Hello everyone and thanks in advance for your feedback on this!
We are planning to setup CCR in Combination with SCR
Production site (Site A): IP Subnet A AD Site A
" Win2003 Enterprise/Exch07 SP1 CCR Active Node
" Win2003 Enterprise/Exch07 SP1 CCR Passive Node
" Win2003 Enterprise/Exch07 SP1 HUB/CAS Server Roles
" FWS located in HUB/CAS Server
" Win2003/DC1-GC-DNS
DR Site (Site B): IP Subnet B AD Site B
" Win2003/DC2-GC-DNS
" Win2008 running VMWare VSphere ESX 4.0:
§ VM1: Will be use for SCR Target Machine running Win2003 Enterprise
§ VM2: Will be used for Exchange 2007 SP1 running HUB/CAS Server Roles. Win2008 Standard
QUESTIONS:
ABOUT HUB/CAS in DR Site
1. As shown above we are planning to setup in DR site a server with the HUB and CAS roles on a computer running Win2008 Standard. Would be this an issue considering that the other HUB/CAS server in the production site is running on Win2003 Enterprise?
2. What are the considerations for the HUB/CAS server setup at DR site?
3. Would this new HUB/CAS server conflict with the HUB/CAS server currently running in the Production datacenter even though the Production datacenter is on a different AD Site?
4. Any particular/important aspect I need to take into account configuring the new HUB/CAS server to avoid problems with users currently present in DR AD site? DR is not a datacenter but one of our offices
5. If there is any particular configuration to be done with new HUB/CAS server, could someone point me to the right direction?
SEEDING
Because the large size of the databases, we wont be able to perform the seeding to DR site over the WAN. In this blog: http://www.mombu.com/micro
disk, etc.), copy or move the data from the TargetPath you specified to the
proper folder on the SCR target
Do you see any problem with this? Has anyone done this before?
STANDBY CLUSTER vs. STANDALONE SERVER AS TARGET SCR
According to this KB: http://technet.microsoft.c
If the SCR source is a clustered mailbox server, the optimal target configuration would be a standby cluster. I have also read that the activation process is easier then setting up a single standalone mailbox server as SCR target. According to the info out there, using a standalone mailbox server would require uninstalling Exchange during the activation process as the standalone mailbox server has its own identity and the only way to activate the single standalone mailbox server would be using Database Portability
1. If I want to go with the Standby Cluster option&Does this imply that I will have to setup another CCR environment in the DR site?
2. Would that be possible to activate target SCR and bring up the email system using the single standby passive node without forming a new CCR in DR site?
3. In most places they talk about a single Standby Cluster Node but I have not seen anyone going into the details of SCR activation
Im afraid I dont have enough storage in DR site to setup another CCR over there!
3. Does anyone know any documentation out there detailing the process of using a single standalone mailbox server and using Database Portability
Thanks to all for the feedback!
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Ethan,
Thanks for your prompt response. I really appreciate it!
To asnwer your question, I'm using the word "Activation" to go with Microsoft's terms. Accoding to Microsoft: "The process for using an SCR target database is called activation" which implies, in a sense, to be able to bring the email back up on the DR site
Mailroot,
THANKS SO MUCH for taking the time to answer all of my questions! I really appreciate that!!!
Before I close this case and assign you the points; which you well deserve, I have a few more questions if you happen to be out there!
ABOUT HUB/CAS in DR Site
1. Would that be an issue if I go ahead and install Exch07 SP2. Do you see any issues with this considering that the rest of the Exchange shop in my organization is running on Exch07 SP1?
ABOUT SEEDING
This is my plan for seeding:
1. Copy over DBs to External Hard Drive: To avoid down time, instead of dismounting the DBs, we will use the Update-StorageGroupCopy to perform the seed, and we will include the -TargetPath parameter, to specify an alternate path for the seed
2. Once DBs are copied to external Hard Drive, we will send out the drive to DR Site in order to copy DBs to SCR Target machine
3. Once DBs are copied to SCR Target machine, we will enable SCR replication using Enable-StorageGroupCopy -identity Storagegroup -standbymachine TargetServerName
We will issue this command for every Storage Group we have
NOTE: Since it will take a couple of days to get the copy of DBs to DR Site and copy them over to SCR Target machine, we need to find a way to deal with the Logs that will accumulate during these 2 days.
I guess we can put on hold the Exchange backup to avoid the logs being truncated. Once we enable the replication from Production site, then the logs will get replicated to the SCR Target. Would be this the best way to deal with this?
I also know that there is also a way to modify the Replaylagtime (Default is 24 hours and Max time is 7 days). Would this a better option? Please advice
STANDBY CLUSTER vs. STANDALONE SERVER AS TARGET SCR
Thanks for your feedback on this topic. This is perhaps the most confusing part of this project! Im still not quite clear which path to take in this regard!
Actually I would like to setup a Standalone server as the SCR Target (if possible) even though we have CCR at Production site. My only concern is that Microsoft says: using a standalone mailbox server would require uninstalling Exchange during the activation process as the standalone mailbox server has its own identity and the only way to activate the single standalone mailbox server would be using Database Portability
SOURCE: http://technet.microsoft.c
If I have to re-install Exchange on the SCR target activation, I guess this will take longer as this will be an extra step.
Im just trying to make sure to select the best path here to make the SCR activation easier in the event of total lose of production site
I have not been able to find something out there that clearly explains the CCR to Standalone SCR scenario I want to setup
I guess this is what needs to happen:
1. I just install Exch07 SP1 on the SCR target machine and select custom installation so I can select the Mailbox Server Role only.
2. Then copy over the DBs from external drives to SCR target to seed the DBs
3. Enable replication so logs start replicating from CCR to SCR target
4. Then whenever I need to failover to DR site (SCR Target activation) Ill have to uninstall Exchange as Microsoft says
5. Re-install Exchange (is this done so we can change the server name to match the one on the lost Production Site?)
6. Use Database Portability to complete the SCR Activation Process
7. Deal with the rest: DNS changes, MX records changes, Work on the Send and receive connectors on the HUB role as well as CAS reconfig, SSL certificates, etc
Am I missing anything?
Thanks again for your previous replay and thanks in advance for your new reply
I always appreciate the time you guys take to come to this site, read other peoples questions and share your technical expertise. You guys are awesome!!!
NO you will not have to uninstall anything.
When disaster happens you can use the other server as a production server, only thing you might need to do is move Mailbox with the Configuration switch only.
http://technet.microsoft.c
-Ethan
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: MailrootPosted on 2009-09-11 at 09:22:52ID: 25311040
ABOUT HUB/CAS in DR Site
1. No that shouls not make any difference.
2. It should be self sufficient to send recive emails and render client requests, in case if Site A is completely down it can take over.
3. Should Not Confict atall.
4. Configure it to Render all the Need of a Hub and Cas Server
5. No such in Particular, let it be a Additional Server.
SEEDING
Now Update-StorageGroupCopy will also perform Seeding, and it will depend on the size of the Database and the Bandwidth, how long it will take to seed. As it will copy the Database and the log files in the backgound to target Server.
Manually Doing it means you copy the Database and will know that both the Databse are likely to be at the Same level.
STANDBY CLUSTER vs. STANDALONE SERVER AS TARGET SCR
1. No you do not have to set up CCR, this SCR node could be a Passive Node of a SCC cluster and could represent a different Cluster
Read through the following Example for Detail : http://technet.microsoft.c
2. CCR is not needed for SCR read through above example it Explains it all.
3. What is the Activation you talking about getting the Database online or Exchange Server Activation.
hope this will help
-Ethan