Base News page

06 Mar 2005
Microsoft support policy for Exchange Server installed on cluster nodes

Clustering is HARD...and truly hard on an Exchange-Server cluster... but that's all set to change sooooooon. Please stay tuned!

"You must install Exchange only on cluster nodes that are configured as member servers. Do not configure the cluster nodes as either domain controllers or as global catalog servers. The installation of Exchange on cluster nodes that are configured as domain controllers or as global catalog servers has not been thoroughly tested by the Microsoft Exchange product group, and is an unsupported configuration.

In most cases, you do not experience a problem when you install Exchange on identically-configured cluster nodes that are configured as domain controllers or as global catalog servers. However, if a problem occurs, Microsoft PSS has limited options in which to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.

For additional information about the configurations for Exchange clusters that Microsoft recommends, visit one or both of the following Microsoft Web sites:

08 Feb 2005
Common Exchange-Server SAN Misconceptions

In the Exchange world, Storage Area Networks (SANs) are sometimes maligned by the people who have them, frequently coveted by the people who don't, and often mysterious to the general population. People react this way for multiple reasons, not least of which is the relatively small number of SANs deployed with Exchange (relative, that is, to the total number of Exchange installations). Overlaying these reasons is a fairly thick fog of misunderstanding (and even misinformation) that surrounds the best way to design a SAN for use with Exchange.

Nice process-approach...