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Virtualized Applications Now Supported by Microsoft
Today an increasing number of companies are choosing to run their applications on virtual servers, reaping the benefits of reduced costs, quicker and easier testing environments, and improved business continuity management. When we wrote about server virtualization earlier this year (see An Introduction to Server Virtualization, and Running Microsoft Exchange 2007 on Virtual Servers) we felt it was a great option for servers that do not contain user information or data, but not recommended for the Mailbox server. Why? Because if a problem arose, Microsoft was requiring companies to reproduce the problem on a physical machine, which can be an enormous hassle to do.
We are happy to report that Microsoft is now supporting virtualized applications.
What You Need to Know
- VMware Validated – VMware is virtual server software – i.e., the software that allows you to put multiple servers on one physical box. VMware ESX 3.5 update 2 is now qualified under Microsoft’s Server Virtualization Validation Program, so it is fully supported by Microsoft.
- Applications Supported – Microsoft now offers full support in conjunction with VMware for:
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Windows 2003 Service Pack 2
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Windows 2008
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Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1
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SharePoint 2007 Service Pack 1
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And more; for a full list, see “Microsoft Server Software and Supported Virtualized Environments” at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957006/.
- Problem Re-creation Is Now the Last Resort – In some cases it is still possible that Microsoft will require that a problem you are having on a virtual server be reproduced/re-created on a physical server, but this is now a last resort instead of an automatic necessity. The chances of this happening are very small.
Our Recommendation
If you’ve been considering implementing Exchange 2007 SP1 on virtual servers, there’s no longer any reason to wait. Now that Microsoft is fully supporting virtualization we feel this is a valid option for all server roles, including the Mailbox server.
Give us a call if you need some help determining if server virtualization makes sense for your organization, or if you’re ready to take the plunge and need help with the implementation. We’re here for you.
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