After
the AD infrastructure has been implemented, Exchange 2007 can be
planned for implementation. The installation process should follow
standard project methodology, which includes planning, prototype
testing, implementing, and ongoing support.
Planning Your Exchange Server 2007 Installation
Choosing to Install Exchange in Either a Test or Production Environment
When
installing Exchange 2007 for the first time, the organization should
make the decision whether the implementation should be exclusively in
an isolated test environment, or whether the test will be simply a
preinstallation of a future production environment.
To
reduce risks, end-user downtime, and negative ramifications to the
production environment, it is typically recommended that the first
implementation of Exchange 2007 be conducted in an isolated test lab
rather than being installed into a production environment.
Having
a test environment isolates test functional errors so that if there are
any problems in the testing phase, they will not be injected into the
existing production environment. In addition, the test environment acts
as a “Proof of Concept” for the new Exchange Server 2007 design and it
is possible to move forward or roll back the implementation, whereas in
production it is not.
Many times, when an
organization begins to install Exchange as if it is a test environment,
it loads an evaluation copy of the Windows or Exchange license on a
low-end hardware system. Then, because it has so much success from the
initial tests, the organization puts the system into a production
environment. This creates a problem because the system is built on
expiring licenses and substandard hardware. When committed to being
solely a test environment, the results should be to rebuild from
scratch, and not put the test environment into position as a full
production configuration.
Prototyping an Exchange Server 2007 Installation
When
the decision is made to build in a test or production environment,
build Exchange 2007 in the expected environment. If the system will be
solely a test configuration, the implementation of Exchange 2007 should
be in an isolated lab. If the system will be used in production, the
implementation of Exchange 2007 should be focused on building the
appropriate best-practice server configuration, which will give the
organization a better likelihood of full production implementation
success.
Some of the steps an organization should go through when considering to build a test Exchange environment include the following:
- Building Exchange 2007 in a lab
- Testing email features and functions
- Reviewing Exchange Server 2007 server roles
- Verifying design configuration
- Testing failover and recovery
- Using physical hardware versus virtualization
Much
of the validation and testing should occur during the test process.
It’s a lot easier testing a disaster recovery rebuild of Exchange in an
exclusive test environment than to test the recovery of an Exchange
server for the first time during a very tense server rebuild and
recovery process after a production system crash. In addition, this is
a good time to test application compatibility, before migrating to a
full messaging environment and then testing to see whether a
third-party fax, voice mail, or paging software will work with Exchange
2007.
Another item to test during the
testing phase is directory replication in a large multisite environment
to ensure that the global catalog is being updated fast enough between
sites. In addition, because Sites and Services is the main transport
mechanism for Exchange Server 2007, testing should be conducted to
ensure replication is occurring properly. In addition, security is of
concern for many organizations these days, and the appropriate level of
security for the organization should be tested and validated. Many
times, the plan for securing Mailbox servers or Client Access servers
sounds great on paper, but when implemented, is too limiting for the
average user to get functionality from the service. Slight adjustments
in security levels help minimize user impact while strengthening
existing security in the organization.
Another
“hot” item to test is the new Exchange server roles. The new roles
introduced in Exchange Server 2007 are a new concept that requires a
great deal of understanding and planning to implement them efficiently
in production.
Building an Exchange Server
2007 prototype test lab can be a costly affair for companies that want
to simulate a large, global implementation. For example, many companies
have a global presence where it is necessary to provide messaging
services for 20,000 to 100,000 employees located in offices all over
the world. When upgrading from a legacy version of Exchange, it is very
common that these companies will have a requirement to prototype the
installation, upgrade strategy, and application compatibility before
they move forward in production.
For these
organizations, the cost of building a test lab can be phenomenal
because there is a need to duplicate the production environment
consisting of AD domain controllers, Exchange 5.5 servers, Exchange
2000 servers, and/or Exchange 2003 servers and application servers.
Therefore, the project could come to a halt because the hardware cost
associated with the prototype phase could exceed the amount of the allocated budget for the project.
Therefore,
virtualization is a great method of lowering costs within a prototype
phase. Server virtualization enables multiple virtual operating systems
to run on a single physical machine, yet remain logically distinct with
consistent hardware profiles. The “host” operating system creates an
illusion of partitioned hardware by executing multiple “guest”
operating systems.
Note
It
is an option to virtualize servers in the prototype phase to decrease
the costs associated with procuring server hardware. However,
virtualization should not be used if organizations are trying to
performance test Exchange Server 2007 servers within the test lab if
Exchange 2007 will ultimately be installed on a full server system (not
virtualized).
