletters: > http://www.msexchange.org/pages/newsletter.asp > > > Exchange FAQ: > http://www.msexchange.org/pages/larticle.asp?type=FAQ > > > ------------------------------------------------------ > > > Other Internet Software Marketing Sites: > > > World of Windows Networking: > > http://www.windowsnetworking.com Leading > > > Network Software Directory: http://www.serverfiles.com > > > No.1 ISA Server Resource Site: http://www.isaserver.org Windows > > > Security Resource Site: > > > http://www.windowsecurity.com/ Network Security Library: > > > http://www.secinf.net/ Windows 2000/NT Fax Solutions: > > > http://www.ntfaxfaq.com > > > ------------------------------------------------------ > > > You are currently subscribed to this MSEXchange.org > Discussion List > > > as: ssgill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe visit > > > http://www.webelists.com/cgi/lyris.pl?enter=exchangelist > > > Report abuse to listadmin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------ > > List Archives: > > http://www.webelists.com/cgi/lyris.pl?enter=exchangelist > > Exchange Newsletters: http://www.msexchange.org/pages/newsletter.asp > > Exchange FAQ: http://www.msexchange.org/pages/larticle.asp?type=FAQ > > ------------------------------------------------------ > > Other Internet Software Marketing Sites: > > World of Windows Networking: > http://www.windowsnetworking.com Leading > > Network Software Directory: http://www.serverfiles.com > > No.1 ISA Server Resource Site: http://www.isaserver.org Windows > > Security Resource Site: > > http://www.windowsecurity.com/ Network Security Library: > > http://www.secinf.net/ Windows 2000/NT Fax Solutions: > > http://www.ntfaxfaq.com > > ------------------------------------------------------ > > You are currently subscribed to this MSEXchange.org Discussion List > > as: adrianb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe visit > > http://www.webelists.com/cgi/lyris.pl?enter=exchangelist > > Report abuse to listadmin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > ------------------------------------------------------ > List Archives: > http://www.webelists.com/cgi/lyris.pl?enter=exchangelist > Exchange Newsletters: http://www.msexchange.org/pages/newsletter.asp > Exchange FAQ: http://www.msexchange.org/pages/larticle.asp?type=FAQ > ------------------------------------------------------ > Other Internet Software Marketing Sites: > World of Windows Networking: http://www.windowsnetworking.com > Leading Network Software Directory: http://www.serverfiles.com > No.1 ISA Server Resource Site: http://www.isaserver.org > Windows Security Resource Site: http://www.windowsecurity.com/ > Network Security Library: http://www.secinf.net/ > Windows 2000/NT Fax Solutions: http://www.ntfaxfaq.com > ------------------------------------------------------ > You are currently subscribed to this MSEXchange.org > Discussion List as: ssgill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To unsubscribe visit > http://www.webelists.com/cgi/lyris.pl?enter=exchangelist > Report abuse to listadmin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx