You can use DAGs with Exchange Standard. You're just limited to 5 databases. You'd still need Windows Enterprise for the Clustering support. You'd only ever need to go to Exchange Enterprise when you want more than 5 databases. Be sure to check with your licensing specialist instead of just taking my advice!

Thank you! :)

Yep, that's a non-supported scenario though. I tried that scenario and it failed for me and it has failed for someone else as well. It seems to work if you create a new cluster group though with a Network Name and Network IP Resource and then set the CAS Array FQDN to this new Network IP Resource. Hopefully Microsoft tests this scenario out and starts supporting it as it makes a ton of sense to do for SMBs with 2 multi-role DAGs.

Nothing really happens if the FSW goes down if you still have majority. Majority is 50% + 1. So if you have 2 DAG Nodes and 1 FSW, if your FSW goes down, you still have 2 nodes up so you still have majority. Just bring back up the server that has the FSW and all is well. The FSW doesn't take up much space at all. It's nothing you have to plan for. It's probably only a few MB in size (I'd have to check our server). The FSW takes up no real resources at all, nothing you would have to account for.

If for some reason, your FSW server dies, just set the Set-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup cmd to create a new FSW on a different server.

You need to create a separate instance. The main reason for this is because you cannot specify the name of the database instance so structurally, it needs to be in a different instance. Other services such as archiving can use the same instance as a pool but if you are encountering performance issues, Microsoft will not support it.javascript:%20postComment(1);

No, don't use BPA to move DAG database/log file locations. Use the following guidance:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd9797...

Not sure. I've only ever published the EV stuff through OWA as described in the article. The first thought I have is that EnterpriseVault IIS directory authentication doesn't match the Authentication Delegation on the TMG Rule and you get prompted. There are other things such as you may not be using NTLM on the listener with KCD to the IIS directory or Pre-Auth Bypass directly to the server to bypass authentication credentials as NTLM cannot have another auth provider in the middle.

If you only have 2 servers for HA then ya, you'd need to have both servers being multi-role (CAS/HUB/Mailbox) as a Mailbox Server is useless without HUB and CAS. If you want your RPC Endpoint Highly Available as well (since RPC endpoint is now on CAS) you'll still need a hardware load balancer with only 2 servers as you cannot have Windows NLB and Windows Clustering Services on the same box.

So there's a couple options:
1. 2 Multi-Role DAG Serves with a hardware load balancer (or DNS Round Robin as a poor man's solution and removing 1 record when the server goes down and having a lowered TTL value for these records and understanding clients will lose affinity)
2. 4 Servers (2 MBX and 2 HUB/CAS) and use Windows NLB on the HUB/CAS which only uses Client IP Affinity (meaning if multiple users connect with the same IP 1 server can get more traffic)

Yep, if you have CAS role on their own server, you can utilize Windows NLB. You can even use WNLB with a HUB/CAS Server.

Thanks for providing the script. :)