Strange Exchange Issues

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Soldier101

Gawd
Joined
Jan 8, 2002
Messages
639
I posted this in a response to one of my other threads but no one replied afterwards so I figured I would make a new thread specifically for it. Here it is.

The only reason why creating a new fresh exchange server and domain is even entering my mind is because I'm having the following issues (someone above asked what my domain issues were) If I can fix these I don't need an entirely new domain.

Here is my current setup

3 DC's....we shall call them DC1, DC2, DC3
2 Exchange servers 1 2k3 and 1 2k7. (previous admin botched the migration so some public folders are still on old server apparently)

If we disable DC1, the exchange servers fail to work...and if they are powered off they wont even boot without DC1 being live, even if we hardcore them to use DC2 or 3.

DC1 is a 2k3 box.
DC2 and 3 are both 2k8 boxes.

How in the fuck do I fix this so that DC1 is no longer needed. So I can raise the domain level and use just my 2k8 boxes.....if I can make it to where shit works without DC1 being live or in the mix then I can keep the current domain and just install the new exchange and move everything over without having to fuck with a new domain all together.

Thanks for any assistance.
 
Well it sounds like DC1 is the PDC and holds the other FSMO roles. You need to go read up on how to transfer all 5 major roles from DC1 to another one of the DC's, then you will be able to shut it down/demote it. I don't think you can up the domain function level to 2008 until you have fully demoted the DC1, shutting it down will not be enough for anything but to test that your environments function without it.

Also, it sounds like network adapter is configured wrong on the exchange server. Make sure DC2 and DC3 are setup in the DNS settings of the adapter. This goes for all other servers as well. If you have DHCP, change the servers it's sending out as DNS.
 
I moved all of the FSMO roles to one of the other 2 DC's....and I made sure the adapter on the exchange server is properly configured :-(
 
Check your DNS and AD replication. Exchange 2003 needs a 2003 domain controller unless it is on SP2.

Also when doing the 2007 migration was the domain/forest prepped?

Also when you say "disable DC1" are you using DCPromo or just shutting it down?

Are mailboxes still on the 2003 exchange server?

Is DC1 the only global catalog?
 
Ryan45 said:
Check your DNS and AD replication. Exchange 2003 needs a 2003 domain controller unless it is on SP2.

Also when doing the 2007 migration was the domain/forest prepped?

Also when you say "disable DC1" are you using DCPromo or just shutting it down?

Are mailboxes still on the 2003 exchange server?

Is DC1 the only global catalog?
Click to expand...


I'm not sure how to check dns and ad replicatoin..

running 2003 sp2 domain controller....

no mailboxes are on the exchange server (2k3)

I didn't perform the initial 2007 migration so im not sure if they properly prepped it.

When I say disabling I mean shutting down.
 
Why not just move the public folders to the 2007 server, and get rid of the 2003 exchange server? Make sure you do it the correct way though, just don't shut it down. Demote the 2003 DC after you remove exchange 2003, and then raise your domain/forest functional levels? That would be easiest.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb288905(v=exchg.80).aspx


Also make sure you have more than 1 global catalog.
 
The folder migration was botched...replication etc doesn't work...I feel i have a work around to that though.
 
What do the event logs say? I can't think of any reason why DC2 and 3 wouldn't boot if DC1 were offline, thats just crazy. Have you run dcdiag on all of the DC's what does it report? What about netdiag?
 
Where is the Global Catalog located ?
Also have you increased the domain functionality level ?
 
Also double-check DNS on all the servers.
If you must .. even change individual host files to point to the right place.
After migrating our Exchange server from 2003 to 2010.. and botching up the Public folder migration, I've narrowed down most ALL of my issues to DNS.
Hosts file entries helped a lot.
 
Also check the Exchange configuration for what server it's pointing at. Typically they query the main domain controller but sometimes people specify other ones.
 
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