Networks

Ask something
Question Locked

Multiple exchange servers in one domain

0 helpful
11 replies

by david__ 2 views

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

We have two exchange servers in one domain. We installed the second one and moved all the email from the original to the second server. We decided it was nice to have a fall back exchange server on the network so we did not uninstall exchange. Both servers are domain controllers.
The problem we have found is that if the original exchange server is offline, the second does not seem to work or even let outlook connect to it.
Any ideas are most welcome.

Thanks

11 replies

by cg it

if you add another exchange server, the first Exchange server will recognize the second one [be aware of it].

Exchange in an AD environment utilizes DNS and if your first DC also hosts DNS and the second DC doesn't, Exchange won't work [including the network.]

Like adding Domain Controllers to a network, other DCs are aware of the new guy and will begin replicating AD. But that DC is just a DC. It does not have roles assigned to it. If you want redundancy, you have to assign roles for that to the new guy. Same with Exchange.

by david__

Sorry I thought I posted a reply, but I must have been dreaming.
Both servers host DNS and even if first server is offline, DNS and browsing, unc paths, shares and everthing else works fine on network except outlook connecting to exchange.
Are there any "roles" that I need to transfer in exchange to the second server?

Thanks

by cg it

as I said, when you introduce Exchange into a network that already has an exchange server, they will be aware of each other.

Clustering Exchange probably would be the way to go.

I'd visit Technet to learn how to have an Exchange Cluster environment.

by why me worry?

such as Exchange or SQL Server. Exchange relies heavily on AD, and it's not a good idea to have one box do it all.

by david__

hmmm...
The network does not have more than 10 computers on it. I dont think it is neccessary to seperate exchange from the domain controller for performance reasons.

Any other ideas to what may actually fix the problem??

by dave.schutz

I experienced the same issue and my solutions was to ensure the 5 FSMO roles are switched to the new server and the new server must be a Global Catalog server for Exchange to function.

by cg it

but I do see a problem with what you wish to do and how you've implemented the network infrastructure to do what you wish to do. Therefore Exchange is impacted [as well as other network resources].

As I said, if you add an exchange server into a network with another exchange server, the old guy will see the new guy [be aware of it]. But that does not mean the the new guy is automatically configured to be a fail over.

Even more importantly, you do not mention if the second DC which is home to the new guy Exchange is itself a GC server and a DNS server. As a minimum, if the first DC holds all roles and there is no other DC which has roles assigned to it including a backup DNS server, if the old guy goes down, your whole network becomes inaccessible [no DNS in which clients can find resources, more importantly, no DNS means no AD functionality. further no GC role in which user can authenticate, so they would have to use cached credentials and really only log on to the local machine.

this is an article on Exchange 2000 dealing with high availability. In this article, you'll find some of the more common methods for scaling Exchange and maintaining a high availability mail service. How you want your network will determine which types of methods used for high availability. Note: the most commom is to cluster Exchange servers.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2000/deploy/harag05.mspx#E5HAC

by david__

Thanks for the input.
But, I dont want high availability or cluster or anything else. I just want to be able to function with two exchange server on the network, one not being used, just running.
Keeping in mind that both servers are dns and domain controllers, why would outlook no longer be able to connect to exchange2 if exchange1 is shut down? I have checked dns resolution and outlook settings and all can resolve and outlook uses exchange2.

Any other ideas??
TIA

by matt

I have a few questions/pointers and I apologise if they appear pretty basic but humour me...

Have you seen anything in the event logs of either exchange server?
When you installed the "new" exchange server did you move the System Folders to it?
Assuming both servers are in the same routing group which one is the routing group master?
Also, can you confirm that both servers are hosting DNS? Are both servers set as Global Catalogues as well?

When you turn off the second server are the problems you experience related to the Outlook clients not being able to connect? You may want to clear the event logs on each server, power down the second server (or stop the services!), try and connect Outlook and then take a look in the eventviewer to see if anything is logged.

If the problem is with the Outlook profile have you tried creating a brand new test user and profile and seeing if the same thing happens?

See, I told you I had questions :-)

Matt

by david__

thanks so much for the interest and info.

This post is old and since been cleared, we just demoted, uninstalled exchange and removed the original exchange server.

thanks again

This discussion is closed to new replies.