Moving 5.5 to a new server, need tips \ help

[JPA2400]

I have read a bunch of posts on the net and I have a decent idea what is going on but I am still not sure how to execute this.

I am moving my 5.5 server to new hardware, the old server is NT and the new server is 2000 which should make a difference.

I have Exchange installed on the new server and I joined my existing site.

I see that moving the mailboxes is rather easy so I am OK there.

I read about rehoming the public folders and have a KB article on it, any other tips?

I will be doing the move on a weekend so i can take this down for 48 hours so i do not need to do a live move.

I read about the IMC not working on the new server? What do I need to do, delete the connector off the old server, then add an IMC connecter to the new server? Will I still have problems?

What about folders other then the recipient’s folder? I have groups of email address’s in separate folders, are those already replicated or do I need to move those to?

Someone said something about after moving the mail boxes you need to move the system files? Any tips?

I read some stuff about moving to a server with the same exact same but this isn’t the case, this server will have a new name.

Anyways, ANY help would be VERY appreciated.

 

[bigdog92]

hope this helps you out. i did it like a month ago and worked like a charm.

INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO MOVE EXCHANGE TO A NEW COMPUTER WITH THE SAME NAME
Preparation
1. Go to the existing exchange server and take note of the location of all the databases (priv, pub, dir) and the location of their log files. This information is needed to perform the transition.
2. Stop all the services on the current server, and then take it off the network and put it on a workgroup. You will also need to go to the server manager on the PDC and delete the computer name. You have to do this so a new Sid and sam are issued. This allows you to log on with the same computer name.
3. Now with all the services stopped, copy the current database to a temporary location. You will need the priv.edb, the pub.edb, and the dir.edb (all are located on the d: drive). This will take a long time!
4. Also, take note of the current service packs on both the operating system and the exchange server. Restoration will not work if you do not have the same service packs.
5. Finally, go to the exchange administrator and copy down the site and organization name (ccc and dtxch).
Installation
1. Now it is time to install the operating system (NT 4.0 Server), and its service packs (sp5 is needed in this case).
2. Next, you will need to install exchange server 5.5, but the key to doing this is to go to a command prompt and find the setup file. Then, you will need to issue this command: setup.exe /r. If you do not use the /r, restoration will not happen correctly. You will need to create a new site, and use the information from the old one (site and organization name), and name it exactly the same. Also, exchange will ask you for the site service account. It is extremely important to use the account that was used to create the initial database. Also, after installation you will have to run the performance optimizer. This where you will import the correct paths (the database path’s that you wrote down earlier). If these paths are not identical exchanges database will not patch.
3. After installation you will need to install the latest service pack for exchange. Again you will need to open a command prompt and find the install file, this time its called update.exe. Issue this command: update.exe /r. Again without the /r switch it will not work correctly.
4. After, you are sure that all service packs have been added you will need to copy the core files (priv.edb, pub.edb, and dir.edb) to their correct locations.

Private Store: D:\exchsrvr\mdbdata
Public Store: D:\exchsrvr\mdbdata
Directory Service: D:\exchsrvr\dsadata

5. Now you will need to compact the database. This will require you to copy the following files to the same dir as the private store. The files are: eseutil.exe, ese.dll, exchmem.dll. Then open a command prompt and proceed to the location of these files. You will then issue this command: eseutil /d priv.edb. This will take some time to compact, so do not become impatient.
6. After the database is compacted you must go to control panels à services and start the system attendant and exchange directory services. Its is important that you turn only those two services on!
7. Now delete the 3 files that you copied to the private store location, leave the priv.edb and pub.edb there, but take all the other files and copy them into: c:\exchsrvr\mdbdata.
8. You must make sure there are no files in any of the directory or store locations. If there are any, make a temporary directory and cut and paste them there.
9. Now after you are sure all files our out of those locations open a command prompt, and proceed to c:\exchsrvr\bin. Now run this command: isinteg –patch
10. This will patch your database into the new computer, and if that runs correctly you can then go back to control panels à services, and start up the information store, event services, and mta.
11. Now for the imc, open up a command prompt and type regedit32.exe. Now go to hklmàsystemàcurrent control set à servicesàmeexchangeimcàparametersàsitedn, and make sure the “/o=organization/ou=site” is entered correctly. After that is verified proceed back to the services applet in the control panels and start the imc.
12. Finally, you can open the exchange administrator and connect to the site by clicking browse and picking dtxch01.

Problems I ran into
1. Windows NT 4.0 Server not seeing the whole 80 gigs of the hdd.
To fix this problem, you need to install sp5. See Microsoft article 197667
2. Cannot logon to domain after computer name change. Make sure there is no mapping on wins database with the ip of the old computer. See Microsoft article 271963, 268480
3. DS_E_COMMUNICATION_PROBLEM. Start the directory service in the control panel service applet. See Microsoft article 162354
4. The private Store could not be updated. Reason: Unknown Error. Check the event log. If it tells you that you need to defragment the exchange database, use eseutil.exe to do this. See Microsoft article 192185 for instructions on this.
5. Internet Mail Connector does not start and event id 4086 is logged. To resolve this use the registry entry I provided above in the installation instructions. Also see Microsoft article 298565.
6. Resources failure error on computers with more than 800 MB of ram. Resolution, take out the ram! See Microsoft article 195006.
7. For general installation guide see Microsoft article155216.

 

[anneoctaaf]

I did all the above...
My situation: I have new hardware, i installed exchange 5.5, which all went well (also the updates and server packs).

But then i want to load the private information store from the old server (priv, pub and dir) and i get errors. It goes wrong as soon when i copy the old files into their directories...? So i run the command isinteg -patch and i get errors and can't start the microsoft exchange services...

Please help me out here....