I'm incredulous, have come across an environment where there are 4 CAS servers in the same AD Site.....for only 600 users! There is one MBX server and one HUB server All roles are split...so each role with it's own VM - resulting in a server footprint of 6 servers. No HA! No DAG! "The VMware guy told me we had to split the roles on one machine each for better performance" 3 of the CAS servers had been added to a CAS Array....a year after the MBX DBs were created... (the same idea is true for AD...each office of max 10 users has it's own AD Site and own DC...) Does anyone have the words to express this nonsense - ? I have writers block trying to sum it up :)

Unfortunately there are many vm consultants that do not understand products like Exchange and scenarios like the above are common place. I have seen DAGs without any database copies in the environment =) If you are responsible for looking after this environment I would make a list of the issues and approach management detailing the issues - and don't forgot to mention cost! Fixing things in environments like the above can usually mean cost savings not additional costs - so they are normally more attentive "What? You mean I can get better availability and lower costs?!?!?!" =)Oliver Moazzezi | Exchange MVP, MCSA:M, MCITP:Exchange 2010, BA (Hons) Anim | http://www.exchange2010.com | http://www.cobweb.com | http://twitter.com/OliverMoazzezi

Yes the VMware tail is always wagging the Exchange dog it seems... I forgot to add they were attempting to run a product called 'Neverfail' for SAN replication and Exchange HA....couldn't get it to work. Hopefully they'll actually read my report that tells them simple is usually the way forward unless there's a reason to justify it. Let Exchange do it's job and stop messing around with third party items Exchange isn't even aware of (Vmotion etc) :) I see a consolidation of servers.... to 2x multi-role server/DAG/2 KEMP LM2600...consolidation of AD Sites and DCs... Cheers