Upgading Microsoft Exchange

[dgardner]

Hi guys,

I have 5 servers at our place, all working well. They are still running Server 2003. Has anyone upgraded the OS recently?
It pains me to carry out the upgrade on any of our servers whilst the network is running so well, but we have the licenses available to upgrade. I was thinking earlier that Windows Server 2003 is now 7 years old!
I use Microsoft Exchange 2003 to host the school emails, installed on Windows Server 2003. The email system has worked faultlessly for staff and pupils ever since I first installed it.
When would you think about upgrading the OS and Exchange Server software? Would you go straight to 2010 or 2007?

Any advice or thoughts will be welcomed.
Many thanks,

[john]

I would go to Exchange 2010 as it is really good software and has been bulletproof since we went onto it back at Easter. In terms of software to run it on, you will want Server 2008 R2 Edition for Exchange 2010, and give it a nice high spec box to run on and it will thankyou for being kind to it

[Stevoid]

I recently upgraded our lowly 1 exchange 2003 box to exchange 2007 and am absolutely love it!

One thing is that the newer exchange's are RAM thirsty pigs. Fill em with as much RAM as possible!

[leco]

I have yet to successfully upgrade to anything in Exchange, sadly. I'm sure it will be worth it in the end, if it ever does.

[dgardner]

I'm now looking at upgrading the exchange member server to server 2008 r2 x64 from server 2003 x32. As well as the terminal server to 2008 r2 x64. Can someone confirm my fears that this requires a comple reinstall rather than an upgrade?

[tarquel]

Dunno if you have been through it but check out the migration guides on here:

Exchange Server 2010: Exchange 2010 Help

I havent seen the bit for 2003 to 2010 but I wager that upgrading the OS probably isnt the best idea.

As an example, I upgraded a Win 2008 server to Win 2008 R2 which only had the KMS services on it and it stil failed to keep anything of my KMS setup so had to remind meself what to do, and in the end, I just wiped the machine and started again.

Its probably an expected thing with KMS services, but its just an example of how a OS upgrade might not take into consideration of the stuff you have on the machine - even when the only stuff on the server in question is Microsoft's own software.

You better off i think introducing a physically new server and taking it from there - with the migration path shown and suggested in that link.

For info:

One thing is that the newer exchange's are RAM thirsty pigs. Fill em with as much RAM as possible!

I cant quite remember where i saw it but Exchange 2010 is better on the RAM usage facto, athough of course, you probably need more initially in the first place

Nath