Exchange 2003 hardware requirements

[bentley45]

I currently run Exchange 2000 Enterprise on Wk2 server with around 600 mailboxes. I plan to upgrade to Exchange & Windows 2003 next year.
I need to buy a new server, but have not yet found a good resource listing real hardware requirements for Exch 2003. The server will only house Exchange, no other apps (except Groupshield).
Can anyone offer any suggestions?

 

[gbiello]

Here's what I found from Microsoft's documentation:

Memory: minimum 256 MB, at least 512MB is recommended. Go for a Gig at least.
CPU: I've got it running fine on one at 1.2 GHZ, but they recommend 3.0 GHz
Hard Disk shouldn't be an issue as you'll probably get a minimum of 72 GB with a new server, just ensure you've got RAID. You'll know your space requirements

 

[pdtit]

Hello there,

Based on my experience, I always suggest the following specs to my Exchange customers :

a) 512Mb for Windows 2003
b) 512Mb for Exchange 2003
c) 5Mb for each user connecting to the exchange server

d) CPU is not that important, everything > 1Ghz should do fine

e) diskspace depends on your needs and mailbox sizes.
Overall, I suggest the following config :

2 x 36Gb disks RAID1 (mirror) used for windows, applications and logfiles
3 x 36Gb/72Gb used for the Exchange database (Standard = limited to 16Gb; Enterprise is unlimited storage size)

I hope this makes it clear for you.

Regards,

Peter

 

[sicktrick]

pdtit put up a pretty good suggestion, but if I were asked to do an upgrade, I would insist on using Xeon proc's which can handle 4GB's of RAM each (meaning a dual-proc Xeon server could handle 8GB's). Exchange just absolutely loves RAM and with 600 mailboxes, assuming a moderate mailbox quota, it could use all of it.

 

[DeltaMed1]

i agree with sicktrick, We just deployed the exact sys and i would recommend dual processor with at least 4gb of ram for 600 users. Also i would not even consider buying Standard edition.
I would also recommend the larger drives so that you could do backups and then move off to tape.
Just some ideas.

 

[bentley45]

An additional question that several of you have alluded to, but I'll ask it directly.

Exch 2000 would not use memory over 2GB. From what I am reading in these posts, 4GB of memory would be utilized with Exch 2003. Is that correct? I intend to install Exchange 2003 Enterprise.

 

[hannahsh]

Interesting points above, but to me Exchange is all about disk access for users requests not brute power for applications, after all its not a Terminal Services type application running a load of seperate apps?

To be I have a situation of replacing 6 exchange boxs with hopefully a single exchange 2k3 and had considered dual xeon with 4Gb ran, way more than enough and making it

raid 1 - apps (36Gb drives)
raid 1 - logs (36Gb drives)
raid 5 - storage (72Gb drives)

I am currently even thinking of using volume shadow copy for DR and corruption defence so using a san with 2 identical raid volumes for storage? suggestions experience or opinions welcome

 

[sicktrick]

assuming a gigabit nic and raid, there's not much you have to do to adequately handle all those requests. however, given the size of the memory footprint the IS takes up, it's clear that more RAM is a huge factor in a great setup