Topologies: Overview

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.

 

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3

You can classify your Microsoft Exchange organization in the following three ways:

  • Logical topology
    A logical topology refers to the Active Directory directory service forest structure. For more information about logical topologies, see Logical Topologies.
  • Physical topology
    The physical topology refers to the physical sites and computers in your Exchange organization. For more information about physical topologies, see Physical Topologies.

Examples of Exchange Organization Topologies

The following figures show examples of the four predefined Exchange organization topologies.

Figure 1   Simple Exchange organization with a single server

Simple Exchange Organization Topology

Figure 2   Simple Exchange organization with multiple servers

Simple Exchange Organization Topology

Figure 3   Standard Exchange organization

Standard Exchange Organization Topology

Figure 4   Large Exchange organization

Large Exchange Organization Topology

Figure 5   Complex Exchange organization with an Exchange resource forest

Complex Exchange Organization with Resource Forest

Figure 6   Complex Exchange organization with multiple Exchange forests

Complex Exchange Organization with Multiple Forest