Removing the First Exchange Server on a Site

[hotblacktar]

I need to replace my existing exchange server with a more powerful system. Windows NT 4 SP 6a. Exchange 5.5 SP 4.

I am not an Exchange Admin but I have a fairly good idea of what needs to be done. There are, however, lots of grey areas and I would like more information.

Can someone recommend a concise and well written resource for this procedure? I would like to know the proper order for carrying out the whole procedure. For instance, I have joined an existing site, is replication immediate or do I have to invoke it manually? How do I know if it has finished? How do I move public folders, site folders, and user mailboxes and in what order?

Also, can I rename the new server to that of the former server and use the former's IP address?

I realize the scope of these questions goes beyond a forum setting but if anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate the help.

 

[ChrisHirst]

Having a good idea of how to run an Exchange server is a severe risk to your sanity. Without some training you will be forever chasing problems and not finding answers.

for your questions;
Directory Replication after a join is queued immediately, it may take several minutes or several hours to complete depends on how complex your server directory structure is.
To replicate public folder contents you will need run the Admin, then open the properties for every top level folder and set which servers are to hold replicas. This involves opening the replicas tab and putting the servers that will have replicas into the RH pane, On the general tab check the box for Propogating to sub folders (if any) then click Ok a pop-up will appear for setting Properties to propogate, Check all that apply (usually client permission and the Replication Schedule & Replicas )
For site folders, do the same as above
But you only really need to replicate folders to remote sites or if you intend to remove the server.
Moving mailboxes; Open Mailbox properties, then on the advanced tab use the drop down box for Home server to select the appropriate server (this will happen immediately)
Or highlight the mailbox then use Tools|Move Mailbox and pick the server.

DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITHOUT A GOOD BACKUP

Use a good anti-virus package

Some MS KB Articles

XADM: How to Remove the First Exchange Server in a Site (Q152959)

XADM: How to Delete a Server from a Site (Q189286)

XADM: How to Move Exchange Server to a New Computer with the Same Name (Q155216)

XADM: Forklifting All Users to a New Server (Q199954)

resources:
Here
MS Knowledge Base
Slipstick

http://www.slipstick.com

Simpler Webb

http://www.swinc.com

More Importantly: Do not try something out on your production server, Have a lab set up for playing with on you can trash the database and the phone will not start ringing within 5 seconds ( 7 seconds if you have a 4 digit extension)

Chris.

 

[hotblacktar]

What if I have already added a server to the existing site?

Should I expect to see problems or can they coexist?

If I need to remove it what is the impact?

Thanks. You have already been a big help and I appreciat that.

 

[ChrisHirst]

If you have already added the server without any errors and the directory structure appears identical when you use the Admin to view either server you need to do some connectivity testing. Do not setup any replication. Set up a profile on a workstation to look to your new server for the mailbox that is homed on your existing server and ensure you can send and receive messages (internal & external) when you are happy with this. Set up and replicate the public folder contents, When this has completed (check the event logs) create a mailbox on the new server, create a profile for this on your workstation and isolate the server and workstation from your existing network and check that you can access the mailbox and public folders. If everything is Ok put them back on the main network. you can then replicate system folder contents. When you are ready to swap over servers it will be easier to move a few mailboxes at a time and keep both servers up, that way any problems will show up without you being swamped with calls. Do make sure you keep on backing up before any step.
It would be a good tactic to move the mailboxes of your more technically savvy users first you can test your technique for talking through any client configuration changes you may need to make.
The biggest test will be the IMC as you will have to probably have this down and back up on the other server as quickly as possible (depends how busy your system is). Document every setting (use screen shots) on the IMS properties page. There is also the matter of DNS records to consider, This will depend on several factors;

Do you have Public IP,s
Does your mail server haves a public IP,
Is your mail hosted remotely and you pick up from there.
Do you manage your own DNS server(s)
Have you a firewall behind or in front of the mail server.

