Restoring Exchange data one another serv

There are two type of exchange backups. The first is online backup, which pretty much backs up exchange while its running. The other is an offline backup that shuts down the exchange server and copies the directory and store databases and logs. If you want to restore a tape from backup you need to have the same organization name and site and SERVERNAME of the original server. So if these three things are not set correctly you will not be able to restore the exchange.

To restore an offline backup.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q183/2/66.ASP?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0&qry=restore%20offline%20backup&rnk=15&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=ECH

To restore an online backup:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q238/0/63.ASP?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0&qry=restore%20online%20backup&rnk=30&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=ECH

or

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q247/1/09.ASP?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0&qry=restore%20online%20backup&rnk=31&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=ECH

I need to install it on a server with a different computername, isn't this possible.?
I don't want to take down the server since their are clients using it.
Also on the oriniginal server the installation is on different partitions c-d-e, on the new server the complete installation is on e. What effect will this have.?

Leopold,
I believe there is no legal (that is MS approved) way to restore that on a server with different name. That's beacuse ServerName is writen somewhere into database, I believe DIR.EDB, or maybe in others as well.

I see no reasons for doing that. That new server will not join same site and will not participate in replication, etc.

Proper way is:
1) Install a new server into same site (join existing site)
2) Move mailboxes -- one-by-one (BTW, you don't have to reconfigure clients when doing that!!!!)
3) follow MS article from KB "removing first server" from the site (It's easy to find) -- that procedure will move OAB and system folders to the new server
4) remove the old server from the site.

Cheers,
Dima

If you need to keep all the usernames etc you need to export the directory from your first server then import this .csv file to your second this keeps the mailbox names identically across both servers, Then you can use Exmerge ( Available from Microsoft as a download) to export all the mailbox data from one server to the other either as a one step process (server to server) or a two step process (server1 to .PST then .PST to server2). This method will recreate the mailboxes on server2 but you will find that the Priv IS will grow (you lose single instance storage) but it does work very well.
Then run the various Isinteg and Eseutil tests to check integrity etc then defragment priv.edb.

Restart all the services you can then configure allyour users to look at the new machine.

If you read all about Eseutil and Isinteg ( MS Knowledgebase you will find that you can rename your exchange server and then run Isinteg (in patch mode) to put the new servername into the IS. The usual warning about backing up etc apply but you already have backups. These are two powerful tools if used without care there are warnings about they should not be used without speaking to MS Product Support (yeah right)
They are not quite last resort but by using some combination of all three you shoul achieve your goal. (you may even be able to rename your new server to the same name as the old one to avoid reconfiguring clients)

Have fun
Chris Hirst

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