Introduction

Before deploying Exchange Server 2019, it’s essential to ensure that your environment meets the minimum system requirements. Proper planning around hardware, software, and network infrastructure will help ensure that your Exchange Server 2019 deployment is successful and performs optimally.

This guide outlines the minimum and recommended system requirements for installing and running Exchange Server 2019.

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1. Hardware Requirements

Processor:

• Minimum: Intel processor that supports Intel 64 architecture (formerly known as Intel EM64T).
• Recommended: Dual processor, 2.0 GHz or faster; 64-bit, x64 architecture.

Memory (RAM):

• Minimum:
  • Mailbox role: 128 GB
  • Edge Transport role: 64 GB
• Recommended:
  • Mailbox role: 256 GB or higher for large-scale deployments.
  • Edge Transport role: 128 GB or higher depending on the workload.

Disk Space:

• Minimum:
  • Installation drive: At least 30 GB of free space on the drive where Exchange is installed.
  • Mailbox role: Additional 500 MB of free space for each Unified Messaging (UM) language pack installed.
  • Edge Transport role: Additional 500 MB for the Edge Transport role.
  • Database and log files: Sufficient disk space for databases and log files based on your organization’s email storage needs.
• Recommended:
  • Use high-performance storage with RAID for data protection. SSDs are recommended for optimal performance.

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2. Software Requirements

Operating System:

Exchange Server 2019 is supported on the following versions of Windows Server:

• Windows Server 2022 Standard or Datacenter
• Windows Server 2019 Standard or Datacenter

Ensure that the server has the latest Windows updates installed.

.NET Framework:

• Required Version: .NET Framework 4.8

Windows Features:

Before installing Exchange Server 2019, ensure that the following features are installed:

• Microsoft Unified Communications Managed API 4.0, Core Runtime 64-bit
• Media Foundation
• ASP.NET (For roles involving client access)

Directory Services:

• Active Directory: The Active Directory forest functional level must be Windows Server 2012 R2 or higher.
• Domain Controllers: Must be running Windows Server 2012 R2 or later versions.

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3. Network and DNS Requirements

DNS:

• Exchange Server 2019 requires a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for proper operation. Ensure that DNS is configured correctly to resolve both internal and external names.

Network Interface Cards (NICs):

• Use at least one network interface card (NIC) per server. Multiple NICs are recommended for redundancy and network segmentation.

IP Addressing:

• Static IP addressing is recommended for Exchange servers. Ensure that all Exchange Server 2019 servers have static IP addresses.

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4. Client Requirements

Supported Email Clients:

• Outlook: Microsoft Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, or Office 365 ProPlus.
• Web Browsers: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox are recommended for accessing Outlook Web App (OWA).

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5. Best Practices and Considerations

• Plan for growth: When planning the deployment, consider the future growth of your organization. Over-provisioning hardware can help avoid performance bottlenecks as the number of users grows.
• Virtualization: Exchange Server 2019 can be deployed in a virtualized environment. Ensure that your virtual infrastructure meets the same hardware requirements as a physical deployment.
• High Availability: If high availability is critical for your organization, consider using Database Availability Groups (DAGs) to provide redundancy.

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Conclusion

Ensuring that your environment meets the system requirements for Exchange Server 2019 is critical to a successful deployment. Properly sizing hardware, configuring the software environment, and planning for future growth will help you avoid performance issues and ensure a smooth installation process.

For detailed guidance on installation, refer to our Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Exchange Server 2019.