Home > Ask the Microsoft Exchange Experts > David Sengupta: Server Administration Questions & Answers > Can we install another instance of Exchange Server on a second domain controller?
Ask The Exchange Expert: Questions & Answers
EMAIL THIS

Can we install another instance of Exchange Server on a second domain controller?

David Sengupta EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: David Sengupta

Pose a Question
Other Exchange Categories
Meet all Exchange Experts
Become an Expert for this site


Exchange Server tips, tutorials and expert advice
Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


>
QUESTION POSED ON: 27 March 2007
We have installed Active Directory and Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition on Windows Server 2003. For load balancing and redundancy, we want to install another Windows Server 2003 machine and make it a second domain controller in the same domain. Can we install Exchange Server on the second machine? How do we configure it? Will both servers replicate their data as two domain controllers replicating?

>
EXPERT RESPONSE
VIEW MEMBER FEEDBACK TO THIS ASK THE EXPERT Q&A.

Setting up a second domain controller is a great idea for redundancy of your directory (and potentially your global catalog, assuming you enabled this on the second domain controller). But installing Exchange Server on a second domain controller does not give you any ability to replicate the mailbox content to the other Exchange server. Setting up two replicated instances of a given mailbox is not possible with Exchange 5.5, Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003.

MEMBER FEEDBACK TO THIS ASK THE EXPERT Q&A:

Why not just mirror the Exchange drive?
—Gordon H.

******************************************

My understanding is that the user is looking to replicate mailbox content for redundancy reasons. Mirroring the drive would provide a level of redundancy but the ideal story around mailbox-level redundancy is the equivalent of either Exchange 2007 Local Continuous Replication (LCR) or Clustered Continuous Replication (CCR). Native solutions don't exist for Exchange 2003, however third-party solutions such as Double-Take provide alternatives.
—David Sengupta, Exchange Administration expert

Do you have comments on this Ask the Expert Q&A? Let us know.

Related information from SearchExchange.com:

  • Exchange Admin 101: Exchange Server replication and synchronization
  • Expert Advice: Problems running Exchange 2000 on a domain controller
  • Expert Advice: Two-way synchronization between Exchange servers
  • Learning Center: Exchange Server replication remedies
  • Reference Center: Exchange replication and synchronization resources
  • Reference Center: Exchange Server deployment and migration advice

  • Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


    RELATED CONTENT
    Microsoft Exchange Server Sync and Replication Issues
    Synchronizing Apple iPhone email with Microsoft Exchange Server
    Exchange Server 2007 hardware planning for continuous replication
    Tutorial: SAN storage for Microsoft Exchange Server
    Exchange Server 2007 high availability strategies and SANs
    Why boot an Exchange server from a storage area network (SAN)?
    Managing Local Continuous Replication (LCR) in Exchange 2007
    Troubleshoot Exchange public folder sync issue between routing groups
    How much bandwidth is required to send email in Exchange 2003?
    Best approaches for upgrading Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2000 or 2003
    Moving Exchange public folders to another server in the same domain
    Microsoft Exchange Server Sync and Replication Issues Research

    Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5
    Remove Exchange 5.5 servers from a mixed mode Exchange environment
    Solve server problems with the Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant tool
    Best approaches for upgrading Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2000 or 2003
    Sharing free/busy calendar information between disparate Exchange 5.5 and Exchange 2003 organizations
    Connecting an Exchange 5.5 server to a new domain controller
    Duplicating Exchange 5.5 Global Address views in Exchange Server 2003
    Importing an Exchange 5.5 Global Address List into Exchange 2003 Active Directory
    Is it safe to upgrade directly from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003?
    Upgrading Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2000 in a mixed mode environment
    Outlook 2003 client error: 'Task Microsoft Exchange Server reported error (0x8004010F)'
    Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Research

    Microsoft Exchange Server 2003
    Repairing damaged OWA virtual directories in Exchange Server 2003
    Configure a mobile device to receive POP3 email from Exchange Server
    Customizing an Outlook Web Access 2003 email signature
    Why Exchange ActiveSync fails with NAT firewalls
    Is it time to upgrade users' Windows Mobile devices?
    Top 10 Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 registry hacks
    Use Performance Monitor to detect Exchange 2003 message queue problems
    How to set up email disclaimers on a single, back-end Exchange server
    How to customize OWA authentication logon in Exchange Server 2003
    Can a deleted transaction log be restored in Exchange Server 2003?
    Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Research

    RELATED RESOURCES
    2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems
    Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts
    Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary



    Search and Browse the Expert Answer Center
    Search and browse more than 25,000 question and answer pairs from more than 250 TechTarget industry experts.
    Browse our Expert Advice

    HomeNewsTopicsITKnowledge ExchangeTipsAsk the ExpertsMultimediaWhite PapersIT Downloads
    About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
    SEARCH 
    TechTarget provides enterprise IT professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective IT purchase decisions and managing their organizations' IT projects - with its network of technology-specific Web sites, events and magazines.

    TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Reprints  |  Site Map




    All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2004 - 2008, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy
      TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts