Architecting a Hybrid Messaging Strategy with Microsoft Exchange 2013 : Designing the Solution
   
Designing the Solution
The sample solution architecture shown in Figure 5. vSphere Physical Infrastructure is built on Windows Server 2012 R2 Enterprise Edition with Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC). Each DAG consists of two mailbox server nodes in the primary on-premises data center, and two nodes at the VMware Cloud Provider facility, using a stretched, active-active failover cluster configuration. Both of the two four-node Microsoft Exchange 2013 DAGs are configured with an active database and two passive database copies. The following table describes the virtual machine’s functions in this sample solution architecture:
Table 2. Architecture Virtual Machine Function
Data Center Site
Virtual Machine
Function
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-dc1)
Provides DNS, Active Directory, and Global Catalog services
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-dc2)
Provides DNS, Active Directory, and Global Catalog services
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-mb1)
Provides mailbox database services (DAG 1)
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-mb2)
Provides mailbox database services (DAG 1)
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-mb5)
Provides mailbox database services (DAG 2)
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-mb6)
Provides mailbox database services (DAG 2)
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-fsw)
Provides cluster file share witness services (DAG 1)
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-cas1)
Provides client access and front-end transport services
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-cas2)
Provides client access and front-end transport services
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-cas3)
Provides client access and front-end transport services
On-Premises
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-cas4)
Provides client access and front-end transport services
VMware Cloud Provider Facility
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-mb3)
Provides mailbox database services (DAG 1)
VMware Cloud Provider Facility
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-mb4)
Provides mailbox database services (DAG 1)
VMware Cloud Provider Facility
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-mb7)
Provides mailbox database services (DAG 2)
VMware Cloud Provider Facility
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-mb8)
Provides mailbox database services (DAG 2)
VMware Cloud Provider Facility
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-cas5)
Provides client access and front end transport services
VMware Cloud Provider Facility
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-cas6)
Provides client access and front end transport services
VMware Cloud Provider Facility
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-cas7)
Provides client access and front end transport services
VMware Cloud Provider Facility
Windows Server 2012 R2 (ms-ex-cas8)
Provides client access and front end transport services
VMware Cloud Provider Facility
nsx-edge-02
VMware NSX Edge™ device