I am in the process of planning out the addition of 2 net
new E2K3 boxes and am looking for options to deal with my
one and only FE server that exists in our head office's
admiin group. I haev some additional testing to perform
but here is what "I" think are my options.

1: Shut off FE services from that server.
Problem: It is used by several Execs on the road for
Webmail access.

2:Move the FE services to another box somewhere else.
Problem: Link speeds are not that great so performance
would suffer

3:Perform an inplace upgrade of my E2K front end box.
Problem: Does the install of the first E2K3 server require
that no servers in the admin group are FE's or just that
no E2K servers are FE's ? I have not been able to find
these answers, prob due to a lack of searching/testing so
far

4:Turn off the FE services, install Exchange 2003 then
turn the FE servcices back on.
Problem: Ramifications unknown in doing this after the
fact.

Front end servers by anonymous

anonymous
Thu Aug 19 09:27:24 CDT 2004

For those who run into this choice, I tested an inplace
upgrade with active front end services and had zero
problems. I also tried temp removing the legacy E2K FE
services, installed 2003 then re-activated the FE services
on the old box after the E2K3 install and no "apparent"
problems surfaced, everything appear to work fine.

I would recommend just upgrading the legacy Front end
server, you'll want to do it anyway to support the new OWA
interface...its much cooler!!