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ReeceFlag for Australia

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Exchange 2003 Server replacement

We have a Server 2003 Standard with Exchange 2003.  Everything is working well except for one major flaw... there is no disk space left.
I have aquired a nice IBM x3650 server and have installed 3x 300GB SAS hard drives RAID5.
I have embedded the IBM RaidServ SAS controller drivers into the OS install and I'm up to configuring the OS and then Exchange.

Do I need to do anything with the old server (still online and in use) before I do the OS install on the new server?

What is the best method to move data (and maybe the configuration) from the old server to the new server?  Both are running exactly the same OS, Exchange and SP's.
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Pratik Parmar
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The Best way to Migrate your Exchange Database including the OS is to Perform a Acronis True Image Universal Restore Backup on your Old Server and then restore to your New Server....

I have done this in 2003 Operating systems.... it was quite successful.(although i have used SysPrep Utility.. also)
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Radhakrishnan
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You just proceed the installation on the new server as usual, till install Exchange and service packs and updates...etc.
When server is ready, start moving mailboxes from the old server to the new server using Exchange System Manager.
Users then will get notified to close and reopen outlook.
Once you're done, uninstall Exchnage from old server.
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ASKER

easier said than done....
Ok, this is where I am at right now:

the original server is setup with Server 2k3 standard (SP2) and exchange 2k3 (standard SP3).
it is still in use, has about 55 mailboxes (about 33GB data).
it is on the public side of our juniper firewall and has it's own dedicated public IP.  it is configured using a FQDN, lets say mydomain.com.au
the server's name is "mail"
i have the new server on the same side of the firewall with it's own dedicated IP.  it's name is "new-mail" (i intend to change the names once done)"
i currently have no roles configured on it and exchange is not yet installed. it is not a DC (yet) and not joined to a domain yet
where do i go from here?
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ASKER

any help?  
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thanks ehabsalem.

It almost seems like i'm being spoonfed this...

I'm stuck on adding the server to the existing domain:
I have joined the server to the domain and restarted, but if i run DCPROMO and try to add the server as a second domain controller i run into errors.

Firstly, I can only use the NETBIOS name of MYDOMAIN rather than mydomain.com.au.  This is OK though, it gets past the 1st step.  
When it asks me to enter the full DNS name of the existing domain for which this this server will become... etc., I can click Browse... and then select the domain I want (mydomain.com.au).  When i click Next, i get the error "An Active Directory comain controller for the domain mydomain.com.au could not be contacted.  Ensure the DNS domain name is typed correctly."

The TCP/IP settings I have for this server are identical to the other server (except the machine's IP of course).
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ASKER

I just had a thought...

the existing mail server is configured as such:
IP = 203.xx.xxx.xa
SM = 255.255.255.0
GW = 203.xx.xxx.xz (our Juniper firewalled router)
PDNS = ISP DNS IP1
SDNS = ISP DNS IP2

I currently have the new-mail server set the same except using IP = 203.xx.xxx.xb

Should I change the PDNS of the new-mail server to point to the existing mail server, and get rid of the SDNS?

leaving it like this until the migration and promote/demote is finished?
Do you really want to have the new server a DC? It is supported but surely not recommended.
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ASKER

you mean to say i can have exchange set up without the server being a DC?  What about when I take the old exchange server away from the network?  It is to be rebuilt as a app server for a different office of ours.  Won't the new server NEED to be a DC if it is to be the only server in the domain?
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ASKER

I've joined the existing domain just as a member.
I've gone through the prerequisite steps for installing exchange (although i can't run dcdiag on the new server because it's not a DC.  I had to run dcdiag /s:mail.mydomain.com.au).
Am I installing exchange as the 1st exchange server or as an additional exchange server?

I can't seem to install as either...  
When i start the install from CD (D:\setup\i386\setup.exe) I ignore the warnings about known compatabilities (I have SP2 ready to install straight away) the installer has all of the install options greyed out and i cannot press next.
Any ideas what's going on here?
You have to install exchange as a second exchange server.
Please check the prerequisites requirements as some requirements if not available won't allow you to start the installation. This is why every thing is grayed.

If you select a component to install, it will tell you what is missing.
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ASKER

due to the number of client PC's that will be using this server a a few other factors that after discussion with company bosses, we've decided I will do an "offline build" replicating the current server, take the old server offline, put the new server online and once confirmed correct mailbox activity, i will use exmerge to move the mailboxes onto the new server.

stay tuned as i'm sure i will undoubtedly run into areas where i need assistance.
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ASKER

for those who were tracking this one... all is going well so far.

I've got the new server almost completely configured (same OS, Exchange, Settings) whilst just plugged into a network switch that isn't actually on our network.
I'm almost up to the point where i can take the old server offline, put the new server online and move one mailbox (probably mine) onto the new server.
I plan to do this using exmerge.

A question though...  for the exmerge import to work, i need to have the AD user created on the new server already yeah?
Should I not create ALL AD accounts until i'm ready to exmerge ALL mailboxes (just in case I have a misconfiguration and want to put the old server back online until fixed)???
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danubian

AD migration and Exchange migration are two different things.
You have AD on the same server, as Exchange ?
If only storage space is the issue, the best scenario in my opinion was already suggested here: install as a second exchange server and move mailboxes between Exchange servers.
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ASKER

installing as a 2nd exchange server is not an option for us.  We have two racks, one is full with comms equipment and the other is FULL with 9 servers.  There is no more room.  The IBM server is to be a replacement for our 7 year old exchange server.  It has much improved performance and storage to boot.
anyway...
i took the older server offline yesterday, put the new one online (with just my account).  Outlook picked it up straight away, asked for a restart then everything just started working beautifully.
i was too hungover from our work christmas party to spend the rest of the weekend in the office using exmerge to move all mailboxes, so i restored the old mail server for now.
Scheduled the data move for next friday evening.
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ASKER

The data move was successful and the mail server is working a lot quicker than the old server.  There are also no Retrospect Backup errors, Symantec Mail Security errors and most importantly, storage warnings.

Thanks to all for help on this.
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ASKER

Even though I ended up building the server offline, swapping them over and then exmerging data, the information given by  Ehabsalem and radhakrishnan2007 worked perfectly until the point where I changed my plan of attack.
Thanks.