Moving Exchange to New Hardware via Swing method 1

[lengoo]

Hi all, I've been looking at moving my Exchange installation to new hardware and note the MS article 297289 which details this. My added complication is that my Exchange server is also a domain controller.
I've heard about the Swing method which can be found here

http://www.swinc.com/resources/exch...&sectionName=Exchange 2000 Move Server Method

and I am thinking that this maybe less risky to do.

However, I have some questions which I would like to ask:

1. I currently have only 1 Exchange 2000 server licence, will running two Exchange servers in parallel for a short period of time work? I intend to turn off the original server once everything has been migrated and the MAPI clients have been redirected to the new server.

2. After all this is done.. is it possible to change the IP and hostname of the new server to that of the original server which has been turned off?

Thanks for your help

 

[Ronel17]

Hi,
Yes you can use the same license to install another server. They won't be no conflict or anything. Well if you want to keep both it's up to you if you want to legal.
You can chage the IP, Why change the host name?

 

[lengoo]

Thanks Ronel.. have you run this configuration? I want to change the hostname mainly for the guys who connect via the VPN. They are dependent on the hostname connection.

Anyone else can confirm that it's ok to change both IP and hostname back to that of the original server?

Thanks

 

[Ronel17]

Well, I'm pretty sure you can do that. It's like upgrading the hardware.
Can't do it NT, you sure can do it W2000.
IS it the only domain controller you have on your network? If yes you need a backup.
Rename the server before you install AD

 

[cfwdude]

If you just want a new installation of Exchange, and are getting rid of the old one, or rebuilding it for another purpose, you can move everything to the new server, keep it's ip address an computer name, Active directory, everything.
Build the new server, install exact same service packs and hotfixes as the existing server(for OS only, not exchange)
Use NTBackup to do a system state backup, and then stop all exchange services,

http://www (if

you are using the webmail)and any other services you don't need running, and do a full backup of the server. (check log and confirm the necessary files were not skipped!)
restore the system state to the new server, that will give it the old servers name and all active directory and domain info. Make sure your old system is offline when you do this.
reboot. here's where things differ, I do a restore the Exchserver folder, which puts the db's back in place, then install Exchange with the disaster recovery switch, reboot, then install applicable exchange service packs, also with the disaster recovery switch.
all done.
I just restored my mail server today with this exact method, worked great! Took about 6 hours, most of that time was documenting and reinstalling the correct hotfixes for the OS.

hope this helped.

 

[lengoo]

Thanks cfwdude,
That is very interesting.. do you mind if I just ask you a few questions just for my clarification?

1. Was your Exchange server a domain controller? Mine is.. I wonder whether the same procedure would work if yours wasn't.

2. Did you restore the Exchange databases to the exact location of where the install would be and then install Exchange on top with the disaster recovery switch?

Many thanks for the helpful post..

Best regards

Lengoo

 

[cfwdude]

My exchange server is a domain controller, but does not have the key management services running on it. There were a few addtional steps to consider if yours was. I will check my notes regarding this when i get ot my office. I will be moving another Exchange server, that is also a domain controller, and is running the key services, later next week.
I did restore the Exchange databases to the exact location of where the install would be. I selected 'restore to original location' during the restore process. Just make sure your directory strudture on the new computer is the same as the old one. I restored the offline backups of the Exchange before running the disaster recovery setup and service pack. Microsoft tech notes indicate you should do the setup /disasterrecovery, then the service packs, then restore exchange data. My methods seems to have worked, but you may want to go by MS methods.

 

[lengoo]

Thanks.. I've got another Exchange server running at present and there are some problems with it which I'm going to post on Tek Tips.. however, your post was really useful and if I can't fix my other problem... I may have to go down your route. Thanks again!

 

[lengoo]

cfwdude, just another quick question. When you build the new Exchange server.. do you add it to the domain and/or dcpromo it with the same computer name? Or do you just build it up as a standard server out of the box and then reapply the system state and then it picks up it's server name and domain controller rights?
Thanks again

 

[cfwdude]

just build thee new server - DO NOT add it to the domain, keep it in a workgroup. Make sure you install all of the same service packs and hotfixes that are on the old system, as well as applications, except for exchange. I was missing a few hotfixes, but they only applied to IE6, and Outlook Express. Haven't noticed any issues.
When you restore the system state and reboot, the computer will have the old servers computer name, and all active directory info, DNS, WINS, DHCP services that were installed before..
More thatn likely, your new system will not use all of the same drivers as the old one, so you may have to reinstall drivers, and if the network card is different, you will have a new connection, LAN 2 (assuming you only had 1 NIC before) and the new LAN 2 will be configured by default for DHCP.
Since you have a dynamic address on a server that may be running DNS and DHCP, you will probably get some services that won't start when you reboot. Just check out your event logs, and make sure you get all those running after reconfiguring the new LAN config.
After (or during) the restore of the system state, take the old server offline. After the new server is up, reset the computer account in active directory. (assuming you have multiple AD servers.)
If things go bad, you can take the new server offline, bring up the old, and reset the computer account again.

hope this helped.

 

[Mellotts]

cfwdude, I've got an Exchange 2000 server running on the Domain Controller with DNS, WINS, DHCP, and IAS. I need to move Exchange to another server keeping the name and IP address the same. I read your notes and found them extremely interesting. Could you please send me the steps you performed to move Exchange 2000 to another server. Thanks!!