Can I install an exchange server for doing some R&D with my existing corporate live exchange server? In this scenario, I would be having the following servers in my domain: 1. Existing domain controllers. 2. One existing corporate exchange server which is live and carrying around 1000 mail boxes. 3. Another exchange server for doing R&D Surely both the exchange server the live one and another one for R&D will carry the different host name and IPs but both the exchange server will reside in the same domain and in the same LAN.

Sure, you can deploy an additional Exchange server, but it really depends on what 'R&D' means. IF you only need to host some test mailboxes then that should be fine but if you plan to test Exchange configurations or do anyhting that impacts the forest/domain settings then you may not want to use this approach.

You should not have any problems doing so. Just keep in mind that you are sharing the same Active Directory as your production environment. I used to do this with my Exchange 2003 enviornment. I placed the R&D box in a separate routing group so that it will not affect email routing for the other servers in the organization. Good luck. LG

Actually,I just want to use this setup to host some test mailboxes. Right now,I justwant to check my backupsoftwareon this test serverwith some test mailboxes. But don't wantany kind of configuration changes on my live corporate server and domain. --Vinod Sharma

Unless you install this R&D server in its own AD forest, separate from the production one, you will be making configuration changes to your production environment - you are sharing the same Active Directory forest. The new server will show up in ESM, granted you are using Exchange 2003. If you are concerned about using your production environment, setup a virtual environment, AD and Exchange, on a server and do all your testing there. Good Luck LG

You are right; this test setup would share Active Directory with my production environmentbut what kind of routing precautions you are talking aboutshould I take to avoid any kind of disaster.My production and test environmentwould share the same VLAN. Please let me know what are the precautions one should take for such kind of environment setup? --Vinod Sharma

I have Exchange 2007.

Hi, If the Exchange server 2007 that you intend to deploy only for host test mailbox, please just install Exchange 2007 mailbox server role into the current environment. That will not affect or break the current routing rule since Exchange 2007 has evolved in several roles and each server role has own feature. In Exchange 2007, the Mailbox Server role has truly evolved to a specialized messaging store for mailbox and public folder data. Thanks Allen