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Installing Exchange on PDC - 20.Dec.2006 8:04:45 PM

coblain

Posts: 9
Joined: 18.Dec.2006
Status: offline

hi, need education here...

is there any particular recomendation if i want to install exchange server on PDC
in order to get both active directory and exchange works fine...

Thanks Before..

Regards

Coblain

Post #: 1

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RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 21.Dec.2006 5:21:56 PM

jassyca

Posts: 225
Joined: 20.Jul.2006
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Generally speaking, it's not recommended. And it's especially risky if you are going to allow Outlook Web Access over the internet. If you have to, then you have to (just make sure management understands they're making you take a big risk). But if you would rather that your network would run quiet and smooth and with the fewest problems, try to put your Exchange server on something other than your domain controller.

You had a previous message about an Exchange server that was gone which was preventing you from installing another Exchange server. Did you get that fixed?

(in reply to coblain)

Post #: 2

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 21.Dec.2006 8:52:26 PM

coblain

Posts: 9
Joined: 18.Dec.2006
Status: offline

Hi, Jassyca
Thank You for the reply..

quote:

Generally speaking, it's not recommended. And it's especially risky if you are going to allow Outlook Web Access over the internet. If you have to, then you have to (just make sure management understands they're making you take a big risk). But if you would rather that your network would run quiet and smooth and with the fewest problems, try to put your Exchange server on something other than your domain controller.

Thanks for the advice, i'll talk to the management about it..,, i agree with you bout not to install exchange on PDC, but i wasnt sure thats why i ask this forum, thanks again..

quote:

You had a previous message about an Exchange server that was gone which was preventing you from installing another Exchange server. Did you get that fixed?

No, i didnt fixed it yet, actually i'am running out of ideas, the primary storage always point to the "long gone server" and i didnt find a way to move it, is there something wrong with the DC, any ideas what i must do..??

< Message edited by coblain -- 22.Dec.2006 4:06:09 AM >

(in reply to jassyca)

Post #: 3

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 22.Dec.2006 12:41:34 PM

jassyca

Posts: 225
Joined: 20.Jul.2006
Status: offline

In case you need specifics to convince management (ie, about Exchange on a domain controller)..

If your company intends to use Outlook Web Access, that means that the outside world will have web access to your domain controller. Thus, if that web server is hacked, that means your domain controller was also hacked. If that doesn't send shivers down their spines, nothing will. (If you intend to use Outlook Web Access, whether your Exchange server is on a domain controller or not, do a search on Microsoft's site for "IIS Lockdown" utility and the URL scanner. That will at least protect your server from the inexperienced skript kiddies out there.)

Exchange also tends to be something of a pig on your server. It loves it some resources, mm, baby! If you ever need to reboot your Exchange server, that means that you're also rebooting your domain controller thus people could have problems logging on or accessing network resources during that reboot. It also means if your Exchange server gets really busy (like, someone emails a newsletter to a ton of people), authenticating users to the domain comes in a poor second.

Next, Microsoft doesn't admitt it but Exchange 2000 does have problems with memory leaks (do a search on this forum about it and see how many hits you get!) Enough that you probably want to seriously consider scheduling a regular reboot. I reboot our server once a week. That's probably overkill. On the other hand, my husband is also a Windows administrator. Their Exchange server resides on a domain controller. He can tell when the server needs to be rebooted because after he creates a new user, the user won't appear in the address book no matter how many hours you wait. Reboot, and, poof, the user's name suddenly appears in the address book. But, until then, everyone thinks you aren't doing your job getting the new guy set up because his name isn't in the address book. (You, slacker, you.

)

Alright, now let's talk about that missing Exchange server. First, I'd like to know what role it used to play in your domain. Was it the only Exchange server? Was it also a domain controller? If you're not sure, go to one of your current domain controllers, logon as a domain administrator and open "Active Directory Sites and Services". Open "Sites" and there will be at least three sub-trees under there. One of them does NOT look like a folder icon and the "type" will be "site". On our domain, that one is called "Admin" but yours might be called something else. Open that and you'll see a folder called "Servers". Open "Servers". Expand every server that you see listed. Do you see the missing Exchange server? What do you see listed under it? Let us know what you see.

(in reply to coblain)

Post #: 4

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 22.Dec.2006 9:56:56 PM

coblain

Posts: 9
Joined: 18.Dec.2006
Status: offline

Many Thanks to you jassyca,

As soon i received the last post form you, i called the Project Manager my self and i got a little debate with him, and as the result the management agree to add one more� Server to accomodate the Exchange Server so i wont have to install it on PDC, Muchas Gracias..

