Exchange Help

[gtb007]

I have a exchange 2000 enterprise server EX1 in at the moment with 4 information stores and 2 mailbox stores within each one but now the databases are getting to big so I am looking to implement another exchange 2000 enterprise server EX2 in the same organization and split the information stores/Mailbox stores across the 2 exchange servers my question is if EX1 goes down can I restore the mailbox stores from it straight to EX2?

All help would be appreciated

Regards

GTB

 

[Marcs41]

For the same cost, did you consider to use Exchange 2003 or 2007?

Marc
_{If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC!}

 

[kmcferrin]

Well, you can't actually buy Exchange 2000 licenses anymore, so he would be buying 2003 or 2007 and using the downgrade rights.

At any rate, the answer to your question is a definite maybe, depending on how your servers are set up. My recommendation for you would be to go to a clustered Exchange environment, if that's what you really want.

With Exchange 2000 to do the restore that you're talking about, at the bare minimum you would have to:

1. Create new stores on EX2 using the same names for the store database and log files as you did for EX1.
2. Take the stores offline and mark them as overwritable.
3. Restore the mail store databases and log files to EX2 for the stores on the failed EX1.
4. Re-mount the new stores.
5. For the mailbox users from EX1, you would have to connect each user account to the corresponding mailbox on EX2.
6. Depending on the size of your environment, wait for replication to complete.

When EX1 came back online (or was rebuilt), then you would have to:

1. Make sure that it doesn't boot up with the mailbox stores mounted (or just don't restore those files).
2. Delete the store databases and log files (if you restored them).
3. Create new stores and move the mailboxes back from EX2.

So basically you would have to treat EX1 as a completely new Exchange server.

Keep in mind that you'll also have issues with public folders, Free/Busy information and the Global Address List if your first Exchange server goes away ungracefully. For more details on that read here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307917

 

[gtb007]

Thanks for that kmcferrin,I've already had to do a DR to a new server that was luckily spare for another project ,Why i’m installing another EX2000 server is because I need to split the database which are to big if I get in to another DR situation this will half the time of restore ,I’ve made this decision with EX2000 is because due to politics with EX2003 or EX2007 licensing cost etc it’s come to this.

 

[Marcs41]

due to politics with EX2003 or EX2007 licensing cost

Licensing cost is the same, so that may not be an issue, you (or 'they') may regret this decision later. Why make you life difficult managing 2 server when one (2003 or 2007) can do the job?

Marc
_{If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC!}

 

[Davetoo]

I concur with Marc...I think you're only opening yourself up to some potentially huge headaches on down the road. The cost are the same no matter what you do because you'll have to buy an Exchange 2007 server license no matter what (at least I don't believe you can buy a 2003 license any longer, either way, same cost), so why not use the better technology to manage your mail flow?

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[kmcferrin]

I think the issue is the potential headache of maintaining the old server as Exchange 2000 (which has apparently already been licensed) and the new server as 2003 or 2007 (which has yet to be purchased). As long as you buy volume licenses, you can use previous versions, i.e., buy Exchange 2007 and install Exchange 2000.

The alternative is for him to buy two new Exchange licenses and upgrade the old server as well as install the new one (i.e., double the cost).

 

[Marcs41]

My point was that he would NOT need 2 servers if using the newer versions as they can handle much larger stores with much more ease!

Marc
_{If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC!}

 

[Zelandakh]

What size are these databases? How important is email to you?

If you haven't even bought the hardware yet and you still need to buy the Exchange software, you can almost certainly buy one piece of tin, have Exchange 2007 on it and run it nicely.

I'm expecting a mid range server running Exchange 2007 (which on OEM is not a lot of money) to take well over 500GB of stores without getting stretched.

 

[kmcferrin]

I understand that Marcs41. But the OP didn't seem to be having problems with the server handling the large mail stores. I got from his post that he was having problems with DR because the stores were so large, the restore times caused him to miss his RTO. Witness:

Why i’m installing another EX2000 server is because I need to split the database which are to big if I get in to another DR situation this will half the time of restore ,

Of course there are probably ways to cut the restore time depending on what his backup and recovery strategy is. There are also ways of making the Exchange systems more resilient to begin with, via clustering or some other method.

But a relatively easy and cheap method of coping with the issue is to add another Exchange server. Not only does that cut in half the amount of time required to do a restore (well...not exactly half) in case of a failure, but it also reduces by half the number of users who are affected by the outage. In the event that one of the servers crashed and would be down for a day or more, you would still have the capability to create mailboxes for the displaced users on the second server so that they would quickly be able to get limited email capabilities, even before the restore was done.

Also, assuming that you're backing up multiple servers in parallel, you would be able to further reduce your backup window (especially if you do brick-level backups).

 

[Zelandakh]

you mean store level surely?

 

[Marcs41]

kmcferrin, I agree with you on the multiple server part 100%, but you also have to read his comment about cost. Surely a license cost is nowhere near an additional hardware cost.
I think we should wait a response from GTB before continuing this.

And yes Zel, I also hope he meant Store Level (brick-level, brrr)

Marc
_{If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC!}

 

[kmcferrin]

That was my point about brick-level backups, they take forever, and splitting them across two servers can shorten that backup window. But some people like to do them. Store-level backups are great though because you're backing up multigigabyte database files, which actually tend to go very quickly.

Price wise, it's hard to say. Exchange Enterprise Edition runs just under $4000. A fairly decked out server (2 dual core CPUs, 4GB of RAM 200-300 GB of disk space) to run it on runs about $7000-$8000. But if you already have a box available that Exchange can be installed onto...

 

[Zelandakh]

That sort of price will get you 2 dual core, 16GB RAM and about 3TB of disk space.

Don't forget the CALs...

 

[Marcs41]

kmc needs to switch shop I think... or buy it from me for those prices ;-)

Marc
_{If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC!}

 

[kmcferrin]

Who are you buying your servers from? We get our hardware from HP. Their Proliant DL360 and DL380 series start around $2000-$2200, for a single CPU, single PSU, 1GB of RAM and no hard disks. Adding 6-8 15k RPM hard disks will add $2200-$2800. Now add another 3 GB of RAM, a second CPU, a second hot swap PSU, a Windows Server license and a support contract and you'll be easily pushing $7000-$8000.

Sure, I could build a whitebox using cheaper or lower performing parts. But why would I want to?

 

[Marcs41]

Hmm, it's not fair to compare prices like this, as 1st, I am located in Europe, and secondly, I am hardware dealer, so I could sell that hardware a lot cheaper if I wanted to.
And do not dismiss a 'whitebox' too soon. you can build a very decent server if you take quality parts, some even exceeding HP's.

Marc
_{If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC!}