Quick-one: Better Environment for Exchange 2010: Server 2008 R2 or SBS 2011 Standard?

This is a quick question: I want/need to set up a Exchange 2010 Server on my home server (mainly for testing but will be needed).

I understand the downsides of hosting my mail on my dedicated hardware, but I need it anyway.

Already have a Server 2008 R2 setup, but I'm considering Small Business Server 2011. My Server is not that advanced (quad-core, 4 GB Ram, Dual NIC), but, It'll be serving(Exhange, there's more AD users) 5 to 10 users tops (average around 4 or 5).

I want to know: Which Os will be better, considering my hardware? Please note that I will need AD on that same server and maybe even SharePoint but with 2 or 3 users (for development). Any advice is welcome.

Solution 1:

I'd go Small Business Server - that is designed to have things on the same box that ordinarily should be kept at arms distance.

Installing "Normal" Exchange on the same server as Active Directory can give you some unexpected results, and may not be supported by Microsoft (don't quote me on that though). I'm no SharePoint expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I imagine that is a similar situation with regards to supportability.

With a bit more of a powerful box, you might be able to install something like ESXi or Hyper-V on it and install a Domain Controller, Exchange and SharePoint in separate VMs, but since your box is quite memory constrained (Exchange and SQL Server do like lots of RAM) I wouldn't really recommend it - you'd just about run the Operating System with nothing else installed on it.

Solution 2:

You're kind of comparing apples to oranges. Windows Server 2008 R2 is a network operating system (as all Windows operating systems are) that can host many roles, from AD\DNS to web services and everything in between. Windows Small Business server is a "business IT infrastructure" in a box. Many of the individual roles that you would install seperately on Server 2008 are included in SBS such as AD\DNS, Exchange Server, Sharepoint, File, Print, and Fax services and much more. It sounds to me like you'd be better served with SBS.

Solution 3:

Minimum system requirements for SBS2011 and Exchange 2010 are not going to be met by your hardware. You'll need much more memory. So I'm going to say neither. Upgrade your memory.

Exchange 2010 Memory Requirements:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd346700.aspx

SBS2011 System Requirements:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg491249.aspx

Assuming you upgrade your memory, you'll generally find the licensing for SBS 2011 to be much more affordable. Plus the setup is much simpler as Exchange and Sharepoint are already installed for you.