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Legacy Exchange/Cluster question

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Sambooka

IS-IT--Management
Apr 3, 2012
131
CA
Hi,
Kind of an odd situation. We are trying to un-cluster an exchange 2003 server but I keep running into roadblocks. Any thoughts? Here is the background

We have a 2003 server that we dont use anymore but we need to keep for ArcServe Restores (arcserve will only restore to the recovery store of an exchange server with the Arcserve agent installed).

Exchange is installed in a 2 node Cluster. We are disposing of the second node.
The quorums and empty stores are on shared disks.
The shared disks are on a SAN that we want to shut down and dispose of.
I have a new local disk on the server that I would like to be used for recovery store but since it isnt a cluster resource I cant.

Is there a way to make this exchange server a stand alone exchange server so I dont have to rely on the SAN for storage disks and quorum disks ?
 
So I am digging on this. If I understand correctly MS Cluster uses disk signatures to identify resources. I am wondering if I could copy the disk signature from, for example,
1- Install a second HD on the server and copy the contents of the existing quorum there.
2- Get the disk signature from the existing quorum drive
3- Take the cluster offline (stop the cluster service)
4- Change the disk sig of the new disk to be that of the quorum drive
5- kill the connection to the san (so the server doesnt see two disk with the same sig
6- bring up the cluster server and pray..

Probably totally unsupported by MS.. lol.. but would it work? We havent needed to restore a mailbox in a year but we have to be able to for compliance reasons.
 
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