Re: Migration from SBS to 2003 Enterprise Server - Exchange Disast

Alan,

somehow I managed to get this thread marked as read, and in going back
looking for something else I discoverd that I missed your reply.

I'm hoping that we either got to this offline or you found a resolution. I
apologize if I wasn't helpful enough and then disappeared.

Let me know if you are still working on this same issue.

- Jeff


"Alan Schwartz" <AlanSchwartz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:DA2BA850-C9D3-48F9-99B6-85904411D14F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Jeff, thanks so much for wading through my wordy post...As I was writing I
> went for the broad and seedy history just to ward off the feint of heart,
and
> because I was pretty sure that the difficulties were exascerbated if not
> caused by the history.
>
> Clarifying, the current status is:
>
> Three live servers
>
> - 1 'Fileserver' server running DHCP, Shared Directories and Printer
Shares,
> a member server in Domain1.local running Windows 2003 Server Enterprise
> - 1 'DomainController' server running Windows2003 Server Enterprise as
the
> sole DC (Global Cat, etc.) for Domain1.local.
>
> - 1 'Temporary Mailserver' server running SBS2003 with Exchange/OWA, DNS,
> and running as the sole DC for Domain2.local.
>
>
> I am attempting to retire the 'Temporary Mailserver' (and Domain2.local)
> once I've successfully installed Exchange on the 'DomainController' and
tied
> the existing user sign on accounts to the mailstores on the
> 'DomainController' machine.
>
> I am perfectly content to backup all mail by hand to PST files (from the
> working Domain2,local server) and restore the mail after the user accounts
> are reconfigured to use stores on the new server.
>
> Users are presently logging in to the network via their user accounts on
> domain1.local and accessing their email on the domain2.local, connecting
via
> Outlook to Exchange at the internal 192.168...IP -or- via web browser to
> Exchange OWA at the mail.domain.com/Exchange IP.
>
> Users have been experiencing some disconnects on the internal network
since
> I've installed the Exchange services on the Domain1.local DC. (Probably
> unrelated, I have two workstations where Outlook simply refuses to stay
> connected to the exchange server...at the moment my suspicion is that
there
> are some stranded /invisible machine accounts, or something else that is
MAC
> address or CPU S/N sensitive?) I will deal with the workstation problems
> once I know there's a stable network/server environment. Just mentioned
in
> case these W/S problems are some manner of clue as to the rest of the
ailment.
>
> I share your one sense that I must have been very close to working several
> times now. (unfortunately, I've had that feeling for a week now LOL.) It
> appears at the moment that if I could simply change the mailbox store
> pointers for the live sign-on accounts to an appropriate empty place on
the
> new server (same machine ) I could shut the domain2.local SBS server down
and
> import the user's PST files and be good to go. Perhaps it is as simple as
> using the A/D editor and typing in the alternate paths...I am just NOT an
A/D
> expert and wasn't inclined to go directly tweaking live user accounts from
my
> level of understanding. I would also like to change whatever needs to be
> changed so that the New account creation would use the appropriate path
going
> forward. (Quaintly, when I used the migration tool and created a second
set
> of accounts from the domain2.local server THOSE accounts came in with the
> appropriate mail store paths (a.k.a. on the same machine.)
>
> I think I would like to try the ADsiEdit approach on a test user before I
> run the risk of damaging the live domain sign-on accounts via any bulk
> process...perhaps forcing the new information store, however, is the best
way
> to get the proper default store to show up in the Add user dialog?
>
> What say you?
> --
> Regards,
>
> Alan
>
>
> "Jeff Middleton [SBS-MVP]" wrote:
>
> > Hi Alan
> >
> > You have covered a lot of ground there, so that in itself is pretty
> > impressive. I find myself wondering why you didn't obtain support from
MS on
> > this last bit of Exchange trouble, as it would appear to me that you
> > probably were within moments of being done several times. I not offering
> > that as a criticsm of you work ethic, just that you clearly were at the
> > point it should have worked and wasn't.
> >
> > I'm thinking that at the point you had users and connected mailboxes
from
> > the old domain, and only needed to get the mailboxes working on the
