Move a Microsoft 2003 server with exchange to new server

[ddickers]

I have a client that wants to upgrade to a new server. The old server has Microsoft 2003 server w/Msexchange and also is the primary domain controller.

At the end of the day, they want the same enviroment on a new server box. What are the main considerations that I need to start looking at? What are my main challenges going to be?

Thanks
Don

 

[Roadki11]

You could handle this a couple ways. You didnt give a great deal of info about the old box, like is it running raid, are the drives ide or scsi, is it an sbs or standard windows server? anyway, you could get a new box and add it as a 2nd DC in the domain, install exchange and migrate the FSMO roles and exchange mail boxes from the 1st DC to the 2nd DC and then demote and remove the 1st DC. Bear in mind thats a pretty simplified statement. Lots of good docs on MS's site to explain how to do all that. Or you could get a new box install the raid drivers for the new box on the old box, then image the old box and restore it to the new box. May work out real nice or it could be a total disaster. The point is the 2nd method could save you a lot of time if it works out, would just have to work through some driver issues.

RoadKi11

 

[ddickers]

Thanks!
The old server is a windows 2003 server, primary domain, and MSexchange server. The new server will have the same roles.

There is a member server used as a file server.

I thought about what you mentioned: imaging the old server and moving it to the new server, and then deal with all the driver issues.

I also thought that I could promote the existing member server to the primary domain controller; bring up the new server in the domain; move the exchange from the old to the new server; shut down the old server; rename the new server to be the same as the old server; promote new server to primary domain controller. Simplified, but my strategy in general terms. Do you think this strategy would work?

Thanks
Don

 

[Roadki11]

Well your idea would probably work just fine but with the extra info you provided let me tell you how i would do it and why. I would make that member server(as long as its an 2k3 server) an AD server and transfer the FSMO roles, dns and dhcp to that server. I would bring the new server in as a member server with exchange and move the mailbox's over to the new server then uninstall exchange from the old server. Now make the older AD server a 2nd global catalog/dns/dhcp server, this will give you redundentcy in the event of a failure by either DC. Or if its in really bad shape just demote it and remove it, but its always nice to have a 2nd DC in the event of a problem and its work load will be very small now that exchange is off of it. Most importantly it gets your exchange server off your AD server, its a bad idea to run exchange on an AD server. Now you can move your file server duties from the newly promoted AD server over the member server/exchange server. I would not reuse names on servers ever, always give new unique names, it just causes issues with AD, it always does.

and thats my opinion, do with it as you will.

RoadKi11

 

[ddickers]

Thanks for the info. I will study it. I like your suggestion to not put the exchange server on the same server as the AD server as that makes a lot of sense.

The old server will go away after the moves/migrations are completed.

The current member server is also a windows 2003 server.

 

[58sniper]

As RoadKi11 said, running Exchange on a DC is a bad idea.

You cannot promote or demote a server running Exchange, so all of that needs to be done accordingly.

If you absolutely MUST run Exchange on a DC, promote the new server, transfer FSMO, install Exchange, go through kb 822931. Then uninstall Exchange on the old server THEN demote it.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[mofusjtf]

I am in the process of planning an Exchange migration from old hardware to new and would like to get a little more explianation on WHY it is not good to run AD and Exchange on the same system? Especially when you have a multiple server environment with AD replicating and multiple global catalog servers? It can't possibley be performance related. Not with the performance available on today's servers.

I don't have to run AD on my Exchange server I just noticed this being a common opinion on this thread (and others) and thought I would investigate and get some more insight.

 

[58sniper]

http://hellomate.typepad.com/exchange/2004/02/exchange_on_a_d.html

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[mofusjtf]

Very informative link. Thanks.

 

[ddickers]

I will be doing a site survey this week and collecting more information. When the prep work is completed, I will be posting more on this thread.

Thanks
Don

 

[ddickers]

I met with my client and looked at their server and discovered the reason they wanted a new server is because their existing one was real slow. The reason it is slow is that the c:\ system drive has only 300 mb of free space left.

The drive actually has two partitions: 12gb and 30 or so gb's. The second partition has data only on it.

So, now my plan is to use a recovery CD created with acronis true image server v9.1 to clone their system drive to one of my fresh drives in a usb box, and then reclone it back to the existing drive (making it just one partition in the process).

So, I wanted to do a practice run, and I have a windows 2003 server with the same problem of two partitions, the first being too small, common from dell BTW, and did the above procedure with out any glitches.

The only difference between the two scenarios is that my windows server does not have RAID (mirror) and theirs does. (I think).

Will this cause a problem?

Thanks
Don