Hi Mark! At 5 years, I would try to replace the hardware if you can, unless you can continue to get factory support. I know that Dell doesn't offer warranties past 5 years. IBM seems to be willing to support hardware longer, as long as you're willing to pay the fees (we're a 99.9% IBM shop, with no complaints).
As for OS, I would consider moving to 2008 if you're doing a hardware refresh, but it isn't required. With Server 2008 Enterprise, you get up to 4 "free" installs in a virtual environment on the same physical host, regardless of whether you're using Hyper-V or VMware, and that's for any Microsoft Server OS that you can find an install disk for, as long as it will load in a virtual environment. With 2008 Data Center Edition, you get UNLIMITED installs, again, does not matter what version of OS, as long as it is 2008 or below. So, I would look at your environment and see if it make sense to buy a couple of beefy systems to run a virtual environment, buy either Enterprise or Data Center licensing, and away you go. I prefer VMware, but it may not make sense in your environment. Also, don't forget about Citrix - they offer server virtualization as well. We're running one physical DC and one virtual DC, and that is an approach I recommend, just to be safe. As for requirements of E2k10, you do NOT have to upgrade your domain from 2003 to 2008: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996719.aspx Hope this helps, Jonathan L. Raper, A+, MCSA, MCSE Technology Coordinator Eagle Physicians & Associates, PA [email protected]<BLOCKED::mailto:%[email protected]> www.eaglemds.com<BLOCKED::http://www.eaglemds.com/> ________________________________ From: Reimer, Mark [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 4:44 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: What are my options, Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 or... Here's my upcoming problem. We currently have a Windows 2003 domain. All servers, including DC's are Windows 2003 standard. We will be replacing our Exchange server this summer, jumping from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010. I'm planning on installing Windows 2008 R2 on it. My current DC's are 32 bit, and almost 5 years old, and don't have 64 bit architecture. So ... Should I upgrade my DC's to Windows 2008 32 bit? Should I try to get upgraded hardware, and install Windows 2008 R2? Should I not worry about it, put in the new Exchange server on my Windows 2003 domain, and upgrade the DC's later? I'm planning on using the standard version (vs. enterprise or datacenter), unless I can get some beefy server, then I'll virtualize one DC and some other physical servers on it. I'm NOT going to put both DC's virtualized on one physical box. My googling on this hasn't turned up any useful information. Maybe it's Friday afternoon... Thanks for any advice. Mark Reimer, A+, MCSA Windows Servers & Networking Prairie Bible Institute Box 4000 Three Hills, AB T0M-2N0 Canada Tel: 403-443-5511, Ext. 3476 Fax: 403-443-5540 Email: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> www.prairie.edu<http://www.prairie.edu> ________________________________ Any medical information contained in this electronic message is CONFIDENTIAL and privileged. It is unlawful for unauthorized persons to view, copy, disclose, or disseminate CONFIDENTIAL information. This electronic message may contain information that is confidential and/or legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and/or entity named as recipients in the message. If you are not an intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately and delete this material from your computer. Do not deliver, distribute or copy this message, and do not disclose its contents or take any action in reliance on the information that it contains. ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
