We have a small network of 80 users and one forest\domain. I have purchased two new HP boxes to be used as DCs and installed W2K3 R2 32 bit for the OS on both and upgraded them successfully to be DCs and transferred the master roles from our existing DC. We are now running W2K3 R2 Domain on two Quad Core 2.0 32 bit boxes w 2GB of RAM and have an existing DC ready to have AD removed from it due to it running on older hardware. These new DCs only run DNS, IAS DHCP, but no other applications. We are implementing MS Exchange 2007. I have procured 64bit hardware and began the OS install on this new Exchange box when I came across an article that suggested the best practice is to use DCs (Global Catalogs in particular) that are 64Bit. Because I just installed two new 32 bit DCs I really don't want to have to go back and uninstall/reinstall, but I want to follow the best practice. Can anyone tell me what is the best practice - for a business with not many users and a small AD DB - Should we be running 64Bit DCs or 32 Bit DCs for Exchange 2007. I originally stayed with 32 bit due to application compatibilty issues - AV client software for example. Your thoughts are much appreciated. -MDL
On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:04:00 -0700, MDL1492 wrote: >We have a small network of 80 users and one forest\domain. I have purchased >two new HP boxes to be used as DCs and installed W2K3 R2 32 bit for the OS on >both and upgraded them successfully to be DCs and transferred the master >roles from our existing DC. We are now running W2K3 R2 Domain on two Quad >Core 2.0 32 bit boxes w 2GB of RAM and have an existing DC ready to have AD >removed from it due to it running on older hardware. These new DCs only run >DNS, IAS DHCP, but no other applications. > >We are implementing MS Exchange 2007. I have procured 64bit hardware and >began the OS install on this new Exchange box when I came across an article >that suggested the best practice is to use DCs (Global Catalogs in >particular) that are 64Bit. Because I just installed two new 32 bit DCs I >really don't want to have to go back and uninstall/reinstall, but I want to >follow the best practice. > >Can anyone tell me what is the best practice - for a business with not many >users and a small AD DB - Should we be running 64Bit DCs or 32 Bit DCs for >Exchange 2007. I originally stayed with 32 bit due to application >compatibilty issues - AV client software for example. Your thoughts are much >appreciated. > >-MDL 80 users? Stick with your existing kit until they are due for replacement and then get replacement DCs that match your budget. This isn't, in this case, a technical or best practice issue. It's pure commercials. If you were several hundred users or more it'd be a different case but you are a very long way off.
>>for a business with not many users and a small AD DB - Should we be running 64Bit DCs or 32 Bit DCs for Exchange 2007. In a small environment, it really doesn't matter. 64-bit DCs can address a larger memory address space which can come in handy in larger environments, as also in consolidating the number of DCs in such environments. (Having said that, if the hardware is x64, it makes sense to install x64 version of Windows Server 2003, but isn't a requirement... ). -- Bharat Suneja MVP - Exchange www.zenprise.com NEW blog location: exchangepedia.com/blog ---------------------------------------------- "MDL1492" wrote in message news:736520A1-A84B-4A4E-A724-554DEEBCAAAA@microsoft.com... > We have a small network of 80 users and one forest\domain. I have > purchased > two new HP boxes to be used as DCs and installed W2K3 R2 32 bit for the OS > on > both and upgraded them successfully to be DCs and transferred the master > roles from our existing DC. We are now running W2K3 R2 Domain on two Quad > Core 2.0 32 bit boxes w 2GB of RAM and have an existing DC ready to have > AD > removed from it due to it running on older hardware. These new DCs only > run > DNS, IAS DHCP, but no other applications. > > We are implementing MS Exchange 2007. I have procured 64bit hardware and > began the OS install on this new Exchange box when I came across an > article > that suggested the best practice is to use DCs (Global Catalogs in > particular) that are 64Bit. Because I just installed two new 32 bit DCs I > really don't want to have to go back and uninstall/reinstall, but I want > to > follow the best practice. > > Can anyone tell me what is the best practice - for a business with not > many > users and a small AD DB - Should we be running 64Bit DCs or 32 Bit DCs > for > Exchange 2007. I originally stayed with 32 bit due to application > compatibilty issues - AV client software for example. Your thoughts are > much > appreciated. > > -MDL
Your responses were much appreciated. "Bharat Suneja [MVP]" wrote: > >>for a business with not many > users and a small AD DB - Should we be running 64Bit DCs or 32 Bit DCs for > Exchange 2007. > > In a small environment, it really doesn't matter. 64-bit DCs can address a > larger memory address space which can come in handy in larger environments, > as also in consolidating the number of DCs in such environments. > > (Having said that, if the hardware is x64, it makes sense to install x64 > version of Windows Server 2003, but isn't a requirement... ). > -- > Bharat Suneja > MVP - Exchange > www.zenprise.com > NEW blog location: > exchangepedia.com/blog > ---------------------------------------------- > > > "MDL1492" wrote in message > news:736520A1-A84B-4A4E-A724-554DEEBCAAAA@microsoft.com... > > We have a small network of 80 users and one forest\domain. I have > > purchased > > two new HP boxes to be used as DCs and installed W2K3 R2 32 bit for the OS > > on > > both and upgraded them successfully to be DCs and transferred the master > > roles from our existing DC. We are now running W2K3 R2 Domain on two Quad > > Core 2.0 32 bit boxes w 2GB of RAM and have an existing DC ready to have > > AD > > removed from it due to it running on older hardware. These new DCs only > > run > > DNS, IAS DHCP, but no other applications. > > > > We are implementing MS Exchange 2007. I have procured 64bit hardware and > > began the OS install on this new Exchange box when I came across an > > article > > that suggested the best practice is to use DCs (Global Catalogs in > > particular) that are 64Bit. Because I just installed two new 32 bit DCs I > > really don't want to have to go back and uninstall/reinstall, but I want > > to > > follow the best practice. > > > > Can anyone tell me what is the best practice - for a business with not > > many > > users and a small AD DB - Should we be running 64Bit DCs or 32 Bit DCs > > for > > Exchange 2007. I originally stayed with 32 bit due to application > > compatibilty issues - AV client software for example. Your thoughts are > > much > > appreciated. > > > > -MDL > >