And bout that missing exchange server..

quote:

First, I'd like to know what role it used to play in your domain

it used the "domain admins" and "administrator" role...
just for information, i used an account called "sysadmin", and it holds all most of the critical role in my domain, ex: Exchange Domain Server, Domain Admins, Enterprise Admins, Schema Admins, Exchange Service, etc

quote:

Was it the only Exchange server?

.
Yes, it was the only exchange server..,,

quote:

Was it also a domain controller?

.
No, i'am pretty much sure it wasnt a domain controller..

quote:

Expand every server that you see listed. Do you see the missing Exchange server?

No i dont see the missing server in the list..

quote:

What do you see listed under it?

All i see is all the domain controller of my domain..,

< Message edited by coblain -- 23.Dec.2006 7:32:26 AM >

(in reply to jassyca)

Post #: 5

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 23.Dec.2006 9:43:38 AM

jassyca

Posts: 225
Joined: 20.Jul.2006
Status: offline

So it was the only Exchange server (ouch!) and it was not a domain controller (good!).

I was only able to think of two plans that might fix this situation for you. (There might be other, better plans but these were the only ones I could think up.)

First plan: I am not sure how helpful this article will be because the article is written with the idea that the Exchange server is still around somewhere.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307917

I wish there was a way to test this but what I think you can do is to simply install the new Exchange server. Don't be concerned that the Administrative Group and other Exchange objects all exist already, just let Active Directory put it where it thinks the server should go. Then, after you have Exchange installed on the new server, go through the above article and move all services, functions, public and private folders and what-not to the new server. It will probably give you a bunch of errors since the old server doesn't exist. And, to be totally honest with you, I'm not sure if this method will work.

Second plan: Install the new Exchange server re-using the name of the missing Exchange server. Pretend this is a disaster recovery situation and that you are restoring the old Exchange server. First, go to Active Directory Users and Computers, find the old Exchange server's computer account and re-set the account so you can join the new server to the domain with that name. If you can't find the old computer account, that's okay. Maybe someone deleted it already. (If the account is still there and you just didn't find where it was hiding, you should get an error when you try to join the domain.) Once the new server is joined to your domain, install Exchange on the new server with the /disasterrecovery switch. That switch installs the Exchange programs but re-uses the Exchange objects that are already in your Active Directory domain. This method will probably give you the fewest problems and is the most likely to work but it means you're stuck with the old server's name.

Let us know what happens. Good luck!!

(in reply to coblain)

Post #: 6

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 28.Dec.2006 6:19:20 PM

coblain

Posts: 9
Joined: 18.Dec.2006
Status: offline

I follow your advice and implementing the second plan, and it works great, my old exchange server is back online, but most of the services where un able to start, and please correct me if i'm wrong, are theese the main services of Exchange server:

1. MsExchange Information Store (not started)
2. MsExchange System Attendant (not started)
3. MsExchange MTA Stacks
4. MsExchange IMAP 4 (not started)
5. MsExchange POP3 (not started)
6. MsExchange Routing Engine

any idea what might be the problem? or should i reinstall it? can i clean the metadata of the other orphaned exchange server using ntdsutil? or it only goes to DC only, instead of exchange?
after this problem solved iam thinking of being a certified in Exchange Server 2000, :P

(in reply to jassyca)

Post #: 7

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 28.Dec.2006 7:28:49 PM

jassyca

Posts: 225
Joined: 20.Jul.2006
Status: offline

after this problem solved iam thinking of being a certified in Exchange Server 2000
Hahahahaa! Yeah, you sure got thrown into the water and told "quick, learn how to swim!"

What do you see in Event Viewer? It should show the reasons why those services won't start. Maybe it's something simple, like, they aren't set to "Automatic" in the Services applet? Yes, all of those should be set to start automatically (although you don't have to set POP3 to start.. up to you, really).

(in reply to coblain)

Post #: 8

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 3.Jan.2007 10:11:20 PM

coblain

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Joined: 18.Dec.2006
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I've got those services in "started" state, new problem show up now, the client using outlook can't access it.., up to now i still try, and checking where might the problem be..? any ideas.? have u been in the same situation as me..?

..Happy New Year 2007..

(in reply to jassyca)

Post #: 9

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 4.Jan.2007 9:58:57 AM

jassyca

Posts: 225
Joined: 20.Jul.2006
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Hmm.. Did you add a mailbox to the client's account after you installed the Exchange server? If not, then that might be the problem. Here's what I'm thinking: If the user account existed before you added the new Exchange server with the old Exchange server's name AND if the account had a mailbox on the old Exchange server that is long gone, remove the client's mailbox then add it again. (Active Directory Users and Computers, find the user's account, right click on it and you should see a menu option for "Exchange Tasks"). When we "restored" the new Exchange server, we only put it back into Active Directory, it doesn't have any data. In other words, it doesn't have any mailboxes because we didn't have a backup of that old server so we could restore the mailboxes. We merely put the server back into Active Directory. So Active Directory may say there's a mailbox on that server but that's not true until we create it. Do you see what I'm saying? (I wonder if removing and adding a mailbox is one of those tasks that you can do to multiple accounts at the same time? In other words, if you highlight several user accounts at the same time then right click, there are some Active Directory tasks that you can do to all of them at the same time. For instance, you can move them all to the same place. Would be nice because that would save you some time. Anyway, sorry, passing thought.)

