Windows Inplace-Update with Exchange

Ralph Scharping
Ralph Scharping used Ask the Experts™
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Hello,

I am running Exchange 2010 on Windows Server 2008 virtualized on VMware ESX 5.1.
The machine is not a real reason to worry.  It runs, but every once in a while there are odd ADS issues.  Rights seem to vanish, SIDs are shown instead of user names.  A reboot fixes those issues every time.
I would like to update the OS to Windows Server 2008 R2.  But I have never updated the OS of an Exchange server.

Are there good reasons for or against this OS-udpate?

Thanks,
Ralph
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Consultant
Most Valuable Expert 2014
Commented:
It is not supported to upgrade Windows with Exchange installed. End of story.

Therefore you would have to build a replacement machine on Windows 2008 R2 and swing the data around. If you don't have an RPC CAS Array in place though, you will have to update the clients manually, or rebuild the original (after removing Exchange) with the same name and moving everything back.

Simon.
John EastonDirector

Commented:
Is your current 2008 server 64-bit?  If not you may not be able to do an in place upgrade.  This is due to 2008 R2 only being available as 64-bit and as far as I have seen you can not upgrade from 32 to 64 bit - it requires a clean install and therefore quite a bit of hassle!

P.s. I do not know if this is still true for virtual servers, I've only been upgrading physical machines.
Ralph ScharpingDigital Therapist

Author

Commented:
I feared this, but I did not know.  Thanks.

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