users
> > from the new domain...this should have been pretty simple based upon
this KB
> > (I'm offering this in case it still has value to you):
> >
> > How to Recover a Deleted Mailbox in Exchange
> > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274343/EN-US/
> >
> > As I have read your post, I shudder to think that you are considering
> > reinstalling all of this again from scratch. And yet I'm also not sure
how
> > clean a solution you accomplished there. I have the sense that you used
ADMT
> > or mailbox moves at some point, but I'm also really not clear if you
have
> > your users/computers from the original domain preserved, or if you have
a
> > clean new domain, or if you have a a new domain with SIDhistory
preserving
> > migrated users. Given that you don't (with good reason) know how the
> > original domain could have fostered a pair of SBS servers in one domain,
I
> > understand why you might not be sure of the status either. :)
> >
> > As for your solution from here, I read your post and began to ponder
which
> > of the following circumstances best describes your condition now:
> >
> > 1. You performed all the steps as outlined correctly, and you have a
well
> > configured server in a condition that needs a minor bit more of
information
> > in order to declare it finished.
> >
> > 2. You perform most all the steps as outlined, but missed something
along
> > the way and therefore we would need to troubleshoot the path to the
current
> > condition to locate what was wrong in your process.
> >
> > 3. In the process of adds, removes and reconfigurations, you have
created a
> > situation that sort of defies understanding.
> >
> > I generally think of most any SBS server as being fixable, sort of an
> > attitude I have about these things. However, the thing that leads me to
have
> > the most direction on what to do next is to ask what level of
functionality
> > exists over all?
> >
> > Are all the users working but only without email?
> >
> > Are the workstations connected to the domain and the users are all
content
> > with the changes to their profiles that have occured, if any?
> >
> > I think I would like to understand better what the exact status in total
is.
> >
> > As I would like to leave you with some steps to try for progress as
opposed
> > to just asking questions, I have this suggestion. Regardless of what
> > condition your Exchange Server installation and Information Store is in
at
> > this time, you have the option to:
> > - stop all the Exchange Services
> > - make a copy of the MDBDATA folder contents (and the system logs if
they
> > aren't in that folder as well)
> > - then restart the Exchange to create a new Information Store from
scratch
> > when prompted.
> >
> > With a clean and new Information Store, you could then see if you can
make
> > the new user establish a new mailbox based upon the KB I provided above.
If
> > you can, then you have an option in front of you to Exmerge the previous
> > Information Store to PSTs and import it back if that's a reasonable
solution
> > for you.
> >
> > If you don't want to do the PST process, rather you want to try to
preserve
> > the mailboxes in the existing Information Store, at least if you confirm
> > that you can work with a new store with new mailboxes, you will be able
to
> > confirm the functional condition of your Exchange Server configuration,
if
> > nothing else.
> >
> > Once you have confidence in the Exchange Server, you could then return
to
> > look at the Information Store you dismounted with the mailboxes in it
and
> > see if you can delete all the mailbox attachments for all the users
while
> > running the new empty store, then mount the previous store full of
mailboxes
> > and disconnect any user connections using the cleanup agent. From there,
> > reconnect the users to the correct mailboxes.
> >
> > The remaining possibility is that in some manner, you have mailboxes in
the
> > store that are not homed to the current Exchange Server at all,
therefore
> > you might need to be using ADSiEdit to modify the attributes of the
users or
> > go into the mailbox store in Exchange to edit those references.
> >
> > I don't think you need to reinstall the servers to address the Exchange
> > problem, that determination would be only based upon other issues you
didn't
> > cover in you original post.
> >
> > I still see that your best option for a quick resolution in something as
> > complicated as this scenario is would be to establish direct support
contact
> > to get this resolved, such as calling MS PSS for support. As an
alternative,
