Until recently the IT worldview had voiced against virtualization of SAP, Microsoft SQL Server, and Microsoft Exchange Server, deemed as highly mission-critical applications. IT experts had feared the prospect of ending up in a situation of data-loss or breaches in security.
However, the mindset has taken a revision given the advantages IT companies get through virtualization in the form of flexible application deployment, better strategies for disaster recovery etc.
Some immediate benefits of virtualizing mission critical apps include and are not limited to:
- Plasticity in new system deployment
- Enhanced disaster recovery
- Better system mobility
- Better hardware utilization & efficiency
- Effortless testing, training and development
Similarly resource-intensive programs like Microsoft Exchange servers are also winning approbation for virtualization gradually. IT managers, though slightly jittery and unsure at the idea, might do well to run through some of the tips as they embark on the virtualization journey.
Avoid Snapshot Approach in Exchange Server
Everywhere snapshot technology is considered to be a boon for backing up Exchange server instantly. However, taking a snapshot and immediately referring back to it might be okay. Yet, snapshots are fraught with unwanted situations of data loss when allowed to rest for longer durations.
Watch Out for Storage Space Limits
The Hyper-V Virtual Hard Disk in Exchange server boasts of a seemingly large space bordering 2TB - precisely 2040 GB. Still when left unmonitored, the data size of Exchange can grow real wild crossing reasoned limits.
The storage space limitation can be handled in virtual environment by employing iSCSI within a VM to bond with data stores or by harnessing pass-through disks. Alternately these approaches circumvent disk storage limits effectively. Nowadays website content management solution providers are also developing next generation capabilities that would feature exchange server integration for email campaigns.
Wise Selection of Failover Options
It is significant to not get lost in selecting failover mechanism while working with Exchange Server 2007. It is known that Microsoft supports single copy clusters, Exchange cluster continuous replication, standby continuous replication along with local continuous replication. Moreover, failover solutions like VMware Vmotion or Microsoft Live Migration are also effective. However, you need to make sure that you are not going in for any of these two concurrently as Exchange server does not accommodate them together.
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