Moving an Exchange 5.5 Server to Another Exchange 5.5 Server 13

[tekquest]

hey guys,

I am looking to upgrade my exchange 5.5 server computer to a new 2ghz, 512mb ram, scsi disks etc pc, something a bit more powerful than the current p500mhz with 256mb ram!,

my question is, I want to set up the new pc, install windows nt4 on it as well as exchange 5.5, but i want to know how i can transfer users and routing information etc over, is their an easy way to do this?

thanks,


Luke

 

[2448]

Hi ALL,

I am new to tek tip and need advice on the topic "Moving an Exchange 5.5 Server to Another Exchange 5.5 Server".

I had successfully completed the movement of exchange 5.5 to w2k sp3. the procedure I used similar to the discussion above.

Now I am facing a problem that is accessing to the mail exchange is slower than before.

These are the changes to the hardware

dual CPU 500 Mhz to dual CPU 800Mhz
512MB Ram to 1GB Ram
(2x9GB, 3x36GB) to (2x9GB, 5x36GB)

I had run optimize and problem still exist.

the exchange 5.5 is on w2k sp3, enviroment is still on PDC and BDC, not yet AD.

I am using sun machine to run the DNS services.

Hopefully some one can solve my problem.

 

[classsea]

Moving Exchange an Exchange Server from 1 Org to another

 

[2448]

no changes on all the exchange settings, same Org same site...

 

[justin2000]

Moving Exchange an Exchange Server from 1 Org to another -

You can do a move server with the wizard, but this is only to a different site - I haven't personally tried this, but reading the MS articles about it, it isn't that difficult.

If you want to move the server to a different ORG - the only way I can see is to export all the email out - exmerge will do the trick well, and then import it back onto the new server in a new org.

 

[fuego007]

For all those interested, I got a comment from a lister and made a modification to the procedure. Before running the Isinteg, I have you start the SA and DS - it won't work without them.

Bob

 

[blubomber]

i am trying to use fuego007's method but when i run isinteg -patch on the new computer i get DS_E_INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS_RIGHTS. I am doing this on a test system but the computer name is the same as is the Organization and Site. The Domain is also the same and i am loggend into the server with the services account. It is Win2k server and Exchange 5.5 with SP4. I have the Directory and System Attendant services started.

Thank you for any help.

 

[grainne]

Am also trying to use fuego007's method along with MS Knowledge Base article KB155216 and get the same error message (DS_E_INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS_RIGHTS) when I start the Exchange Administrator and try to connect to the new computer.

I am trying to move this to a different domain and I suspect that this is why it isn't working. Have also thought that it might be because I only have an upgrade licence to 5.5 so have to install 5.0 with the /R switch and run 5.5 without it (becuase it won't let me run it with it). If anyone can shed any light I would be delighted.

I have the same organisation, site and server name and the same service account and password.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and although I can't get it working I do think both fuego007's and the MS Knowledge Base article are excellent.

 

[blubomber]

grainne,

I was using the same method you are doing. To get it to work, from the information i have gathered, you also have to restore your PDC to the test domain. Even though you are using the same service account, the SAM ID numbers are different.

I personaly have decided not to persue this anymore. I did create the test domain and made up some mail accounts and such and did a test restore of the database's following fuego007's advice and microsoft's with great success. i keep my databases backup and i am confident i can restore them in the event i have a crash.

 

[grainne]

Thanks bluebomber

That's great. I gave up last night, will have another go trying your method and see what happens.

Many thanks for replying
Grainne

 

[compgirlfhredi]

You might think that moving an Exchange Server system between sites wouldn’t be particularly difficult. You’re wrong. Every object in the directory has a distinguished name (DN) that includes the organization and site under which the object was created. Moving a server means that you have to rename every object in the directory on the server you're moving; you also have to adjust the old site's directory to reflect the absence of objects that you moved along with the server. You can’t do this manually because most of the objects whose names you need to adjust aren't visible in Microsoft Exchange Administrator.
The Exchange Move Server Wizard (MSW) handles the task, performing the following steps:·
MSW updates every object in the server's directory to reflect the new site and organization the server is moving to. Each object gets a new DN and placeholder address.
MSW keeps objects' old addresses so that an object can get mail at either the old or new address after the object moves; the Message Transfer Agent (MTA) is responsible for resolving the addresses and delivering mail to the proper location. ·
MSW updates the messages stored in the private Information Store (IS) on the server so that all stored messages have the correct address for any item modified in step 1. ·
MSW checks for duplicate names or objects because moving a server into another organization may result in some duplication. ·
MSW removes the server from the original site (and possibly organization), removing references to the server's objects from the original directory. ·
MSW adds the server to the new organization and site, creating them if necessary. You can split one organization into two if you use MSW to move a server to an organization that didn’t previously exist. You have some tasks to perform after MSW finishes its work; for example, you have to restart the MTA on the server you've moved, clean up public folder replicas, and reset permissions.
MSW can do four jobs, each of which is useful under some circumstances:·
It can rename a site by moving the last (or only) server in the site to a new site with a new name. ·
It can split an existing site by moving one server out of a multiserver site into a new site with a new name. ·
It can move a server from one multiserver site to another one without removing the original site. ·
It can merge two sites with different names into a single site. For example, when two companies merge and their existing organization names aren't the same, one company can use MSW to join the other company's organization, then both of the companies can create sites in the same organization. In general, you can rename and merge sites only when you have one server in each of the sites. You can collapse a site onto a single server by moving mailboxes, connectors, and public folders to one server in the site and removing the other servers. After you’ve done that, you can disconnect the site from its organization, use MSW to create a new site in the organization, then rejoin the original site to the organization. As a final bonus, MSW can also change the NT domain and service account information for a server, whether you're moving it or not.
Before you use MSW, you should also know what it can’t do (the good news is that MSW checks for, and warns you about, most of the following limitations before it proceeds):·
You can’t use MSW to move servers running Exchange Server 5.5, Exchange Server 5.0, or Exchange Server 4.0 without Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later. You also must upgrade all of the servers in the original site, as well as any bridgeheads in the destination site, to Exchange Server 5.5. ·
MSW can't move the Internet Mail Service (IMS) or Key Management Server (KMS), nor can it move any connectors or gateways (including third-party gateways and extension products). You must remove connectors or gateways before you do the move. ·
You can’t run MSW on computers linked in a Microsoft Cluster Services (MSCS) cluster. ·
You can’t run MSW in the middle of a replication cycle—you should run it only after replication has been completed. ·
You can't change languages when moving. If you want to move a German server, use the German MSW, or you will lose all of your localization information. ·
Messages that are queued when the MSW runs may be bounced, so you can't effectively run the MSW when you have a large queue of pending messages. ·
Users must decrypt any encrypted stored mail before an MSW move because they won't have access to their keys after the move. ·
MSW doesn't update a number of things in the private IS, including message signatures, public folder permissions, public folder contents, and client-side Outlook rules. ·
MSW doesn't update things that depend on the server name, including link and server monitors, Outlook Web Access (OWA), and Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) news feeds.

