Installing Exchange 2000 Server in a Cluster Environment

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Now that you have taken a brief look at the Windows 2000 Cluster service and have learned how to install and configure this service, you are ready to install Exchange 2000 Server into a cluster environment. We will assume at this point that you understand how to install Exchange 2000 Server on a stand-alone server and that you have read Chapter 7 of this book.

Once you have installed and configured Exchange 2000 Server to run in a cluster environment, you will have created an Exchange virtual server. It is the virtual server to which clients will connect, rather than a specific physical server. The Windows 2000 Cluster service requires that Exchange 2000 Server be completely installed on one node before you install it on the second node. Also, the account that installs the Exchange program must be a member of the Exchange Admins and Domain Admins security groups.

After launching the Setup program, you'll be asked to select the components you want to install. Bear in mind that neither Key Management Service nor the Instant Messaging Service can be installed into a cluster configuration. In addition, you must install Microsoft Exchange Messaging and Collaboration and Microsoft Exchange System Management Tools on a clustered server.

NOTE

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Exchange Installable File System (ExIFS) must be assigned the same drive letter on both nodes in the cluster. Recall from Chapter 2 that ExIFS is assigned the M: drive by default. If you're using the letter M for another drive, Setup will select the next available letter for the ExIFS drive. It's best to reserve the letter M for ExIFS. If this isn't possible, make sure that the next drive letter that is available is the same on both nodes.

Once you've completed the component selection screen, Setup will proceed normally. Early in the file-copying phase, Setup will notice that this a clustered server and a message box will appear informing you that it will install a cluster-aware version (Figure 20-12). If you don't see this message, it means that Setup has not noticed that it is installing Exchange 2000 Server onto a clustered server, indicating to you that something is wrong in the cluster itself. There is no particular configuration or problem in Exchange 2000 Server that will cause this message box not to appear, but you'll need to troubleshoot your cluster configuration thoroughly before attempting to install Exchange 2000 Server again.

Figure 20-12. Message indicating a cluster-aware installation.