Member Avatar for nanosani

I have a Windows 2008 domain in which Windows 2008 acts as an active directory, dns and dhcp server. I want to install Exchange in this environment. I don't have 64 bit Windows Server in my network so I can't install Exchange 2007. Just wondering if I can install Windows 2003 SBS in this environment which can act as a secondary domain controller with Exchange Server and ISA Server?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by gbarnas

Dani AI

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Quick summary and practical options (to follow up on ’s question and ’s note).

SBS 2003 is not a drop‑in “secondary” Exchange/DC for an existing Windows 2008 AD — it was built to be the primary, integrated server in a small single‑domain environment and carries role/licensing and Active Directory expectations that make joining an existing 2008 domain awkward and risky. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)

If your goal is “get Exchange running” without rearchitecting the AD, consider one of three safer paths:

  • Keep it 32‑bit Exchange: deploy a dedicated non‑SBS Windows Server 2003 Standard (member server) and install Exchange 2003 (with SP2). Exchange 2003 can coexist with Windows 2008 domain controllers when the correct updates/SPs are in place, but you must not treat the Exchange box as a domain controller in production unless you accept the well‑known caveats. Always run ForestPrep/DomainPrep from an account with the required admin rights and back up the Schema Master/system state before schema changes. ()

  • Move to 64‑bit Exchange: upgrade or add x64 Windows Server hosts (physical or virtual) and deploy Exchange 2007 (or later). Exchange 2007 requires x64 Windows and x64 processors, so this path usually means new OS images or new hardware/VMs — but it avoids shoehorning SBS into your 2008 domain. Plan AD prerequisites (schema master, GC availability, correct domain/forest levels) before you start. ()

  • Hosted/virtual options: use a hosted Exchange (cloud) or run a supported x64 guest on a hypervisor if buying new physical servers is not an option. That avoids on‑site Exchange hardware/OS upgrades and reduces AD/schema changes.

Immediate checklist: inventory current server OS and hardware (32 vs 64 bit), snapshot/backup AD (system state + DC backups), verify AD health/replication, choose whether to run Exchange on a member server or migrate to x64, and test ForestPrep/DomainPrep in a lab copy first. These steps reduce the chance of an irreversible AD or messaging outage. (learn.microsoft.com)

Member Avatar for gbarnas

No - SBS must be the PDCe in the domain. Even creating secondary DCs is kind of pointless, as if your SBS system crashes, you need to rebuild it fresh unless you have a bare-metal backup/restore solution.

Glenn

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