wanting to upgrade our version of Exchange...

[Brad Pears]

We currently run in a Windows 2000 Small Business Server environment. This
means we are running Exchange 2000. For many reasons, I want to move off of
Exchange 2000 and upgrade to the newest version of Exchange but the dilemma
is do I go with a newer version of SBS or eliminate SBS from our environemnt
completely. I wonder if for the time being I could bring in a new server for
a newer version of Exchange to run on and leave the exisitng Win2K SBS
machine as the domain controller until I can replace or eliminate it
completely.

Is this even possible though since the Win2K Active Directory Users
"Exchange" components would likely be so vastly different between 2000 and
2010?

The other option is to purchase a new Windows 2008 R2 server and install
Exchange 2010 on that and also make it the new domain controller - then just
eliminate the 2000 SBS totally. Is it ok to have a domain controller also
running Exchange (when it's not an SBS server?)

Thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks, Brad

[Mark Arnold [MVP]]

My thoughts are what your business requirements are. Why 2010? Why not
SBS 2008? You can't go from 2000 to 2010 without more steps than a
very steppy thing.

[Brad Pears]

Yes that is a thought as well... Unfortunately it may be a little too pricy
because if we were going to go the SBS 2008 route, I'd want the two server
scenario where you can put the SQL portion on a separate box with Hyper V.
We are currently running SQL Server 2000 on a separate box as our existing
SBS box just doesn't have the guts to do it all anymore. I also have
concerns about running everything on just one server. We've had our SBS go
down in the past and it takes everything out until it is back up.

We don't have a lot of $'s to play with so I am trying to upgrade and do it
with the minimal outlay in $'s... I am thinking we leave SQL Server 2000
running where it is (because it is just fine) and simply bring in a new
64bit box to run Exchange. We do currently have a Win2K3 member DC in our
SBS environment as well - that I could promote to full DC once the SBS box
is gone. Heck, I could even wipe our SBS 2000 machine and install win2K3 as
as a domain controller machine and leave our exisitng member controller as
jsut that.

So bringing in Exchange 2010 would mean 1) a new 64bit server, 2) Windows
server 2008 (R2?) 3) Exchange 2010 of course and 4) all appropriate Exchange
CALS - not sure what other CALS I would need but I am sure that if I
completley remove SBS 2000 from our environment, I would need to purchase
new server CALS too...

Funny, after I look a the list of requirements - the SBS 2008 option move
might not be much more $'s in the end...

Brad

"Mark Arnold [MVP]" <ma...@mvps.org> wrote in message
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