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Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

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I currently have a Small Business Server 4.5 that I need to migrate to full versions of NT 4 and Exchange 5.5. Is there a way to move my existing Exchange site to a new installation, without losing the existing configuration. The server exists with duplexed drives, my plan is to reload NT to the first drive reload Exchange and them copy the databases over to the new installation. ?

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Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

In reply to Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

I’d copy the databases to another machine instead. Then wipe and install. Copy the databases back over from wherever you put them into the point specified by exchange.

Of course remember to make a full backup first, but that goes without question.

Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

In reply to Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

In reply to Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

There is a way to do this called a forklift migration. What you do is build the new NT Server, but install the Exchange with the command line: setup /r. Use and same organization, site name and service account and password as on the old server. Do not start the services or initialize the directory yet.

Then, on the old server, shut down the Exchange services to cleanly write the transaction logs to the database. Then, restart the services and do a full NT Backup to truncate the logs.Then shut down the Exchange services again, do an off-line backup of the Information Store and Directory files: priv.edb, pub.edb, and dir.edb.

Transfer those three files to the new server and you should be able to now start the Exchange servicesand be good to go.

I always recommend opening an incident with Microsoft Technical Support before starting one of these migrations, just in case something goes wrong, but the last half-dozen or so that I have done have all gone smoothly.

paul

Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

In reply to Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

In reply to Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

There’re a few point to watch for:
1) You have circular logging enabled? If you don’t then you’ll use a normal NT backup to truncate logs and load them to tape. Then Information Store and Directory so you have everything on tape.
2) If you did, then proceed with the normal NT Backup online or offline (with the services stoped). The main files are priv.edb and pub.edb
3) If you’re going to copy this files that?s an offline backup. First do a Normal NT Backup to guarantee that logs are included and you must copy the EDBXXXX.log files remaining on MDBDATA too.
3)Then you stop the services and goes to the new installation of NT and Exchange using the same configuration: Same domain, services account (and password), organization name, sitesand server. Stop the services too. Then with NT Backup (or copy) restore only the Information Store, not the directory.
4) Run isinteg -path to synchronize the GUIDs between the IS and the empty DS (maybe you’ll need to start manually just the DS at Control Panel/servi

Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

In reply to Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

In reply to Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

(continued)… Control panel/services.
5) Go to the admin.exe, choose the Exchange Server computer’s Server properties page. On the Advanced tab, under DS/IS consistency adjustment, select “All inconsistencies” and click “Adjust”. If you have installed messaging & directory replicator conectors you must write down the configuration info and then reinstall them on the new server. If you export all the directory to a CSV file, you can replace this last step with a directory import (including your conector info.)

I hope this help.

Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

In reply to Move Exchange to new Hard Drive.

I had a couple of bumps along the way that had to do with user accounts. Thank You

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