adding a second Exchange server 1

[doubleJ]

I’m configuring a new Exchange server (A) running w2k exchange 5.5. My old Exchange server is nt4.0 exchange 5.5 (B) ( this is the production server) . What would be appropriate steps toward making my new Exchange server production. (A) server is primary and (B) server is joined. Replication has started but not sure how long it should take. Moved one mailbox with no problem just as a test. How do I go about making Exchange (B) the primary server? Do I do the following:

1) joined server (B) to server (A).
2) move mailboxes from server (A) to server (B).
3) Backup DS and IS on server (B) and restore to server (A).
4) Point all users to new server (A).
5) Take server (B) off line.

 

[it4bwk]

do you only want a single exchange server when you are done?
want to keep it the same name?
Taking the old server offline?

There are Q articles to assist you in Technet with this. But in a nutshell, you take the old server offline, backup the stores, then shut it down. Bring the new server online but it must have the exact same names and configuration options as the old server. Once it is up, restore the stores to the new server, you'll need the "isinteg" command which is also explained in the Q article.

If you want to migrate users to the new server of a different name join it to your site, move the mailboxes of your target users and load balance as needed, or move all the mailboxes as required. I have had clients automatically find their new server and I have had to manually change the user's config. Could go either way for ya.

Your question wasn't too clear on your end goals...

 

[doubleJ]

Thanks
I would like to keep server (A) as a backup server. Server (B) I want to make production (It’s a new server). Server (B) has a different name. I do want to keep the old server so I joined Server (A) sight with the new server (B).

I assume if I try and restore IS to server (B) it will cause prob., because it does not have the same server name?

My end goal is to have server (B) production. Server (A) backup.

 

[it4bwk]

You'll need to manually move mailboxes as needed, the old server won't be much of a backup to the new server unless you rebuild it to the identical setup as the new server.

Restoring an IS to another server is very very bad.

I'm not sure if restoring mailboxes from the new server to the old server in time of crisis is a 'what if' scenario that I'd want to bank on. I flatly do not know if it can be done.

 

[doubleJ]

My current situation is that I have new server (B) joined to old server (A). With the new info. You supplied can I, at this point, take the old Server (A) out of the picture without loosing pri.edb and pub.edb? So end result has changed. No backup server (A).

 

[it4bwk]

As long as you have moved all of the mailboxes off of the old server you should be ok when you power down the old server.

The only way to achieve a set of 'fault tolerant' Exchange Servers is to cluster them using an external and mutual raid array where both servers feed off of the same stores.

This requires Enterprise versions of Exchange and NT to accomplish the clustering. Basicly you have no way to do this. Your only hope is to rebuild the old server exactly as you have built the new one and keep the old one in the closet as a spare. Then you could restore the edb files onto the old server from your last backup and get your ogranization back up and running. In the event of a system crash, you could also use the log files to bring your restored system back to a more current state if you can pull them from the primary system after the crash.

Hope all that helped...

 

[doubleJ]

One more quetion if you don't mind. After moving the mailboxes and take server (A) off line. So all I have is server (B). How will I restore pri.edb and pub.edb if server (B) has a differnt name?

thanks for all your help!

 

[it4bwk]

If you wish to to use Server A as a backup or standby system you will need to rebuild the server with the exact same name and settings as Server B is now.

You will keep Server A in the closet, or a safe place, until the day comes that you would require an immediate restoration of the Exchange server.

In simple terms, If Exchange Server B should crash, you would pull any transaction logs from Server B if possible. Power down Server B, then bring Server A out of the closet and power it up.
Once Server A is online and updated with any service packs that you had applied to Server B since the day Server A went in the closet, (Both Server B & A should be identical as far as software is concerned)... you would restore your EDB files with the Exchange services offline, run the "ISINTEG -patch", restart Exchange, and you are online as of your last backup. As for the transaction logs, I'm little fuzzy here... but I think you would take the Exchange services back offline, put the log files in the correct location and restart the Exchange services... I'm not positive on how the use of any log files would be included in your restoration.... I have personally and successfully moved an Exchange server to another (newer) machine using all of the methods above with the exception of the log files... my server move was from a functioning Exchange Server.

Again, there is a Technet Q article on the process of restoring an Exchange server to another computer of the same name that absolutely spells out what you need to do. I used it... get the article, read it and be prepared for any future restoration...

Glad I could return the favor to others as others have done for me in these forums.

 

[doubleJ]

thanks