How to remove a dead exchange 2007 CAS and Mailbox Roles

The best method is to build a new server as a temporary solution using the same name as the old server. Install Exchange 2007 to this server using the /RecoverServer switch. This will give you a full installation of Exchange, which you can then properly uninstall to give fewer Active Directory errors.

-Matt

ok . i installing new server with old host name. is it necessary to have same ip address and services pack ?. first i am planning to bring up old CAS server. what else i need to take care    

To install only CAS server any additional swich required along with      setup.exe /M:RecoverServer

Just give the server the same name, join it to the domain as a Member Server and then install Exchange with the /RecoverServer switch.

Once Exchange is reinstalled on the server, you can uninstall it again which will cleanly remove it from Active Directory.

-Matt

i started the recovery and it took long time in 96% thrown an error..

Service 'MSExchangeADTopology' failed to start.

Exchange Server setup encountered an error

i have manually  started the active directory topology and file dist but i couldnt start exchang services host... the event veiwer says ..........

Process MSEXCHANGEADTOPOLOGYSERVICE.EXE (PID=2316). Topology discovery failed, error 0x80040a02 (DSC_E_NO_SUITABLE_CDC). Look up the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) error code specified in the event description. To do this, use Microsoft Knowledge Base article 218185, "Microsoft LDAP Error Codes." Use the information in that article to learn more about the cause and resolution to this error. Use the Ping or PathPing command-line tools to test network connectivity to local domain controllers.

i am able to ping dc, name also resolving ... i have checked the Dns record. everything seems ok. but when ran netdaig from the cas server it could not find the dc...

if i ran locally both dc and net diag passed.  

Is the Exchange Server joined to the domain? Did you reset its computer account through AD Users and Computers prior to joining it to the domain? http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=216393

-Matt

Computer account was deleted long back from AD. i joined the server.

OK, so you joined it. Using the same name?

Does it report as a member of the domain? Is the Computer Account listed in AD Users and Computers?

yes.. its listed in computer account

This is a strange one. It's as if the PC has registered in Active Directory, but doesn't actually know it's a member of the domain. Are you logging into the box with a DOMAIN account (as opposed to a local account)? If so, that would pretty much confirm domain communications are OK and it's an issue somewhere else.

-Matt

Yes. Its really strange. for your information i am getting below  errors in event veiwer.
Any hopes ?

sys log error   ( event ID 7000)
The Microsoft Exchange Service Host service failed to start due to the following error:
The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.

Application log warning

event id 2601

Process MSEXCHANGEADTOPOLOGY (PID=2884). When initializing a remote procedure call (RPC) to the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service, Exchange could not retrieve the SID for account <WKGUID=DC1301662F547445B9C490A52961F8FC,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,...> - Error code=80040a01.
 The Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service will continue starting with limited permissions.

Event ID 2114

Process MSEXCHANGEADTOPOLOGYSERVICE.EXE (PID=2884). Topology discovery failed, error 0x80040a02 (DSC_E_NO_SUITABLE_CDC). Look up the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) error code specified in the event description. To do this, use Microsoft Knowledge Base article 218185, "Microsoft LDAP Error Codes." Use the information in that article to learn more about the cause and resolution to this error. Use the Ping or PathPing command-line tools to test network connectivity to local domain controllers.

Event ID 2604

Process MSEXCHANGEADTOPOLOGY (PID=2884). When updating security for a remote procedure call (RPC) access for the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service, Exchange could not retrieve the security descriptor for Exchange server object B-CAS-02 - Error code=80040a01.
 The Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service will continue starting with limited permissions.

Event ID 2501

Process MSEXCHANGEADTOPOLOGY (PID=2884). The site monitor API was unable to verify the site name for this Exchange computer - Call=HrSearch Error code=80040a01. Make sure that Exchange server is correctly registered on the DNS server.



 

It sounds to me like an internal SID identifier issue is causing this. How did you build the machine? Was it a clean install from a Windows Server CD?

-Matt

yes . It was install from the CD

I'd envisage something has gone wrong during the installation procedure, and I'd probably be formatting and reinstalling again.

However, to save time this far down the line, your best bet now is going to be simply removing the server object manually in ADSIEdit: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc411332.aspx.

-Matt

My  last option is that ...but i am trying for clean unisntallation...
please help me for this battle

Well, your only next approach is to rebuild the machine again, rejoin to the domain, and attempt to install Exchange 2007 using the /RecoverServer switch. I'm sure the situation is worse than that though, and the box needs tearing out using ADSIEdit.

-Matt

Anyway once more i am rebuilding the server. let us see this time will the luck come to me or not.

first step  i will rebuild the server with  same name
second - rest the computer account in ad before joining to domain
third after making the member server run the setup with recover switch...

anything else to take care ????

Did you try to delete it?

no..i want a clean uninstallation so i am rebuilding.
 if i fail this time also. i will take a decision to delete it

That looks like the correct route to try once again to install the server in RecoverServer mode.

I would blame your disaster recovery system for this mess.  Agreed?

do u have any other way without messing up....

Please suggest !!!

Why? Has the procedure of rebuilding the server and reinstalling Exchange using /RecoverServer failed once again?

No.... that was replied to MrMintanet:

i have rebuild the server ...before starting the exchange recovery i ran dc and net diag
dcdiag passed all the test but netdaig failed dc list and ldap test...

netdiag log faild attached !!!

NetDiag.log

There is something seriously wrong happening here. I would seriously suggest at this stage to simply launch ADSIEdit and manually wipe out the Exchange object. I would not personally spend this amount of time troubleshooting these issues; a clean uninstall of Exchange is nice, but not the only route by which Exchange can be cleaned up.

-Matt

Again, I suggest a purge at this point.

Ok . I will run ADSI

Do i need to delete only the server object from CN configuration ?

Just run a backup prior to, that is all.  You can do it! :)

OK i will do the same 2PM EST

hope everything will be ok

hey it is removed successfully.   thanks a lot.
now i have to remove the old mailbox also...i belive same steps i can follow
am i right ?

If the Mailbox Server failed too, then you can remove it using ADSIedit in the same fashion.

-Matt