Demoting an Exchange Server

J

jadams

2[H]4U
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Messages
4,086
Lets say... strictly for lab/testing purposes I were to install a 2nd Exchange Server (2007) into my organization.

Can I simply uninstall the first one and the 2nd one will just take over? Obviously assuming I configure after installation in the same way the first one is setup?

Is the process similar to the way you add a new domain controller, then demote the old one?
 
I would assume it would work. As long as the ports are forwarded to the server it should be fine.
 
Once you move or delete all of the mailboxes off the server you wish to demote you can uninstall exchange off it.
 
There are guides to do this, you have to move things like mailboxes, OAB generation, receipient policies, send and receive connetors, transport crap and some other things if you want the second server to run propertly.
 
No kidding follow the guides. It's a little more involved that just installing. Need to deal with send connectors, change some nat, move mailboxes, uninstall exchange to remove all of the old exchange references out of AD, drink beer, etc, etc
 
k1pp3r said:
There are guides to do this, you have to move things like mailboxes, OAB generation, receipient policies, send and receive connetors, transport crap and some other things if you want the second server to run propertly.
Click to expand...

First thing I did was query google for some info. Found some stuff, but if you have a specific guide in mind I'd love to check it out.
 
Great links everyone.

I got Exchange installed, send connector added, and public folders replicated. I'll be moving the Mailboxes over throughout the week. The last thing to do will be to swing the port forwards over to it.

My only question is what about the clients? In everyones account settings they are directed to the existing server. What happens after I uninstall it? Will the clients be smart enough to automatically update? Will I have to update them manually? Is there some sort of automated process for this?
 
open outlook on every machine after moving the mailboxes, but while BOTH exchange servers are still running. It will redirect outlook automatically. If you decom the old server before doing that, then you'll have to re-config each workstation.

Also after moving the mailboxes and public folders and changing your port forwards, just let both servers sit for a week or so, to make sure you got everything moved that needed to be.
 
defininitely dont wanna do that manually. I'll test this in the lab with a test user first.

EDIT: That worked, awesome! I guess it gets updated by the client after I move the mailbox. Instead of moving them before the weekend I'll make sure to do it before Thursday. Use Thursday as a test internally, then Friday as a test with the port forwards swung over and the first server shut down. Hopefully it all goes well!

Thanks so much for the help guys.
 
Last edited:
Glad its gone as well as it has. The 1st big transition you do can be nervewracking. After that, the pieces start to fall into place.
 
Exchange has been uninstalled off the first server. Ran into some trouble with the public folder database replication but it wasn't anything a google search couldn't fix. I ran the command to move replication to the replication to the new folder. Apparently its not an instant process. I thought it would be semi-instant as the DB was essentially empty. But I went back 15 minutes later and it passed the uninstall check.

Time to bring back the thread about that domain controller that wont demote now.
 
Public folder replication basicly takes the lowest priority so it can take 12 hours to move absolutly nothing lol
 
pretty easy to remove a domain controller via adsiedit if it won't demote.
 
Absolutely! NTDSUtil. Easy and a thousand writeups on NTDSUtil. I've even seen a few scripts that automate that process (although not doing that manually would scare me).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top