Hello Everyone, I'm a student trying to learn Server and Exchange 2003. It has been recommended that it isnt advisable to run Active Driectory and Exchange on same server? Please correct me if Im wrong I know how to install AD on a Server make it a DC and then Install Exchange My Question is can someone please advise what I need to do if i need to keep my Domain Controller and Exchange Server separate? Do I Need to set my Second Server(Exchange) as a child .. and then install Exchange? or Can someone please advise me? Thanks.

Hi Jaffar, There are several reasons which say it is not recommended to installExchange 2003 on Domain Controller. Main reasons are explained here: Why is it NOT recommended to install Exchange Server 2003 on a computer that is also a Domain Controller? Exchange Server 2003 Computer Takes Longer Than You Expect to Shut Down You can join second server into domain as a member server and install Exchange Server on it. Here are some of the references for your installation. Installing New Exchange 2003 Servers How to Install Exchange Server 2003

Thanks Amit. I really Appreciate this. Let me review this I need to do my home work on the information/guidance provided

Amit, I have just reviewed links you provided. it basically tells me the steps for installing exchange. considering that server is a DC. Example I have 2 Servers one of them is a DC with DHCP on Second Server.. If i run the Exchange Setup (Forestprep , domainprep) will it automatically install AD? and then continue? Exchange Server Looks for AD Schema before it proceeds so if AD is not there it will fail at first step itself? right? on Second Server(which is where i want my exchange to be) Add it to the Domain? n then?

Yes those are steps to install just Exchange server, if you decide to install Domain Controller then you need to run DCpromo to make second server as an additional domain controller first and install Exchange. If you decide NOT to put DC on Exchange 2003 server then Exchange communicate to domain controller which is installed on your first server so once you join second server you can install Exchange servers directly. You would have seen the limitation of Exchange on a DC that, DSAccess/DSProxy/Cat will not load-balance or fail-over to another DC/GC so if you install DC and then Exchange on second server then it will always use server2 as a domain controller for any active directory query. If possible I would suggest you to install third server for domain controller redundancy and make it as an additional domain controller instead of combiningwith Exchange 2003. Since you are starting your learning about Exchange, I though these guides would be helpful to you. Download details: Exchange Server 2003 Deployment Guide Download details: Exchange Server 2003 Administration Guide

Amit, Thanks for your information I shall read those Guides. Please correct me if im wrong here. I have 3 Servers (as per your advice) 1 st Server AAA - Domain Controller 2 nd Server BBB - Back up domain controller for redundancy both of the above servers do nt have Exchange installed 3 rd Server CCC - to install Exchange on this? shd i run dcpromo as a third backup domain controller and then run Exchnage Set up?? 2 Questios arise from here. Question 1 >>If it needs dcpromo to be run before installing AD.. Aren't we back to same position installing Exchnage on back up DC( but in our scenario we have 2 Other Server s doing our job) Question 2 >> or as per your earlier post.. just adding third server to my existing domain.. and it run Exchange set up with no AD on it?? I apologise for my ignorance if im failing to to understand what you are trying to point out and I really appreciate your guidance

Nop, you dont have to run DCPromo on third server CCC, just add into domain as a member server & configure the IP/DNS correctly and proceed for Exchange 2003 installation as per document.