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Moving Exchange Server

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by houston_texan2002

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I plan to move exchange 2000 server to a new server and retain the same exchange name. I 'll want to move all the mailboxes to the new server with minimal or no downtime at all. I only have one exchange server at the moment, what is the best way of going about it with less manpower? Please assist.

3 replies

by mgonzales

There are a couple of ways you can do this. If it?s vital that the server name stay the same then use the offline backup of the databases use the link below for more information.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;296788&Product=exch2k

If the email server name can be changed then install the new server in the domain and move the mailboxes from the one server to the other. When this happens the client will automatically be updated with the new server information.

Good Luck!

by shmaltz

I have done this successfully in the past.
I remember the process although I don't have all the KB articles from MS that I used to accomplish this.
I don't know what you mean by retaining the Exchange Name, but I assume you mean the NetBIOS name so your clients can reconnect. I would recommend NOT doing that, Exchange and any other OS/Email system is best installed when it is installed clean not using any restores and/or updates.
As for the client problem, as long as the old server is still live the clients will be automatically redirected to the new Server, although the above should work as stated you might run into problems and you might and up having to manually reconfigure all the clients (or using a profile modify tool in the logon script to do it, one such tool is available in the Office Resource Kit).
1. Install Windows Server on the new computer.
2. Install latest service pack for Windows.
3. Run the Windows Update to get the latest updates.
4. Install Exchange 2k as an additional Exchange Server in the Exchange site.
5. Install all the updates for the Exchange Server, including Service Packs.
6. In Active Directory Users and Computers, select multiple users, right click and select (I think that?s where it is) Exchange Tasks, then move mailbox. And move those users mailbox from the old Exchange Server to the new one. Make sure that the public folders replicated properly. And verify that each user?s mailbox was moved successfully to the new Server. The next time users log on to Outlook, Outlook should automatically log them on to the new Server.
It is best that you don?t move too many users at a time, do 15 at the most for a day and then wait until they all logged in to make sure that their profile updated successfully.
Continued....

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