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Exchange Server 5.5 Disaster Recovery

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by mbigogno 1 view

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My work is currently running Exch.Server 5.5 (sp3). They would like me to implement a disaster recovery plan. The ideal situation is to have a 2nd server (offline, at another physical location) ready to go online in case our location falls off theface of the earth.
Currently our Exch.Server is a PDC. I understand that to restore to a physically different machine the best I can accomplish is restoring the Information Store, NOT the Directory. To do the directory I have to have the SAM db. from the original Exch.Server. (Please let me know if I am incorrect on this assumption.)
So I am thinking (here's where it gets dangerous). That if I take this 2nd (backup) server build it fresh (assuming all hardware is similar) and build it asa BDC in the domain my Exchange server is in, sychronize, take it off line, move it to another location. If my original Exch.Server blows up, promote my backup server to PDC, restore I.Store and Directory (following, of course, restore precedures for Exchange Server). Is this sane thinking or am I off base on this. Any help, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

7 replies

by tony.colgrove

You are close. Most of your procedure will work, except you need a couple additional steps. Once you build the BDC, promote it. Now take it offline, and promote your original PDC back to a PDC.
With you offline PDC, remove your old PDC from Server Manager. Now rename your offline PDC to the same computer name as your online PDC. The reason for this is simple. For you to restore the Exchange services (the DS and IS) you need the same computer name.
Issues with this backup strategy has a price. Your offline will not have any updated passwords, user accounts or NT4 workstation or server memberships that are changed after taking it offline.

by mark_lt

the above wont work, you can not rename Dom Controllers.

The method I will be using is this

build 2 servers, install with NT4 Enterprise edition, have them run cluster service and run Exchange under cluster services.

Then get this new cluste setup running all your exchange users/mailboxes/IS /DS /MC and anything else so that you can delete your old server from the mail group, then, if one mail server stops, the other will take over with no loss of service or data. Thats the thery anyway.

by stephen mynhier

Promote another server to PDC and take your Exchange/PDC offline. Build the Recover Server as a BDC with the exact same name as your (now offline) PDC/Exchange Server. Install the exact same OS Service Pack to the Recovery server. Install same Exchange version and SP on the recovery server. Take the recovery server offline, bring the PDC/Exchange server back online, and set it back to the role of PDC. Now, in case of disaster, the Recovery server can be brought online to replace the downedPDC and the online backup (that you are, of course, doing regularly to a network drive) can be used to restore the Exchange server. And, of course, all of this should be tested before blindly relying on it to save your tail.

And, IMHO, clustering with Exchange works miserably.

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