XADM: How to Move Exchange Server to a New Computer with the Same Name

• Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.5

SUMMARY

It may be necessary, because of performance or other reasons, to replace a Microsoft Exchange Server computer with a new, more powerful system.

This article explains how to move Exchange Server to a new computer, assuming that the original computer will be off the network and the new computer will have the same name as the original computer.

MORE INFORMATION

Before you move Exchange Server to the new computer, verify that the original computer is not the only Microsoft Windows NT domain controller in the domain. While this computer is shut down as part of the moving procedure, there must be a domain controller that can validate logon requests.

If the original computer is a primary domain controller (PDC), make sure that there is at least one other backup domain controller (BDC) in the Windows NT domain. After you shut down the original computer, upgrade the BDC to a PDC.

If the original computer is a BDC, make sure that the PDC in the domain is up and operational, or that there are other BDCs that can be upgraded to become the PDC.

The steps below explain how to move Exchange Server to a new computer that has the same hardware platform as the original computer. That is, either both computers are Intel, or both computers are Alpha.

For the purposes of these steps, the two computers are referred to as the "original computer" and the "new computer," even though both computers have the same NetBIOS machine name.

Moving Exchange Server to a New Computer with the Same Name as the Original Computer

1. Backing up information from the original computer.



2. Installing Windows NT and Exchange Server on the new computer.



3. Restoring the Exchange Server data to the new computer.



4. Configuring the Key Management server (KM server).



5. Restoring and reconfiguring connectors.

Backing Up Information from the Original Computer

1. At the original Exchange Server computer, start the Exchange Server Administrator program. Note the following information:
   
   
   • The organization and site names.
   
   
   
   • The configuration parameters of any connectors that are installed on the original computer. You may want to print screen dumps of the different pages of the connector properties.
   
   
   
   Quit the Exchange Server Administrator program, and then note the drive configuration of the original computer.



2. At the original computer, stop all of the Exchange Server services.



3. Copy the entire Exchsrvr directory to another computer on the network, or to a tape drive. If the log, database, and working directories are on different drives, make sure that you copy the Exchsrvr directories from every drive.



4. Start the Exchange Server Performance Optimizer utility, and then note the locations of the directory service, information store, message transfer agent (MTA), and Internet Mail Service files. You can quit the Performance Optimizer utility after you get the necessary information. You can also get this information from the registry.
   
   You may want to run the perfwiz -v command, and then note any customized settings on the original computer.
   
   Also, note the version and service pack number of Exchange Server that is installed on the original computer.



5. If the KM server service is installed, stop the KM server service, and then back up the Security directory. If the original computer is running Exchange Server version 5.5, there is no Security directory, because the KM server information is stored in the Exchsrvr\Kmsdata directory. Also back up the KM server Startup disk.



6. Shut down the original computer, and then turn it off. Make sure that there is an operational domain controller in the Windows NT domain.

Installing Windows NT and Exchange Server on the New Computer

1. Using the Server Manager utility, remove the machine account for the original computer, and then re-add it.



2. Install Windows NT on the new computer, using the same machine name that the original computer used. If necessary, make the new computer a BDC. Make sure that the original computer is turned off before you install Windows NT on the new computer.



3. Reconfigure the drives on the new computer exactly as they were configured on the original computer.



4. Run the Exchange Server Setup program to install Exchange Server on the new computer, and use the same organization and site names that were used on the original computer. Click to select the Create a New Site check box. Make sure that you install all of the connectors that were installed on the original computer. To do this, select custom installation by clicking the Custom check box.
   
   During the Setup process, when you are prompted for the Exchange Server service account, select the same service account that was used on the original computer. If you select a new service account, after the directory from the original computer is restored to the new computer, the new service account does not have permissions on the directory.
   
   At the end of the Setup process, start the Performance Optimizer utility and move the files to same locations that they were in on the original computer.
   
   Upgrade the new Exchange Server computer to the service pack number that was installed on the original computer.



5. Install and configure the Internet Mail Service, if it was installed on the original computer.



6. If the Microsoft Mail Connector was installed on the original computer, configure it on the new computer exactly as it was configured on the original computer. You must do this to recreate the registry entries that are required by the Microsoft Mail Connector. You must do this before the directory service information is restored to the new computer.
   
   You may also need to configure any third-party connectors that save configuration information in the registry. For more details, please contact the third-party software vendor.



7. If KM server was used on the original computer, install KM server on the new computer. Click to select the Create a Startup Disk check box. After the installation finishes successfully, stop the KM server service on the new computer.



8. Make sure that none of the Exchange Server services are running.

Restoring the Exchange Server Data to the New Computer

1. Copy the Exchsrvr directories that you backed up from the original computer over the Exchsrvr directories on the new computer. Make sure that you copy the directories to the correct drives.
   
   If the original computer and the new computer do not have the same hardware platform, then only copy the Dsadata, Dxadata, Imcdata, Mdbdata, and Mtadata directories. You may also need to copy the Ccmcdata, Insdata, Kmsdata, and Tracking.log directories if the corresponding components were installed or enabled on the original computer.



2. Start the system attendant and directory services.



3. At a Windows NT command prompt, run the following command:




isinteg -patch

4. Start the information store service.

Configuring the KM Server

1. Stop the KM server service on the new computer.



2. Copy the Kmspwd.ini file from the KM server Startup disk for the original computer to another disk. Label the disk "KM Server Startup Disk - New Computer."



3. Perform one of the following steps, depending on the version of Exchange Server that the original computer was running and the new computer is running:



• For Exchange Server version 4.0 or 5.0, at the new computer, rename the Security\Mgrent directory to the Security\Mgrent.original directory. Copy the Security\Mgrent directory from the backup of the Security directory of the original computer (that you made in the "Backing up Information from the Original Computer" section, step 5) to the Security directory on the new computer.
  
  - or -



• For Exchange Server version 5.5, at the new computer, rename the Exchsrvr\Kmsdata directory to the Exchsrvr\Kmsdata.original directory. Copy the Exchsrvr\Kmsdata directory from the backup of the Exchsrvr directory of the original computer (that you made in the "Backing up Information from the Original Computer" section, step 3) to the Exchsrvr directory on the new computer.



4. Place the new KM server Startup disk for the new computer (labeled "KM Server Startup Disk - New Computer") into the disk drive of the new computer.



5. Start the KM server service on the new computer.



6. Use the Performance Optimizer utility to make any desired changes.



7. Start all of the Exchange Server services.

Restoring and Reconfiguring Connectors

Exchange Client Profiles

Use of Offline Backups Instead of Online Backups

Additional query words: migrate hardware

Keywords : kbenv kbusage XADM exc4 exc5 exc55
Version : winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbhowto