SBS2003 Design Question

[adrianvasile]

I have a design question and I was hoping I could get some feedback. Basically I have a SBS 2003 with Exchange installed and is our DC also. I would like to move Exchange to a dedicated server for better performance and then eliminate the SBS using Transition pack. I am not sure what steps I should do first: migrate the SBS to Server 2003 and then move the Exchange or move Exchange and then the SBS server.
Any help will be appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[SkreeM]

Hi,

I think from memory you need to purchase and run the transition pack first, this then enables you to licence exchange on a seperate server. Then you would install the second exchange server, migrate over your mailboxes and public folders etc. (don't forgwet the system public folders). re-direct your SMTP mail inbound to the new server, wait until your sure everything is working and uninstall exchange from the SBS server.

From what i know the transition pack doesn't do too much it mostly removes the restrictions on configuring trusts and allows more than 75 users. You may find that some of the SBS management stuff doesn't work after this process. be particularly wary with adding new users while you have 2 exchange servers running.

Hope this Helps

Skr

 

[adrianvasile]

Thank you for your reply.
My intention is however, to transfer the Global Catalog first to a brand new server running Standard 2003, make that the domain controller,have the exchange point to it for a while and then move Exchange to a new server and pointing to the new server not SBS.
is this possible?

 

[SkreeM]

Are you planning on keeping the same domain name?

if so install / run transition pack

install the new server, promote it to a DC and add GC, DNS etc

sort the exchange out as above, make sure the DNS points to the new server

transfer FSMO roles to new DC

run DCPROMO on the SBS and demote it, then unjoin it from the network and take it away

Skr

 

[adrianvasile]

Sorry to be a pain but I am trying to get this straight. So this is what you think I should do ( inthis order):
- get the Transition Pack and install it on the SBS
- prepare the new / replacement: make it a DC, DNS etc
- install exchange, move al lthe mailboxes etc and make sure it points to the new / replacement server
- transfer FSMO from SBS to the new box, demote SBS, unjoin and retire.

What do yu think?
Thank you.

 

[58sniper]

Are you planning on running Exchange on a DC? That's generally not recommended.

Either way, when you move Exchange, follow KB 822931 to the letter.

You could, of course, just do a swing migration and move everything over to the new box.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[adrianvasile]

Exchange will not be on a DC - it will have its own dedicated box. What do you mean by a swing migration? in the end, my goal is to move exchange to a dedicated box and get rid of the SBS domain ( replace that with a standard version).

 

[SkreeM]

If i was doing it, I'd do it as a full migration, create a new domain with the new excahange server in and migrate the mailboxes, user accounts and computers to the new one. The problem with that is the licensing costs though.

but yes the steps you have listed are correct. And Richard is correct with out a shadow of a doubt, I've followed that KB many times. if you don't do it properly you will end up with free/busy problems etc.

Best of luck

Skr

 

[58sniper]

Run the transition pack, then migrate as normal. I was merely asking earlier if a swing migration might work. If you move to a new server, as SBS, any performance issues you may be having on the current server should go away. I've had maxed out user counts and maxed out databases without performance problems in SBS. YMMV, of course.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[adrianvasile]

Thank you all for your help. I will see how it goes. To be honest, I am afraid as hell of Microsoft's Transition Pack but it seems like this is the only solution.
Thank you.
Adrian