Hi Everyone,I am new to the Windows server side so I hope that I will receive the guidence to get my problem solved. I am trying to setup Exchange 2007 on Microsfot Virtual Servers. This is what I have done:-Created two Virtual Machines (VMs) in Virtual Server and installed Windows 2003 server on both. First is called WS1 and second is WS2.Both are connected to each other using virutal networks and I have made two interfaces Public and Private. Both having different Ip ranges.-Installed Active Directory on WS1 and added WS2 is added to the domain controller.Active Directory is working fine because the user created in AD on WS1 is able to login from WS2.-Setup Cluster between WS1 and WS2 and it is working fine too.-Installed all pre-reqs for Exchange 2007.-Now I am trying to install Exchange on WS1 and on "Clustered Role Selection", I chose "Active Clustered Mailbox Role" but it gives me the following warnings: Code Snippet Warning:Setup did not detect an existing Hub Transport server role installed in Active Directory site 'Default-First-Site-name'. Mail cannot be sent or received from this mailbox server until a Hub Transport role is installed.Warning:Setup did not detect an existing Client Access server role installed in Active Directory site 'Default-First-Site-name'. Outlook Web Access and Exchange ActiveSync mobile device access will not be available until a Client Access role is installed.I am actually following this tutorial at msexchange.org.According to the tutorial I have to install Exchange as "Active Clustered Mailbox Role" on first server WS1 and as "Passive Clustered Mailbox Role" on the second server WS2.How should I porceed with this setup to have a working setup of Exchange 2007? Should I ignore these warnings or there is anything that I am missing? Please take a note that I am doing this setup on Virtual Servers so guide accordingly.Hope to hear from you guys.Thanks

WebScholar: The typical trend for installing Exchange 2007 is to start withthe Hub Transport Server first, followed by the Client Access and then the Mailbox Server (and other roles). Not sure what guide you are using, but I have always found this document to be comprehensive, easy to understand and highly workable for my clients: Deploying A Standard Exchange Server 2007 Organization Good luck and post back if you have any questions. -Allen

Hi Allen,Thanks for the reply. I was following the article at msexchange.org. I have mentioned its link in my first post. The document that you have mentioned is really very comprehensive but in order to follow it, I have to change my setup. Can you point to me any document that can help me to setup the Exchange is clustered setup? When I am trying to intall Exchange on the server that is Domain Controller, if I choose Hub Transport Server first, Client Access and then the Mailbox Server, it shows me the error that : Code Snippet On a machine running Microsoft Clustering Services, only the Management Tools, Passive Clustered Mailbox Role or Active Clustered Mailbox Role can be installed So I am now stuck that how should I proceed further?-WebScHoLaR

As Allen suggests a lot of people install the Hub Transport Client Access server role first but this is not a pre-requisite. If you install the mailbox server first you can safely ignore these messages. Here is a good 4 part article on setting up a virtual cluster environment : http://telnetport25.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/test-lab-virtualisation-of-exchange-2007-ccr-cluster-using-vmware-part-1/ You will end up with a lab with 2 clustered Windows Server 2003 (or 2008) Enterprise edition servers for the mailbox role and a hub transport/client access server and domain controller. Cheers, Rhys

Hi WebScHoLaR, I just want to add one thing here, what i understood from your post also that you were trying to install Hub or CAS Roles on the same node that you installed the First Clustered Mailbox Server, if this were true, then it will not work. for Clustered Mailbox Server Nodes you can not host or instasll anyother Exchange Server 2007 Roles except the Mailbox Server Role. niether HUB nor CAS will be installed on the same Cluster Nodes Set that been used for Mailbox Server Roles. the only roles that can be installed on Windows Server 2003 Cluster Service and supports clustering is the Mailbox Server Role, where you will have the Clustered Mailbox Server (CMS) running on them. so if you were planning to install the Mailbox Server Role on Two nodes cluster, then you have to choose or dedicate s different hardware for the Hub and CAS Server Roles, you can have them both on the same server, but you can't have any of other exchange roles on Clustered Mailbox Server Set. Regards,

Hi,Thanks to all those applied. I have installed Hub and CAS roles on a third node WS3 so now my setup is somewhat like this:-WS1 running DC and Active Clustered Mailbox Role-WS2 running Passove Clustered Mailbox Role-WS3 running Hub and CAS rolesI am able to telnet to port 25, 110 and 143 on WS3 but I am not getting that how should I attach these nodes so that the nodes work fine. My domain is contoso.com and I am trying to use MSE2K7.contoso.com as a Exchange address. MSE2K7.contoso.com is currently pointing to WS1 because WS1 adn WS2 is the Exchange Cluster so this thing is confusing me that what I need to do inorder to get the response of SMTP, POP and IMAP at MSE2K7.contoso.com? Inshort what I need to join Exchange Cluster with the Node running Hub and CAS?may be I am not going the right way but this is what I need from any of you guys to help me out.ThanksWebScHoLaR

Hi all,Hmmmm no one replied. may be I didn't describe my problem properly or I am going off the way. Anyway I got it working and I am able to send an receive emails. So this seems to be resolved.I have been studying Exchange 2003 today and it has Frontend and Backend servers concept.Backend servers are clustered where Frontend servers are not.If we compare it with my Exchange 2007 setup which is:-WS1 running DC and Active Clustered Mailbox Role-WS2 running Passove Clustered Mailbox Role-WS3 running Hub and CAS rolesIn this scenario, my WS3 will server as Fronend server and WS1 & WS2 as backend servers that are clustered. Am I right?Thanks,WebScHoLaR

The CAS server will run as a Front End server for the Exchange virtual server made of the two clustered nodes. The two Exchange server nodesyou have will been seen as one clustered instance to the client computers. It is good that you got the mail flow working. One thing that I will point out that is not recommended is to put a Domain Controller on a clustered server. I normally highly recommend putting this on a seperate server or in a lab environment possibly the Hub Transport/Client Access Server. Cheers, Rhys

Hi Rhys,Thanks for the reply. It was a test enviornment thats why I setup the Domain Controller on a clustered server. On actual setup the Domain Controller is a seperate server that is not part of the cluster.Regards,WebScHoLaR