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Exchange 2010 single CAS and CAS Array

I have 2003 and 2 owa servers right now. I'm migrating to 2010, I have 1 server already setup running the hub, Cas and Mailbox roles already. I will in the future probably want to add another exchange 2010 server so that I can have a DAG.

but from what I understand having a second CAS server will not help with load balancing since I don't have a CAS Array. So does that mean all my internal clients will connect to only 1 Cas server and ignore the other even though I have 2 Cas servers available?

Also will all incoming/outgoing email go to only 1 Cas server and not the other.

As for the San certificate, if i have 2 exchange 2010 servers would I need to have all the info for both like below:

owa1.domain.com
owa2.domain,com
autodiscover1.domain.com
autodiscover2.domain.com
CAS1 server FQDN
CAS1 server name
CAS2server FQDN
CAS2server name



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1.) that is correct, I have 1 exchange server with no NLB. And after looking and digging around  I'm afraid of 2 things,

OWA access/mail delivery to only 1 server and failure of the CAS server internally.

basically at this point I can't break my 1 exchange server and reinstall a 2 cas/hub server and 2 mailbox servers with Dag on the mailbox and Cas array on the cas/hub server.

So what I want to do (something I found/read here). Is to have 2 full exchange server running DAG. Have CAS Array in DNS with the ip address pointed to the DAG IP. Have all the clients point to the Cas array. And configure the RpcClientAccessServer to point to the Cas Array name.

My only issue is how will incoming emails be routed? Do i point my smart host to the Cas array IP or the actual CAS iP?




 




wheen you say

>>basically at this point I can't break my 1 exchange server and reinstall a 2 cas/hub server and 2 mailbox servers with Dag on the mailbox and Cas array on the cas/hub server. <<


Why is that ? you can't have 4 servers  or what is the problem ?

do you already have mailboxes on your 2010 ?
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>>basically at this point I can't break my 1 exchange server and reinstall a 2 cas/hub server and 2 mailbox servers with Dag on the mailbox and Cas array on the cas/hub server. <<


Why is that ? you can't have 4 servers  or what is the problem ?

do you already have mailboxes on your 2010 ?

Mailboxes haven't been migrated yet but I don't have the extra licenses for 4 servers. Time is also another issue at this point as we have to do the migration away from 2003 as soon as possible. Unless you know of a easy way for me to remove the mailbox  role from the existing server without causing any ripples.



removing the mailbox role is very easy i wouldn't even worry about it a bit, however the 3 extra exchange licenses are another issue.

You have a decision to take 4 servers (2cas/hub and 2mbx) or 2 servers all in all so I know what to focus on in my discussion
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okay, I'll have to go to management and see what they say. I'm sure they won't be happy for the 3 additional license.

I guess with high availlability I can at least fix a down CAS easily.

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Thanks I think I will go with the option number 2 as I just spoke with someone in management and the response was  " how much do you want to spill".

As for the SAN certificate name, all i need then is:


owa1.domain.com
owa2.domain,com
autodiscover1.domain.com
autodiscover2.domain.com
array.domain.com

is there any harm to include the CAS1 and CAS2 names and FQDN?
no harm to include them, the certificate will be more expensive
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ASKER

but this info should be on the SAN

owa1.domain.com
owa2.domain,com
autodiscover1.domain.com
autodiscover2.domain.com
array.domain.com

yep
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ASKER

great thanks, just 1 more thing that I just realize, for autodiscover.domain.com, having 1 will be autodiscover.doman.com but with 2 servers? Am i okay with literally naming it as autodiscover1.domain,com and autodiscover2.com?

Assuming my mail server is Mail and my domain is acme.com. Is

autodiscover.acme.com
autodiscover2.acme.com

going to work on the SAN?

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ASKER

I have 2 mail servers

Mail server is mail
mail server 2 is email

1 autodiscover pointed to the cas array ip no autodiscover1 and autodiscover2

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ASKER

so all I need then is just

owa1.domain.com
owa2.domain,com
autodiscover.domain.com
array.domain.com

these would be optional

CAS1 server FQDN
CAS1 server name
CAS2server FQDN
CAS2server name

nop you need only owa.domain.com not owa1 and owa2
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ASKER

I assume it's only 1 autodiscover.domain.com and OWA.domain.com on the SAN because if i have 2 cas servers it would probably mean:

- I have a DAG and it would point to the DAG IP

or

- I have a Cas array and it would point to the Cas array

is this correct?



yep all you go for DNS round robin as explained before

you have 2 cas but they act as one farm
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ASKER

got you, and If i choose not to go with DNS round robin I'll have HA but no load balancing
yep
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you are the man, thanks for everything.
you are welcome