Help regarding setting up LAB for 70-284

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Hi Folks,

Could someone suggest me setting up a lab using Virtual Machines.

I have a DC (which has got Exchange Server installed) and a client.

Please guide me what other stuff would be required to practice the Routing Group stuff, etc.

Has anyone used Virtual Server 2005..

If yes, then is it possible to simulate WAN connection..

Thanks.

Regards,

 

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Whoops. That's a fail right there.

 

Why??

 

For starters, a server handling authentication should NEVER act as an application server as well. If possible, I like to ensure my DCs don't even run file & print. Secondly, its been a known fact since the dawn of time - well, 5.5 anyway - that Exchange is a pig when running on a Domain Controller. It is technically possible to install Exchange on a DC, but never recommended, and not something you should (or at least you would hope not) come across in the real world. Thirdly, its just common sense - you should never 'put all your eggs in one basket' - what happens if your server running AD, DNS, GC and Exchange goes down? Finally, Microsoft don't recommend you install Exchange on a Domain Controller - in fact, they specifically recommend against it. I'm pretty sure that MS won't even support E2K3 if its installed on a DC (though someone who deals with support for small(ish) firms who has come across this before (Sparky, perhaps?) will be able to confirm that.

Here is a good blog post about installing Exchange on a DC.

Since you're going down the virtualisation route (which is definitely the way to go for studying) why don't you knock up three machines (a domain controller, exchange server and a client) and run your lab like that? Not only will it assist you instudying for the exam, but - even more importantly - it will give you much better practice for working with Exchange in the real world.

 

It might be FAIL in a production environment... but this is only a lab.

 

Yeah, but...

You'd never encounter it in production, the dude's running a virtual environment anyway so why not set it up properly?

 

True, true. But we're lazy, dude! We're techs!

 

Folks,

Thanks for the inputs..

I would go with 1 DC, 1 member server (with Exchange server) and 1 client.

Will upgrade the RAM in near future...



Regards,

 

Ah - that might be a problem. How much RAM have you got? You're going to want to have at least 2Gb to run that lot - preferably 4Gb

 

I am using 2 Gb of ram with host as Windows VIsta Business..

I know it is not enough, but can't help at the moment.

 

I have Win XP with MS Virtual PC 2007. 1.8GHz CPU and 1.2GB RAM and I can run one virtual DC and one virtual member server with exchange fine. Minimal spec per server and a little slow, but fine for labs.

 

That's great, keep us posted as it progresses, please

 

Is it necessary/recommended to run Front end/back end Exchange 2003 environment for practice purposes?