You have enough above for a few days, post up the IP and DNS info or if you don't want to make some info public e-mail to chris.hirst@smith-group.com and we can then move on to the IMS
in the meantime the Simpler Webb guide to the IMC

http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_smtp_imc_ims.htm

Chris.

 

[hotblacktar]

Well, you have gone above and beyond the call and I thank you again. I was actually succesful with initial connectivity (sending/receiving). Wow, I actually feel like I accomplished something.

However, I was informed that we will not be replicating or continuing with this project, that we are remaining status quo.

How can I safely remove the new Exchange server from my existing site? Again, thanks

 

[ChrisHirst]

That's the way with projects, just when you are winning someone will say "Oh by the way, We are not doing that now!".
I take it by the time taken to complete testing, your Exchange system is not too complex for you to learn with.

Anyway it has been a good experiment, For me also, as this helps me to learn some training techniques.

Anyway to remove the server, you remove all the replicas, This done the opposite way to creating replicas in that you move the new server name back to the left hand pane on the replica and propagate the same properties across, Move any mailboxes back across and let the replication finish. probably take about 30 mins, Double check that nothing you need exists only on the new server. Then stop the exchange services on the new server, Start the Admin on your existing server and highlight the server name to be removed and delete it, Exchange will check if the server is still available and give warnings about gateways and mailboxes still existing and being deleted, provided everything is homed on the old server nothing bad will happen, The server will be removed and you will be back with one server. On your new server, set the exchange service startup to manual Do not format the machine yet just keep it handy for a couple of weeks (just in case) you can always connect with a client machine if you have to retrieve anything. Alternatively you can leave the servers joined with the new one off-line for the two weeks with replication stopped, then any problems and you just wake it up and sort them out. Depends on your confidence level. Also abandoned projects like this usually restart the day after you format the machine.

Chris.

 

[globalnewmedia]

Chris, I am in a similar situation to hotblacktar. I have a small Exchange set-up with approximately 70 mailboxes. (NT4 SP6 Exchange 5.5 SP4). I "inherited" this system so I did not set it up (and have not done so before).

I have just bought a new server on which I am intalling Win 2k Server and Exchange 2000.

Is it possible to add this new server to the exisiting Exchange site and transfer everything over as you have detailed above.

If not, what are my options??

Thanks for you help, your posts on this thread have already been helpful.

Cheers

Chris

 

[ChrisHirst]

Hi Chris.
I had the same situation 4 yrs ago inheriting a not very well setup exchange server so most of my knowledge has been learnt the hard way as I would guess for most of the people who post useful info, You only have to read some of the answers to spot the people still polishing their MCSE's etc no disrespect intended but they post highly technical answers without grasping that the reader may not fully comprehend their post. {step down from soapbox}

I haven't got around to installing Exchange 2000 and joining an existing Org\Site yet (planned for next week as a lab run) but according to everything I have read up it is basically the same operation, If you are unsure it may be worth installing 5.5 then upgrading to 2k. You DO need active directory and DNS set up though. With 5.5 you can only join an existing site on install I am assuming the same for 2k so the methods should be the same (probably with more MS wizards). The only item not covered is the IMC which is better going through with real information rather than the generic yourdomain.com etc.

Chris.

 

[Guest_imported]

I was reading this thread and it seems similar to what I am trying to do. I was wondering if someone could suggest a solution for a migration I am attempting. I am trying to move 5.5 to a 2k machine (new build). I am trying to cleanly build 2K and 5.5 then migrate the data over. So far, I have made copies of the .edb, .chk, and a few .log files that Microsoft says I need from the old server. Then brought the server down. I rebuilt the new server completely duplicating naming and IP's. I installed 5.5 with sp4 and hotfix. I started services and everything came up fine. BUT, when I go to rename the existing .edb and .chk files and copy in the new ones, I get the expected error. Then Microsoft says to run \exchsrvr\bin\isinteg.exe -patch and it should work. WELL . . .when I go to a command window and run it, I get an error DS_E_INSUFFICIENT_RIGHTS. Anyone know why this is? I have done some rechecking and made sure that the local policy allows me to log on a service. I also made sure it was the exact same account name that was logging on. I recreated the org and site with the same names. I am not sure what I am missing at this point. Any ideas why I am getting a rights error? I am not getting any wierd errors in Event Viewer or in Exchange. The services just won't all start. Microsoft knowledge base says that its a rights issue, but I have made the service account a member of all the admin groups and givin it full rights. I have also checked the .edb and .chk file to make sure everyone/full control is there. Everything seems a go . . HELP!!!

