Hello All, I have been looking into possibly creating a 2 server DAG for the purposes of HA so I'd like to do this on my own (with your help of course). I currently have a single Exchange 2010 server (virtual machine) running the MB, HT, and CAS roles. I would like to add HA functionality to the server by adding a second server, then adding them both to a DAG. I understand the process enough but I just wanted to hash out the simple stuff because it can easily be overlooked (as I've never created one before). Please correct me or add info to the following if I am wrong but I believe the following needs to happen initally for me to successfully create a 2 server DAG: Install a second Exchange 2010 server on a Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise OS -- Are there license implications with having a second Exchange server for the purposes of a DAG? Configure the second Exchange to have duplicate config as the first server -- attached disks, drive letters, drive names, database names, db locations, service packs and rollups? -- Assuming I have centralized shared storage, I would need need to account for the growth of the second Exchange server correct? Essentially duplicating the first server and databases and having to extend the volume by that size? Install a second NIC (one for production, one for replication on different networks), bind the two -- Need additional hardware load balacning for the CAS role to work in a DAG correct? Log into the first Exchange 2010 server, create a DAG, then add the servers as members -- Is this when I control when the seeding process begins, at what frequency and which dbs are to be active and passive? I will stop there in case I need a lot more research to do. Any feedback would be great, thanks!

You will need a license for every Exch server you install. The spaces required generally will be of what you already have on your current Exch server. If you'reusing WNLB to load balance the CAS then you will need a HLB if you plan to use DAG on the same nodes. The DB are active on one or both nodes, however you decide to have them, i.e active/passive or active/active.Sukh

You will need a license for every Exch server you install. The spaces required generally will be of what you already have on your current Exch server. If you'reusing WNLB to load balance the CAS then you will need a HLB if you plan to use DAG on the same nodes. The DB are active on one or both nodes, however you decide to have them, i.e active/passive or active/active.Sukh

Thanks for your reply. So say if I had 4 databases one each Exch server, then place them into a single node DAG, could I configure the database to work like this: 1 (active) 1(passive), then 2 (passive) 2 (active), databases 3 and 4 would follow the same pattern? Also, once I add these 2 servers to the DAG, how is the seeding enforced/initiated/scheduled?

Yes you can do that. For seeding see below, it's pretty much automatic with a few clicks. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd298080.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd335158.aspxSukh

Hi Quote:So say if I had 4 databases one each Exch server, then place them into a single node DAG, could I configure the database to work like this: 1 (active) 1(passive), then 2 (passive) 2 (active), databases 3 and 4 would follow the same pattern? answer: You can do it. You had better read this link. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd979799.aspxTerence Yu TechNet Community Support