 

[GlennSullivan]

So fuego007, Does your method work if the existing and new servers are (are to be) BDC's

 

[Mottster1]

Nice job fuego007. My situation is even a little more complex. I had a drive fail about two months and had it sent off for data recovery. Here's what I need to do:

(1) Is move exchange server from low-end system (933mhz) to a Dual 2.8gig system. Which is detailed in this great document.
(2) Migrate back in data from 9/15/03 through 10/15/03. I had this data recovered from a bad hard drive. I'm guessing that I need to use exmerge to get this data back.

My main question is, once I have the server moved to the new high-end server. Should I then place the recovered data on the old system and reset the Exchange server there? So that I can run exmerge?

Thanks,
Mottster

 

[RJ45100BT]

it would be better to run exmerge after you get it on the new hardware. (CPU's are faster and exmerge takes FOREVER)

 

[Notleks]

A quick question on this:

I am planing to upgrade one of the NT4 servers running Exchange 5.5 in our organisation using Fuego007's method.
(Hardware upgrade only - the new server will still be an NT4 server running Exchange 5.5)

However, I would also like to rename the server to tie in with our naming convention.

Our older servers follow the convention DOMAIN_SERVERNAME whereas new servers are being called DOMAIN-SERVERNAME

It's not vital to rename the server but it would be nice. For ease of migration I would like to follow the method described by Fuego007, but this is not compatible with renaming the server, is it?

Can anyone see a simple way around this or does it come down to a straight choice between using the simple method or renaming and rebuilding from backup?

 

[zbnet]

You can't rename an Exchange server when it's built; yu have to remove Exchange, rename the server, then rebuild Exchange from scratch (new install).

 

[Notleks]

Thanks zbnet, I realise this.

I am building a new server to replace the old so I have the option of creating with the same name as the server I am replacing and forklifting the databases in, or building it with a new name to match the rest of the organisation.

My question is, can I forklift in the DB's if the server name is not exactly the same as the old server? I suspect the answer is "no" but wondered if anyone had a workaround, otherwise I will be doing the DR type restore.

 

[Notleks]

Just wanted to thank fuego007 for the excellent procedure he provided.

I used it last weekend and everything went very smoothly.

The server was also a BDC. We have not had one single issue arising from the migration which makes me and my boss very happy!

 

[tbucac]

Hello everyone, I have been a lurker for quite a while and figured it was time to dive right in.

I am planing an Exchange 5.5 move to another new server.
My current configuration is
Win2k (Very slow)
Exchange 5.5 SP4 Installed on C:

Moving to
Win2k (New box)
Exchange 5.5 SP4

I would like to install Exchange onto a the D: drive (for space reasons) vs. C: on the old server. From the above information it looks as though the datapaths are hard coded which makes the "fuego007" way difficult if you want it on a different drive. Is there a way around this?

I am in the process of testing directory replication along with the exmerge utility to move mail boxes. This has worked great but is going to take quite a bit of time. Check out article

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/55/support/mvexchng.mspx

Anyone know how to get SP1 or SP2 so that I can test the mover server utility? It will not run without SP1 or SP2 installed or if you have SP4. Anyone have info on this utility?

Thanks everyone!
Trav

 

[janemy]

thanks to all the advice here, I sucessfully moved my Ex 5.5 running on a BDC to a newer machine also a BDC with no problems.

I have one question. My old server was running sp5, the new one had to be configured with sp5 as well to move. I'm currently running Ex 5.5 sp4. I want to upgrade NT 4.0 to SP6a. Before I upgrade, does any one know of any gotchas with Ex 5.5 and SP6? I'm assuming there aren't any but it would be nice to know for sure. Can I install with Exchange running or do I have to stop exchange? I want to get this NT 4.0 server running witht the lates SP.

Thanks for any help.

 

[xmario2013]

I have exchange 5.5 run on a sp6a box, no problem, yes you should stop all the exchange server service and all other stuff if possible, for anything will help you run the sp install faster, make sure you backup all the data just for a good measure,

if you still worry, you should download a copy of Virtual PC and actually install a dummay NT server that fits your current environment and run a dry run to see how this will works, service pack I would worry less, its the continues of security hotfixes that might break one thing within another when trying to fix one thing, that is where the testing becomes important

M