BlackBerry Forums Support Community

damadhatter · 09-03-2008, 12:16 PM

Has anyone successfully installed BES Express with 16 users on a dedicated VM in VMware?

I am looking to install BES Express but seems as though I can't do it on SBS 2003 SP2 Standard beyond 15 users. I am seeing some articles which says it not possible at all. As a workaround I thought maybe I could load VMware Server and install it on that. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks!

TargetIT · 09-03-2008, 12:47 PM

BES Express is limited from a license point of view to 15 users. You wouldn't be able to add another license to that product regardless of the server OS.

qc_metal · 09-03-2008, 12:48 PM

As far as running BES on a VM, it works just fine...but like TargetIT said, you are at your limit with licenses.

damadhatter · 09-03-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qc_metal

As far as running BES on a VM, it works just fine...but like TargetIT said, you are at your limit with licenses.

I am sorry this is professional software express which can do up to 30 users

TargetIT · 09-03-2008, 02:00 PM

So what error message are you running into?

damadhatter · 09-03-2008, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TargetIT

So what error message are you running into?

No errors, I havent done the install yet. I am just planning for it. I have a client who purchased 16 TMobile BB's and TMobile gave them a BES Pro Express w/ 15 addtional CAL's (1 included) for free

TargetIT · 09-03-2008, 02:09 PM

Can you provide the links for this information you're looking at and maybe we could shed some light on it?

damadhatter · 09-03-2008, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TargetIT

Can you provide the links for this information you're looking at and maybe we could shed some light on it?

I am confused, what info? I found nothing relating to VMware install of BES

Here is my download link to the software I will be installing (you can see where it lists up to 30 users)

BlackBerry

TargetIT · 09-03-2008, 03:39 PM

Your very first post mentions this limitation of 15 users on BES Pro via SBS 2003 SP2 - where are you reading this?

CanuckBB · 09-03-2008, 10:52 PM

I run my 12 user BES in a dedicated Vm under ESX 3.5. No issues.

qc_metal · 09-04-2008, 07:19 AM

We ran nearly 300 in a VM environment at a previous job - - 4.0. No issue.

TreeDude · 09-04-2008, 09:58 AM

My 26 users are on a VM without issue. Just be sure the SQL database is on a dedicated SQL server and not local with MDSE.

damadhatter · 09-04-2008, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeDude

My 26 users are on a VM without issue. Just be sure the SQL database is on a dedicated SQL server and not local with MDSE.

So I shouldn't use the MDSE in my VM? Any reason why not?

jimbob_ · 09-05-2008, 10:43 AM

I have 350 users on a BES (4.1.6) using MDSE with no issues. CPU usage rarely pops over 10% and mail delivery is quite zipppy. I'll consider going to SQL when we get 500 users, ~january....

damadhatter · 09-05-2008, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbob_

I have 350 users on a BES (4.1.6) using MDSE with no issues. CPU usage rarely pops over 10% and mail delivery is quite zipppy. I'll consider going to SQL when we get 500 users, ~january....

All on a VM?

SmoothRunnings · 09-05-2008, 10:50 AM

I run Blackberry Personal Server 4.1.x under Windows 2003 Server Std Ed Sp2 on VMWare Server 1.05 with no problems.

Currently have 10 users.

A.

richy240 · 09-05-2008, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by damadhatter

So I shouldn't use the MDSE in my VM? Any reason why not?

Disk I/O is always a problem on SQL and Exchange VMs, but if you're servicing a relatively low amount of users (or have a direct connection to a SAN or something) I don't see this being a HUGE problem... I'm much more likely to deal with slight performance problems before I'll spend a ton of cash on new hardware, but that's just me.

SmoothRunnings · 09-05-2008, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richy240

Disk I/O is always a problem on SQL and Exchange VMs, but if you're servicing a relatively low amount of users (or have a direct connection to a SAN or something) I don't see this being a HUGE problem... I'm much more likely to deal with slight performance problems before I'll spend a ton of cash on new hardware, but that's just me.

The SQL Express doesn't require as much disk I/O as the full blown version does.

Maybe you should test it on a machine, and I don't mean you go and use your 386 with ESDI hard drives either. ;)

A.

TargetIT · 09-05-2008, 12:29 PM

I'm not sure why you think the Express version is more efficient than SQL. I run both for different apps (SQLExpress for BES, SQL2005 for ERP software). The main difference between the two of them are the artificial limits MS put on them - they're the same technology though.

TreeDude · 09-05-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TargetIT

I'm not sure why you think the Express version is more efficient than SQL. I run both for different apps (SQLExpress for BES, SQL2005 for ERP software). The main difference between the two of them are the artificial limits MS put on them - they're the same technology though.

Ya beat me to it. We have 16 VMs on 2 ESX servers (8 on each) here. So keeping disk IO to a minimum is really important. We have a dedicated SQL server for all our databases.

If none of the other VMs are particularly demanding of disk IO, you could probably get away with it. But if you have an SQL server that could take on another SQL database, do it that way.