Other things to check are the client's Outlook settings. Make sure it shows the Exchange server and the user's Exchange Alias. (You probably already checked all that. I'm betting it's because we need to recreate all the mailboxes.)

Let me know if I'm wrong and the problem isn't any of the above.

(in reply to coblain)

Post #: 10

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 4.Jan.2007 7:01:22 PM

coblain

Posts: 9
Joined: 18.Dec.2006
Status: offline

quote:

Did you add a mailbox to the client's account after you installed the Exchange server?

Yes, when the old exchange server back online, i've checked the active directory user n computers, there are few user's that have mailbox, so i delete all of them, and re-create the mailbox again, but it still can't be accessed.

quote:

When we "restored" the new Exchange server, we only put it back into Active Directory, it doesn't have any data. In other words, it doesn't have any mailboxes because we didn't have a backup of that old server so we could restore the mailboxes. We merely put the server back into Active Directory. So Active Directory may say there's a mailbox on that server but that's not true until we create it. Do you see what I'm saying?

Yes i got the point, thanks for the short education there

quote:

Other things to check are the client's Outlook settings. Make sure it shows the Exchange server and the user's Exchange Alias]

now here's interesting, when i configure outlook for the client, i try to do some name checking (checkname) on outlook to see if the name i entered can be resolved, so i enter the IP address of the exchange server and the alias name of user onto it, but when i click the "checkname" button it can't be resolved, i try another alias for a couple of times, and it can only resolved to one user only, and the resolved user where not on the AD, or maybe it was there but someone deleted it, but why the exchange server only resolved to that user only but not to other aliases, are you following me..? you know why that thing could happend..? did i miss configure the outlook..?

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Post #: 11

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 5.Jan.2007 1:54:50 AM

jassyca

Posts: 225
Joined: 20.Jul.2006
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I think I understand what you're saying. In Outlook's configuration, where it asks for the Exchange server, you entered the server's IP. And where it ask for the user's information, you entered a valid alias for one of your users then clicked "Check Name". Even though the alias is valid, unless it's just this *one* person's alias, it comes back and says it can't find the name. If you try that *one* person's alias, it finds the account just fine. Yes?

You sound like you're picking this stuff up pretty quickly so I'll assume you double checked the user's account in Active Directory and that you've check the Global Address book and found the user listed there. Okay, if it's not that, then what else can it be? I can think of two possibilities.. and I hope like hell it's not the second one.

First possibility: Sometimes, Active Directory needs a little extra time after you create an account so all the domain controllers have had a chance to receive the new updates to the Active Directory domain. We've got a single domain and two DC's and even in a simple set up like that, there are times when it takes 10 to 20 minutes for a change that I've made to totally take affect. That includes trying to open a new mailbox for a new user. It will tell me the user doesn't exist when I know damn well they do because I just made the account. I hope that this is what's wrong because if it is, then the problem will have already fixed itself by now.

Second possibility: Exchange is highly dependent on Active Directory. So much so that I.. <gulp> .. I wonder if Active Directory might have some corruption and perhaps that's what is going on.

Since Exchange is so dependent on AD, if AD has a problem then Exchange will be one of the first places where stranges things will show up.

Tell you what, send me an email at jassyca at yahoo.com. This sounds like it might get very complex and I tend to check email a lot more frequently compared to checking this forum.

(in reply to coblain)

Post #: 12

RE: Installing Exchange on PDC - 6.Feb.2007 1:31:35 AM

ianq

Posts: 1
Joined: 6.Feb.2007
Status: offline

Dear All

I am not too sure is this the correct place to post as i am new here.

My problem : we have this Windows 2000 SBS exhcange sever which is also a PDC, but it is giving alot of problems and the Management decide to reformat and re-install, and poor me, i was assigned this task which i have not done it before.

1) Is there a way to export all the information about this current exchange server, like user mailboxes, PDC configuration, etc, then import later when the machine is reformatted and W2k SBS exchange re-installed ?

2) If the exporting is not possible, is there a guide or something for a fresh and quick installation and what information do i need ?.

Sorry to take your time but would be glad if someone can help, thank you.

Rgds
Ian

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Post #: 13