WRX_Rich

iTrader: (5)

go on guys whats it like

i ve read all the ms stuff and it sounds good, whats your opinion for a clustered exchange I know its more of a SQL .net thing

can it be used for exchange

Rich

ChrisB

Cluster a DC? Why?

Have multiple DCs and split the various DC roles between them.

WRX_Rich

iTrader: (5)

sorry to many beers last night, now I feel a prat

ment to say exchange server 2k3, we have consolidated 3 servers to one ( due to a domain rename) and it runs fine but we need some redundancy

we are moving away from exchange in the near future but one server to last 6 months is is a bit risky for me

KiwiGTI

Hardware clustering isn't limited to an application like SQL, it is good for a lot of different applications, including DCs. In fact MS recommend that in some cases the machines in a cluster are DCs in their own separate domain so that the cluster doesn't rely on an external domain.

It's very good for Exchange with the proper solution which can be more complex than most people think. Make sure the shared storage is properly certified for use in an Exchange cluster.

Important to plan it properly in terms of capacity, storage groups etc etc. (Active/Passive is really the only option)

Unfortunately in my experience it is very hard to find anyone that can support a cluster well (even though everyone puts it on their CV), and particularly with Exchange and SANs thrown into the mix, so you have to take into account whether your support staff are good enough.