If ever there was a time for Microsoft to use the expression "evolution, not revolution" to describe a major product revision, that time is now. Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition includes extended clustering support, multiple storage groups (SGs), and database sizes in excess of 16GB, but planning for and implementing the new version won't be dramatically different from the steps you take with Exchange 2000 Server. As always, though, the devil is in the details, and some of the basic tenets of deployment are changing in Exchange 2003. If you're considering the new messaging server, take a moment to learn about the server's environmental requirements, changes to Exchange's installation procedure, and several important installation options.
Planning the Environment
Planning Exchange 2003's entry into your environment involves a bit more consideration than earlier versions require. For example, you need to think about which Windows versions you're using or planning to use. Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later support Exchange 2003, but Windows 2003 doesn't support Exchange 2000 or Exchange Server 5.5. You can, however, run Exchange 2000 or even Exchange 5.5 on a Win2K member server in a domain with a Windows 2003 domain controller (DC). Note, however, that an Exchange 2000 SP2 server running in this type of environment requires the Exchange 2000 post-SP2 hotfix rollup package. . . .
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