Installing a New Exchange Server computer along side Old 1

[kwalb]

I am working on replacing our old hardware that the Exchange Enterprise 2000 server is on. I am wanting to install it alongside the old one and move users over gradually.

The problem I am having is when I go to install the Exchange software on the new server it wants me to run the /FORESTPREP and /DOMAINPREP options first.

Will this affect my current setup with my current Exchange server? I do not want to mess up the current AD Schema.

Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Kent

 

[alicep]

What you are wanting to do can be done. Forest prep and domain prep do modify the Active Directory Schema. I found this article at Cnet very useful although the microsoft white paper says to install ADC prior to running the forest/domain prep and so I did that first.

Exchange 2000 planning: internal exchange preparation by Carol Bailey

http://asia.cnet.com/itmanager/netadmin/0,39006400,39101217,00.htm

Microsoft White paper - Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, Upgrading from Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 to Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server: A Six-Step Case Scenario
It is 49 pages and includes a coexistence scenario. I don't have the web link, but you can find it by title from google.com

Alice

 

[kwalb]

Thanks for your response.

Let me clarify I am installing an Exchange 2000 server into a domain with an existing Exchange 2000 Server. I have read that the /FORESTPREP and /DOMAINPREP shouldn't affect the existing AD Schema, I just need to make sure this is the case.

Has anyone done this before?

 

[kineticnrgynx]

I'm in the same boat with you...

I've got a DC that is also our exchange server, I'm wanting to move over to a new machine.

Replacing the DC is not a problem... the part that I'm a bit concerned with is moving Exchange to the new machine. Should I bring a new Exchange server online at the same time and move their mailboxes/accounts that way? Or should I bring up the new Machine and Restore the mailboxes from backup to the new location?

Let me know if you get any good responses...

 

[kineticnrgynx]

I found a good article that might help you as well...

It is located at this site.

http://www.swinc.com/resource/e2kfaq_appxa.htm

It explains EXACTLY how to move your Exchange server to a new machine... This helped me... see how it fits in your situation.

 

[jefblack]

Is your new member server that you want to install Exchange on a member of the existing Domain? Forestprep and Domainprep would have already been ran on the existing Forest and Domain. All you should have to do is join the stand-alone server to the Domain that has Exchange in it, then run Exchange setup on the new server and join the existing Exchange Organization. It would appear that your new server is not seeing the Domain. Check DNS?