> > I provide support to IT Pros directly for disaster recovery and
migration
> > scenarios, and I could help you directly if you prefer that.
> >
> > Jeff Middleton SBS MVP
> > YCST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> > "Alan Schwartz" <AlanSchwartz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message
> > news:05541C7A-DEEA-4471-AF73-C1E4EA1E7241@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > The company I've been working with has had a pair of servers running
SBS
> > for
> > > several years. I am at a loss to understand how they got two SBS
servers
> > > running on the same domain in the first place, but when I came into
the
> > > picture that is how it was. One was the domain controller and file
server
> > > while the other was the exchange server.
> > >
> > > A hard drive failed in the mail server and the system was physically
> > > unrecoverable.
> > >
> > > I immediately built a new server using the second SBS license creating
a
> > new
> > > domain and hand recreating the user accounts...as an emergency way to
get
> > > their email back in service. This worked with little difficulty for 2
> > months
> > > (minor inconveniences in terms of workstation configurations since
> > connecting
> > > to a second domain for email, and hand synchronizing password
changes.)
> > >
> > > Meanwhile I had them buy and built a new domain controller using Win
2003
> > > Server Enterprise. I joined the new machine to the old domain as a
> > secondary
> > > DC, promoted to primary (transferrring the GC, etc.) and demoted the
old
> > > domain server to a standard server.
> > >
> > > Next I had the damaged machine repaired and had the vendor install
Win2003
> > > Server Enterprise as a standard server. I transfered all the user
files
> > and
> > > shares to the rebuilt machine and powered down the old demoted DC.
> > >
> > > So far so good. Now I'm attempting to add the Exchange Server 2003
> > > functionality to the NEW PDC. The intention is that I will retire the
> > > temporary/emergency email server that I put together.
> > >
> > > As it stands the primary domain user accounts have exchange settings
> > > pointing to the long gone email server that failed (for example:
> > > OLDFAILEDSERVER/First Storage Group/Mailbox Store (OLDFAILEDSERVER)).
So
> > I
> > > attempted to migrate the matching accounts from the working SBS server
in
> > the
> > > other domain...I ended up with a set of new accounts complete with the
> > email
> > > from the working server, and mailbox stores on the new server (for
> > example:
> > > NEWPDC/First Storage Group/Mailbox Store (NEWPDC)). From reading the
> > > directions it seemed that it would be possible to map the migrating
boxes
> > to
> > > existing user accounts, but THAT option was never presented by the
> > utility.
> > >
> > > I only have about a dozen email/user accounts, so after pulling my
hair
> > out
> > > for days I decided to that I would simply create new accounts from
scratch
> > if
> > > necessary. I attempted to create one new test account but when I go
> > through
> > > the new user dialog it forces me to use the 'olddeadserver' mailstore
> > > location. Likewise the mailstore field on the A/D user edit screen is
> > 'VIEW
> > > ONLY'. I assume this is driven from some registry key / A/D value
tucked
> > > away somewhere, and that even if I searched it out there would be
multiple
> > > unhappy reprocutions from attempting to change it by hand.
> > >
> > > In exasperation, I decided to attempt uninstalling Exchange (AGAIN,
tried
> > > this several times already and while it went through the motions
without
> > > errors, major pieces were left in tact.) NOW I can not uninstall as
it
> > tells
> > > me there are active email accounts. I must be careful as the machine
I'm
> > > attempting to get the Exchange functionality working on is our live
PDC.
> > >
> > > I know I've left out lots of details along the way...for instance,
I've
> > > painstakingly stepped through measures at:
> > > http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=823159,
> > > and at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/837285/ (even though I wasn't
yet
> > > running windows firewall.)
> > >
> > > Given my level of knowledge, my next step is to start from scratch
with
> > two
> > > new servers and never let them see the old servers...this seems a bit
> > > drastic. I'm hoping that the problem is imminently solvable by
someone
> > more
> > > knowledable here...Please help.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Alan
> >
> >
> >


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