Exchange to New Hardware

[marmar49]

I am getting ready to upgrade the Hardware for my Exchange 2000 Server, it will remain just a member server, I have DNS and Global Catalog servers running on other machines. I have read the posts and the Microsoft KB 297289, but there seem to be a few gaps I would like to fill.

Full backup of the 2000 Storage Groups, does this mean having a System State backup in not necessary, I have read other posts from different support sites that suggest a full backup of the server and restore. At what point can I re-join the new server to the domain, before I start installing the exchange software, it would seem to me that for Active Directory to do everything I want, I would want this server to be joined to the domain immediately after taking the old machine offline.

I have current Security Certificates running on the existing machine running a Certificate Authority for Outlook Web Access, do I just re-install the Certificate Authority and create a new certificate or is there a way to restore what is already in place?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help clear this up for me, marmar49

 

[marmar49]

I was hoping someone would be able to answer these questions for me, these issues could cause serious problems for me if I do this in the wrong order, anyone out there willing to offer advice?? Marmar49

 

[Davetoo]

There's a FAQ for this forum pointing to an MS KB that gives exactly what to do to move Exchange to new hardware.

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

 

[marmar49]

Lander215, I have read the FAQ, as I said in my original thread, my questions posted here are not covered in that FAQ, these issues are not specifically addressed and I am just trying to be thourough before I get started on this project, thanks Marmar49

 

[lengoo]

Hi Marmar
How did you get on with this.. I will be looking to do the same thing in a few weeks!!! Gulp!

 

[marmar49]

Hi Lengoo, I basically followed to the letter the MSKB297289, I had the OS and all the service packs and updates done, so that when I was ready to shutoff the old server, all I had to do was install Exchange with the /disasterrecovery switch. Applied all my updates to exchange, restored from a full backup, including all logs, and everything came up perfectly. I have over 650 mailboxes, only one info storeage group. About 8.5 gb, and it took just about 4 hours, I worked on a Sunday, ran my backup at 3:00 am so I had the most current backup, no users on Sunday, mail was up and running on Monday for everyone. Just make sure your drive configuration is identical for the restore, and everything should go well, let me know if you have any other questions. Marmar49

 

[lengoo]

Thanks Marmar
I had a good read of that article. Was your previous Exchange server a domain controller before? It says as the beginning of the document that there are some important considerations.. mine is a domain controller!

Also, rather than restore from tapes I wonder whether it would be possible to restore by dismounting the EDB and STM files from the original server. I know how to copy the EDB and STM files but the MS document also mentions about restoring the SRS (site replication service).. I wonder how one does this manually!

Many thanks
Lengoo

 

[marmar49]

Lengoo, my Exchange Server is not a Domain Controller, as they say there are problems with running Exchange on a DC. Also I don not run SRS, only one Exchange Server, no cluster, I restored from backup saved to another location, another server in the domain, where I was saving backups, because my tape drive had died, I am not sure how the other would work, other than you may have to use the eseutil if there are database discrpancies. Sorry I cannot help you with that, marmar49

 

[lengoo]

Thanks again Marmar, was it just the EDB and STM files which you grabbed... did you also use any of the log files? Best regards
Lengoo

 

[marmar49]

Lengoo, I just used the Windows backup software to restore, when you select restore wizard, just select the information store you are restoring, and check log files too. If you are like me, with just the one, check the box that says last backup set. Make sure you have databases can be overwritten by a restore in Exchange manager, and everything should be automated, once the backup is done, mount your stores and check for delivery, mine came right up after, marmar49

 

[lengoo]

Marmar.. sorry, another question just popped into my head. With the old server, did you just turn it off? Or did you disjoin it from the domain firstly before doing so? With the new server, did you rename it to that of the original server name before you joined it to the domain?
I hope that's all my questions.. many thanks

 

[marmar49]

Lengoo, what I did was just stopped all services, unplugged it from the network, shut it down, just in case things went south, I would have brought it back online, but everything went well, and it has been off since then. marmar49