Question - Exchange 2007 MNS cluster with 1G public and 100M

Mike O · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 24

I'm in the process of setting up a two node MNS cluster for an Exchange 2007
mailbox server. One of the recommendations I came across was to use a
different NIC type for the private and public networks so that a driver
issue won't take down both interfaces. The servers have on board Broadcom
1G NICS that I would use for the public network communications. I have a
number of brand new Intel Pro 100Mb PCI cards and was wondering if those
would be suitable to use for the private NIC. Since it's just the heartbeat
and housekeeping data on that NIC, and it only connects to the other server
(via a crossover cable), would I be causing any issues to use a 100Mb NIC
for that?

Thanks.
Mike O.

Archived from group: microsoft>public>exchange>clustering

Bharat Suneja [MVP] · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 1043

You can also use 10Mb NICs for the heartbeat - heartbeats are small UDP
packets so no major bandwidth concerns.
--
Bharat Suneja
MVP - Exchange
www.zenprise.com
NEW blog location:
exchangepedia.com/blog
----------------------------

"Mike O" wrote in message
news:%23J2C11bTIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> I'm in the process of setting up a two node MNS cluster for an Exchange
> 2007 mailbox server. One of the recommendations I came across was to use
> a different NIC type for the private and public networks so that a driver
> issue won't take down both interfaces. The servers have on board Broadcom
> 1G NICS that I would use for the public network communications. I have a
> number of brand new Intel Pro 100Mb PCI cards and was wondering if those
> would be suitable to use for the private NIC. Since it's just the
> heartbeat and housekeeping data on that NIC, and it only connects to the
> other server (via a crossover cable), would I be causing any issues to use
> a 100Mb NIC for that?
>
> Thanks.
> Mike O.

Bharat Suneja [MVP] · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 1043

>>You can also use 10Mb NICs for the heartbeat..

.... if you can find them.

--
Bharat Suneja
MVP - Exchange
www.zenprise.com
NEW blog location:
exchangepedia.com/blog
----------------------------

"Bharat Suneja [MVP]" wrote in message
news:%23qL3VwhTIHA.5164@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> You can also use 10Mb NICs for the heartbeat - heartbeats are small UDP
> packets so no major bandwidth concerns.
> --
> Bharat Suneja
> MVP - Exchange
> www.zenprise.com
> NEW blog location:
> exchangepedia.com/blog
> ----------------------------
>
> "Mike O" wrote in message
> news:%23J2C11bTIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> I'm in the process of setting up a two node MNS cluster for an Exchange
>> 2007 mailbox server. One of the recommendations I came across was to use
>> a different NIC type for the private and public networks so that a driver
>> issue won't take down both interfaces. The servers have on board
>> Broadcom 1G NICS that I would use for the public network communications.
>> I have a number of brand new Intel Pro 100Mb PCI cards and was wondering
>> if those would be suitable to use for the private NIC. Since it's just
>> the heartbeat and housekeeping data on that NIC, and it only connects to
>> the other server (via a crossover cable), would I be causing any issues
>> to use a 100Mb NIC for that?
>>
>> Thanks.
>> Mike O.
>

Mike O · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 24

Thanks. That's pretty much what I figured, I just wanted to see if there
would be any non-obvious problems..

"Bharat Suneja [MVP]" wrote in message
news:%23qL3VwhTIHA.5164@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> You can also use 10Mb NICs for the heartbeat - heartbeats are small UDP
> packets so no major bandwidth concerns.
> --
> Bharat Suneja
> MVP - Exchange
> www.zenprise.com
> NEW blog location:
> exchangepedia.com/blog
> ----------------------------
>
> "Mike O" wrote in message
> news:%23J2C11bTIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> I'm in the process of setting up a two node MNS cluster for an Exchange
>> 2007 mailbox server. One of the recommendations I came across was to use
>> a different NIC type for the private and public networks so that a driver
>> issue won't take down both interfaces. The servers have on board
>> Broadcom 1G NICS that I would use for the public network communications.
>> I have a number of brand new Intel Pro 100Mb PCI cards and was wondering
>> if those would be suitable to use for the private NIC. Since it's just
>> the heartbeat and housekeeping data on that NIC, and it only connects to
>> the other server (via a crossover cable), would I be causing any issues
>> to use a 100Mb NIC for that?
>>
>> Thanks.
>> Mike O.
>

Mike O · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 24

I probably have a few 10Mb's floating around somewhere, but I think I'll
stick to the 100Mb ones. I have about 5 still in their original packaging.
So many of the systems are coming with Gb NIC's on the motherboard, we don't
use the add on cards much anymore, especially in our datacenter (all the
switches are Gb ethernet).

"Bharat Suneja [MVP]" wrote in message @TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>You can also use 10Mb NICs for the heartbeat..
>
> ... if you can find them.
>
> --
> Bharat Suneja
> MVP - Exchange
> www.zenprise.com
> NEW blog location:
> exchangepedia.com/blog
> ----------------------------
>
> "Bharat Suneja [MVP]" wrote in message
> news:%23qL3VwhTIHA.5164@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> You can also use 10Mb NICs for the heartbeat - heartbeats are small UDP
>> packets so no major bandwidth concerns.
>> --
>> Bharat Suneja
>> MVP - Exchange
>> www.zenprise.com
>> NEW blog location:
>> exchangepedia.com/blog
>> ----------------------------
>>
>> "Mike O" wrote in message
>> news:%23J2C11bTIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>> I'm in the process of setting up a two node MNS cluster for an Exchange
>>> 2007 mailbox server. One of the recommendations I came across was to
>>> use a different NIC type for the private and public networks so that a
>>> driver issue won't take down both interfaces. The servers have on board
>>> Broadcom 1G NICS that I would use for the public network communications.
>>> I have a number of brand new Intel Pro 100Mb PCI cards and was wondering
>>> if those would be suitable to use for the private NIC. Since it's just
>>> the heartbeat and housekeeping data on that NIC, and it only connects to
>>> the other server (via a crossover cable), would I be causing any issues
>>> to use a 100Mb NIC for that?
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>> Mike O.
>>
>

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