Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/27653
• The Edge Transport role is common for those without perimeter SMTP security, or those looking to replace legacy systems • Multi-role servers include all roles, and are typically appropriate for small firms or branch locations Regional Consolidation of Exchange Firms are consolidating Exchange servers to maximize server efficiency and minimize costs. Large mailboxes and high item counts often required users to be located within a reasonable proximity to their Exchange server for the best experience. Outlook clients deployed in Cached Exchange Mode are especially efficient and rarely are high-speed links or WAN optimization appliances required for acceptable use. Virtualization Historically, firms have been conservative when deciding to virtualize Exchange servers, and have limited virtualization to specific Exchange roles. Although Exchange 2010 does have a higher memory requirement than any previous version of Exchange, the majority of deployments today include virtualizing all Exchange 2010 roles except Unified Messaging, which is not supported on any virtual platform. It is important to note that Microsoft does not support combining Exchange high-availability solutions with hypervisor-based clustering, high-availability or migration solutions (e.g., VMware HA, DRS, vMotion or Hyper-V Live Migration) that will move or automatically failover mailbox servers between host servers. These features are viewed by Microsoft as “competing technologies,” and have been a source of contention between vendors. These features should be disabled for any servers running the Mailbox role. 14 Exchange 2010 ILTA White Paper Load Balancing A load-balancing solution should be considered a required part of any Exchange 2010 project. Architectural changes to Exchange 2010 have moved the RPC endpoint (the server component where Outlook connects) from the Mailbox role to the Client Access role. To provide high availability and consistent server load, a load balancer should be deployed to implement a redundant configuration of Client Access Servers known as a CAS Array. Windows Network Load Balancing (NLB) is a viable option under some circumstances; however, it is not recommended. Designing with DAG in Mind Database Availability Group (DAG) should be implemented to provide high availability in the local site, and disaster recovery capabilities in the remote site. There are typically three database copies created with failover preference one and two in the primary site, and a third failover preference in the remote site. Up to 16 total copies of any single database can exist in a DAG, which provides additional flexibility to meet specific business requirements. DEPLOYMENT CHALLENGES Transitioning to Exchange 2010 does not necessitate a client upgrade if an organization is running Outlook 2003 or higher; however, many firms will take this opportunity to review their current configurations to ensure optimal experience. Deploying Outlook in Cached Exchange Mode is recommended as a standard practice — it will provide offline use, and provide the most consistent infrastructure performance. Although legacy clients are supported, Outlook 2010 is recommended to unlock a number of the new benefits available with Exchange 2010 including: