1

I was wondering it is possible to setup 2 exchange servers on the same Exsi Server.

I was thinking 4 NICs - 2 for Exchange1 and 2 for Exchange2

I would have 2 Soniwall NSA 220 Devices connected with dedicated Static IPs.

Exchange Servers will be for different domains and companies.

Thanks

5 Spice ups
2

Of course, it just comes down to separating them appropriately.

5 Spice ups
3

I cannot se why that would be a problem at all. I am doing it and so are many others. As long as you have the networking in order, there is no issue here.

4

These exchange servers will be Windows SBS 2011 for 2 different Domains based in the same building and I will be using the same block of Static IPs. off course I will use different IPs for each server.

1 Spice up
5

How are you separating the networking? Separate switches or vlan tagging? I would do vlan tagging, in which case you only need two NICs on the host doing failover teaming for all of your VMs. No need to “dedicate” a physical NIC to a VM.

1 Spice up
6

what is your objective for this scenario?

  1. 2 forest?

  2. 1 forest different domain?

In order to understand what your objective is in order to see what is the best way to approach it. You simply just ask for exchange server which is pretty vague to answer correctly.

7

You will need to have them on separate subnets or you will not be able to route traffic appropriately.

RobT.

8

Both SBS 2011, so they better be separate forests. :slight_smile:

9

Yes It will be 2 Forests - 2 different domain on separate subnets.

2 Sonicwalls feeding of the same internet router which will have 5 blocks of static IPs.

Sonicwalls will connect to the NICs on the ESXi Server.

I am not sure what the best way would be to separate or configure the networking on the ESXi server.

I will def have 4 NICs on the Server Available for NIC Teaming.

10

Just create a standard vSphere switch for each VM and make sure you only choose one VM per switch. You could use two NICs for each team, but be aware you will only be able to manage the vSphere host from one network or the other, (unless you add another NIC).

RobT.

11

RobT, what about created a standard virtual switch and use VLAN tagging to keep everything separate? The design is more scalable in that you don’t need to keep adding NICs whenever you want to create another network.

12

I’m not that familiar with vlan and tagging
Do I do it from the esxi console or do I just configure it when I login to the esxi server thru vsphere client
I have 4 nics in my server

13

I like to use the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupid. So, being stupid, I keep it simple. :slight_smile:

There is no need for the two networks to “See” each other, and in fact it would be undesirable. He has two separate Sonicwall devices already. There is no mention of needing any local access to the seervers, so I’m presuming this will be like a datacentre set up. Why put a switch in the middle when you dont needto ? Why use vLANs when you don’t need to? Just run two connections from each Sonicwall to the network ports on the back and be done with it.

Now if there is a local network that he hasn’t told us about, that changes the game completely, and vLANs are the way to go.

RobT.

14

My goal is to have 2 SBS 2011 Servers Running DC, DNS and DHCP and Exchange on the same Esxi Box.

Server 1 192.168.100.x Subnet Sonicwall 1

Server 2 192.168.200.x Subnet Soniwall 2

Server 1 will be for users in the office to access local network resources on the server and exchange

Server 2 will be the same, but remote users will access OWA and Exchange only. there will be no local users in the office access local network

15

So I was almost correct.

Given that scenario I still think vLAN is over-complicating things. Set the local network up on a vSwitch with two ports, connected to a local switch connected on the LAN side of one of the Sonicwalls. Set the other up on a separate vSwitch with ports going straight to the Sonicwall and nowhere else. Then document what you’ve done.

RobT.

16

If you’re not familiar with VLANs, then I wouldn’t do it. Not yet, anyway. Somebody of these forums seems a bit fanatical about VLANs.

17

vLANs absolutely have their place. But they are very rarely needed in SMB. If he said he also had to run two separate VOIP systems I would say he needs to learn vLAN real quick. And if he needs to scale up later, I would suggest he sets up a LAB to test vLANs before doing so. But in this case I think keeping the networks separate would the easiest to set up and maintain. Especially given there is no need to connect locally to the second SBS.

RobT.