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Reformat server and reinstall Exchange 2007 6

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Hfnet

Hfnet

IS-IT--Management
Dec 31, 2003
369
GB
We have a problem server which needs a wipe and reload. It is running Server 2003 Standard 64-bit with SP2 and Exchange 2007 with SP1.

For some reason Windows Installer has died and we are completely unable to get it working again. We are unable to install any applications and the antivirus will not update, so we have decided to completely wipe and reload the server.

Does anyone know of a walkthrough that we could use to ensure we back up all the 'extra' bits of Exchange? We have tape backup and will probably export all mailboxes to pst as a safeguard, but we have added various permissions etc that we would like to maintain to ensure a smooth and seamless reload.

Many thanks for any assistance.
 
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I would recommend that you setup a virtual server temporarily. Make it a new Exchange server in the existing site. Move all mailboxes to it. Then you can wipe your server and reinstall and move mailboxes back.

It is more work, but you won't mess up your Exchange. You need to be aware that Exchange is in your AD too, so it will be best to allow Exchange to do this as gracefully as possible.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at
Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.
 
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I think reinstalling Exchange with /M:RecoverServer switch is very useful, so you'll keep same name, and many settings without having to go through AD for any reason.
 
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Thanks for the replies. With regard to downing the server, do we just reformat or do we have to mess about with active directory etc? I am not sure at the moment if it is a domain controller, I think it may be.
 
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I would not mess with active directory. When you rebuild the server, reset the computer account and join the domain with the same name. Then you can install exchange with /recoverserver.

 
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If Exchange is on a DC then that could be the issue. Uninstall Exchange completely to help AD then DCpromo to help AD then move to workgroup before reloading.
 
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And this would still allow the /M:RecoverServer option afterwards? We have quite a few enhancements which I believe are held in AD, so I wouldn't want to lose them. Do I need to restore the system state of the Exchange server after the rebuild?
 
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Is the Exchange server your ONLY DC? If so, then that's an added twist, as using the /recoverserver switch will require that your AD be in place and healthy.

If you have all your eggs in that one basket, you'll be doing a reinstall of Windows 2003, then doing an AD-restore with system state to bring your AD back online. Then you'll be doing the Exchange setup with the /recoverserver switch.

Using a temporary virtual server would be a helpful safeguard.

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net
 
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We have a PDC running Exchange 2003 Enterprise acting as a file server, and the server with Exchange is a secondary domain controller, so AD should be absolutely fine... hopefully!
 
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No you don't...but you do (might) have a PDC emulator running Exchange 2003 (which is a no-no) and another DC, perhaps with other roles, running Exchange 2007 (also a no-no).

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
 
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Davetoo said:
Using a temporary virtual server would be a helpful safeguard.
Click to expand...

It only took 8 days to circle around to my original suggestion. :)

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at
Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.
 
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Davetoo, our PDC is a non-virtual server running Server 2003 Enterprise. It is used for AD and also holds the company data files. Server 2 is a non-virtual server running Server 2003 Standard 64-bit with Exchange 2007 and backup Exec 11d, there is nothing else on the server, but it is a domain controller.

Is the procedure then:

Uninstall Exchange
DCPromo out of AD
leave domain
reformat with Server 2003
join domain
Install Exchange 2007 using /M:Recoverserver
restore mailboxes (or can we restore the entire store?)

do we need to make it a domain controller? My understanding was that we did, although we installed this server originally before EX2007 SP1...
 
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Davetoo, our PDC is a non-virtual server running Server 2003 Enterprise.
Click to expand...
No such thing as a PDC in Server 2003.

do we need to make it a domain controller? My understanding was that we did, although we installed this server originally before EX2007 SP1...
Click to expand...
Exchange servers should never be domain controllers. There are all kinds of articles that say why.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.
 
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PDC or not, I was informing people of hw the systems were set up. I am trying to get constructive assistance here about how to do the job, and if my terminology is incorrect I apologise, but right now I have to wipe a server that we really do not want to do and I need to ensure we do it right...
 
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Hey Mark...I didn't say that, ShackDaddy did. Davethree? :)

I cannot and will not recommend you install Exchange 2007 on a DC.

So, what I would do is bring up an entirely new server as a domain member, install Exchange 2007 on it, migrate the mailboxes to that server. Kill the old server and deal with those consequences, then bring up that one as a new DC, not the same one that Exchange is on. For safety, I would then have a second DC as well, both running DNS and GC's.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
 
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We need to maintain the server name so your option is not really available to us. We have one "spare" server which we could use as a domain controller, but can someone explain what the implications of an Exchange 2007 box being a domain controller are? We have not experienced any ill effects due to this so far...
 
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We need to maintain the server name
Click to expand...
Why?
can someone explain what the implications of an Exchange 2007 box being a domain controller are?
Click to expand...
You could try searching. Plenty of articles around that describe the administrative and security concerns. You need to do some of the leg work here.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.
 
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Actually, yes you have, you're experiencing it right now. If Exchange weren't on this DC, then you'd simply redo the Exchange server, not a simple task, but fairly straight forward. If this were a DC failing, you'd move the FSMO roles to the other DC, demote and redo the DC. But since Exchange is on a DC, you've painted yourself into a corner.

I strongly urge you to follow Mark's advice that he gave to you as his first response, i.e. a virtual server.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
 
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So what you are effectively saying is if we DCPromo this server, all we have to do is reformat the server? Which is what we are doing anyway. I will be trying the server without DCPromo'ing it once we have rebuilt it, but the only problem we are actually having is the inability to install a 64-bit application on the server...
 
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You can't dcpromo a DC that has Exchange on it.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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