 

[ChrisHirst]

The problem is that the account name is only for our benefit, The OS uses the SID attached to this account and even if you create an account with the same name on the same server the SID will differ.
So on your old 5.5 server remove all accounts from the permissions tab on each level. This has the opposite effect from what you would expect, as it allows anyone access to the IS if they can authenticate to the server (MS KB Article Q241152), Then copy the .edb etc files across and start over. Replace the security on the 5.5 server ASAP if it is still a production server.

Chris.

 

[hotblacktar]

Hey Chris

I was reading article Q189286 you suggested and MS recommends removing any any mail connectors. I just want to get this straight, these are listed under the Connections object in Exchange Admin?

If so, I have listed ccmail, IMS, msmail connector. IMS is installed on the production server and is the only connector we use. CCmail and msmail are installed on the server I want to remove from the site. Do I just remove these two from the server about to be deleted from the site?

If I remove IMS from this server will it remove it from the remaining server?

Finally, do I have to run Exchange setup to remove these?

Thanks again for the help

 

[ChrisHirst]

You only need to remove the objects in the Connections Container if they deal with intersite\interserver communications. unless they are on the server you are removing in which case you may need to recreate them on the production server. With having two servers in a single site the communication is handled by implied connectors. For IMS the name of the IMS will tell which server it is on, so if it is on the first server, removing the second server will not affect the operation. If you remove the IMS from the site you will be removing your only SMTP connector to the outside world.

Yes, to actually remove the ccMail & MSMail you have to run the setup again but you can uncheck them in Site Addressing and they will not be active

Chris.

 

[DASLG]

Hi Chris I was reading through these posts and have a question for you. I have successfully joined an Exchange 5.5 sp4 server runing on win 2k with an existing Exchange 5.5 sp4 server running on win nt 4.0. I want to make the Win 2k server the only exchange server. Do you have any ideas on how to do this? TIA

 

[ChrisHirst]

Document the IMS and any other objects in Connections (Newsfeeds etc), if they are on the NT4 server delete these and recreate them on your 2k server. Move all the mailboxes to the Win2k server (You can do this with users on line but it is safer with them off), Set up the replication for Public folders so that all folder contents are on both servers, Replicate the system folders to the 2k server (You find these under Servers|servername|Public Information Store Properties... Instances tab). Double check that everything you need on your 2k server now exists there. To take down your NT4 server you need all your mail clients logged off, Set the Exchange services to disabled and shut down the server.
On your WINS server delete the existing mappings for the NT4 server and then add a static mapping with the name of your NT4 server but pointing to the IP of the 2k server (or edit your LMHOSTS if you use one) this will save you having to edit the server name on every profile.
One useful tip is to use a static mapping from day one and point clients to the alias not the server name. Most admins will do this without thinking using DNS but will very rarely use it with WINS.

When your mail clients now log back on they will be looking to the 2k server (I have done this out of hours to change hardware etc and no one ever notices)
Keep your NT4 server shut down but still as part of the Site for a few days (just in case). When you are confident no issues exist You can remove the server from the site (Select the server name and delete). You will get warnings about mailboxes and gateways existing on the server etc

NOTE:- You will have to delete the static mapping in WINS before you can delete the server but you can put the mapping back in when finished if you still need it.

As always, Check the steps in a lab first before working on a production server and make sure your production server is backed up before starting.

Chris.