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Exchange Server Migration and Consolidation

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by tbaba

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hello ALL,

my question is two part:

1. We just transisted to full windows and now i want to move the exchange server to new hardware. The names of this server is mail01.domain.local. I've installed exchange on it too. how exactly do I transfer all mail boxes and pop connectors from the old SBS box (now the domain controller) with little downtime and how do I now configure all the clients to work with the new Email Server Name. lastly how do i decommission the exchange on the DC?

Part 2: We have 2 different domains (though they have the same domain name) geopraphically apart. Each running its own domain server. Location01 has one domain server and one excahnge server. Location02 to has both DC and Exchange on one server(branch office). Currently each server has it own users with POP connectors to popsecure downloding mails for that user. I need to merge these two exchange servers (and maybe domains). Also because they have the same domain name emails meant for one branch might just be stock on the originators local exchagnge server.
i already have SnapGear VPn routers in place but they are just routing, no VPN. i need guidandce.

thanks

I a nutshell

I want all emails to be continue to be downloaded via external POP connector to the head office then for the branch offices to connect Via site to site VPN to download these messages for their respective users. If any branch user sends as well to the same SMTP namespace, it should know which branch to send such an email.too (or to deliver locally) and the global address list should have everyone's email address divided by location. Isnt this possible?

8 replies

by tbaba

I want all emails to be downloaded via external POP connector to the head office then for the branch offices to connect Via site to site VPN to download these messages for their respective users. If any of these offices sends as well to the same SMTP namespace, it should know which branch to send such an email. and the global address list should have everyone's email address divided by location.

by cg it

that complicates the matter by having a front end / backend exchange setup.

How many users are at the site? the MS best practice is that if you have a low # of users at a site and a reliable fast link, you don't need a DC and an Exchange server at the site.

Exchange, if your using a decent server can handle a LOT of users before you need to place another Exchange server into the mix unless your want high reliability.

One way round the problem of routing mail to sites using a front end / backend setup is to use different domain name for the sites that isn't contigious with your top level domain. If you can't do that because the site requires HQ AD replication, or you don't want to do that because you don't want to mess with setting up trust relationships between different domains, you can make a child domain. Though this makes the email address a bit longer it does solve the problem have having sites get mail routed to them. example user@childdomain.parentdomain.com

this method works really well when you setup AD and Exchange properly [one Exchange server or a cluster of Exchange Servers][done a couple of these and spent many an hour pulling hair out configuring Exchange but once you get it configured right, works like a champ]. Note: Hub transport can be a bit tricky to configure. here's a MS Technet Forum discussion on Exchange and Child domains and the problems others have had with hub transport configuration. :)

as the discussion shows an error can make configuring Exchange a hair pulling ordeal :)

http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1220197&SiteID=17

by tbaba

Actually they were on SBS before and transisted to full exchange. pop connectors were used to download emails from the popsecure.net. I've decided Setting up the new exchange server and hosting their own exhcnage and MX records will be another project but for now, i'd like to keep the connectors.

There are like 50+ users at the branch office site. Links between sites are via VPN and high latency Sattelite links, so uplink and even downlink isnt that good. I've gotten the snapgear site to site VPN up and running now.

Will child domain names work? The DC in each of these sites have the same domain name but arent on the same forest yet though. (I'm about doing that with ADMT).

i need alotta advise.

by cg it

BUT! if you don't run child domains now, that means a lot of planning before you switch over.

Another method is to use non contigious Domain names. Example would be .com and then maybe .net Users tend to be picky about email addresses. I've had them complain that their address is .net and not .com and they think those that have .com are somehow higher up in the food chain. Ah well.....users

It's tough to configure hub transport for users who are at remote sites and have their own Exchange server, but use the standard user@.com Often, users just access the Exchange Cluster over a WAN link instead of having seperate Exchange servers at each site. Having seperate Exchange servers means having to administer them seperately.

by tbaba

Thanks CG,

Remeber we're gping to retain the POP connectors. Even with child domains, cant their external email addresses be .com, and have exchange route it to the appropriate user on the appriopriate server? Nobody really cares about their domain name or email address so I could use the contiguous names u mentioned (.con or .net) what really matters is a solution that'll integrate everything and have the branch office server back at the branch office asap.

When i say servers, i actually mean one physical server with exchange built in. (Each site has a server).

Is what I'm doing right?

- Use ADMT to merge AD of Domain2 to AD of Domain01, then set up Domain02 as a member server. (or should i set it up as a child domain? do i need admt to do this? how exactly)

- what to do next?

Thanks so much

by cg it

I'd try to figure out why POP3 to an ISP or 3rd party email hosting service is preferable to running SMTP. POP3 your going to someones email server and getting mail from that for your users. You pay for the service and they probably also include MX records, pay for their DNS for your domain name etc etc.

With SMTP, your getting mail directly from those who send the mail. you don't pay a 3rd party provider for anything. You already have Exchange that can handle inbound and outbound mail so why pay someone for it.

If you still want to use POP3, I'd take the site Exchange Servers, move em to HQ, make up an Exchange cluster, and have users to go directly to HQ to get mail.

There's my 2 cents.

I'll post back on using ADMT after I refamiliarize myself with what your trying to achieve.

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