Looking for Closure in a Relationship with two DCs
I’m having difficulty retiring a failing GC / DC / Exchange Server (server1).
It’s running Windows Server 2003 with Exchange 2007 SP3. The hardware is failing and the server needs to be replaced. It’s a small business with 5 clients machines and a single server.
The replacement server (server2) is running Windows Server 2008 R2 with Exchange Server 2010 SP2.
I installed the replacement server; promoted it using DCPromo, set it up as a GC, transferred all FSMO roles, and enabled it as a DHCP and DNS server (and a WINS server for good measure since the clients are on XP). Ran adprep /forestprep from the Windows Server 2008 R2 CD on server1. There were no problems. The login scripts automatically were synced on both servers. I moved all the file shares and updated the login scripts to point to server2. Users logged into and their drive mappings all point to server2 now.
Then installed Exchange 2010 SP2 on server2. Moved the send and receive connectors from server1 to server2. Changed the router to send 80, 25 and 443 to server2. Moved all mailboxes. So far so good. Enabled Exchange to use server2 as the GC. Tested OWA and ActiveSync. Good to go at this point.
When I attempted to shut down server1, Exchange would not allow connections. Users could not log into the network unless they had a hard coded IP. Right away that pointed me towards DHCP as an issue, but the scope of server2 does not overlap with server1’s DHCP scope. DNS is also working fine. NSLOOKUP resolves to server2.
I have not actually done a DCPROMO on server1 to demote it to a member server in fear losing the domain, nor have I uninstalled Exchange 2007 on server1 to officially retire it. I have done this in the past and yet somehow I feel I missed something. Right now server1 is on life support. Server2 cannot function unless server1 is on.
Can someone help me figure out what I missed?
Thanks!
-Ted
It’s running Windows Server 2003 with Exchange 2007 SP3. The hardware is failing and the server needs to be replaced. It’s a small business with 5 clients machines and a single server.
The replacement server (server2) is running Windows Server 2008 R2 with Exchange Server 2010 SP2.
I installed the replacement server; promoted it using DCPromo, set it up as a GC, transferred all FSMO roles, and enabled it as a DHCP and DNS server (and a WINS server for good measure since the clients are on XP). Ran adprep /forestprep from the Windows Server 2008 R2 CD on server1. There were no problems. The login scripts automatically were synced on both servers. I moved all the file shares and updated the login scripts to point to server2. Users logged into and their drive mappings all point to server2 now.
Then installed Exchange 2010 SP2 on server2. Moved the send and receive connectors from server1 to server2. Changed the router to send 80, 25 and 443 to server2. Moved all mailboxes. So far so good. Enabled Exchange to use server2 as the GC. Tested OWA and ActiveSync. Good to go at this point.
When I attempted to shut down server1, Exchange would not allow connections. Users could not log into the network unless they had a hard coded IP. Right away that pointed me towards DHCP as an issue, but the scope of server2 does not overlap with server1’s DHCP scope. DNS is also working fine. NSLOOKUP resolves to server2.
I have not actually done a DCPROMO on server1 to demote it to a member server in fear losing the domain, nor have I uninstalled Exchange 2007 on server1 to officially retire it. I have done this in the past and yet somehow I feel I missed something. Right now server1 is on life support. Server2 cannot function unless server1 is on.
Can someone help me figure out what I missed?
Thanks!
-Ted
John Gobert
You have to actually uninstall Exchange from the server you're taking out of the network so that the domain & Exchange forest is properly updated. If there are any left over items or hidden gremlins hanging out in your original Exchange box you'll find out during the uninstall... hopefully you won't have any remaining items to clean up and the uninstall will flow easily... if not, don't worry... just action each item that comes up so that Exchange will uninstall properly and you'll be good... you'll be able to decommission the domain controller at that point and have a clean exit.
sieze the FSMO's
Are you facing an issue with Exchange or Network logins?
If its network login - troubleshooting goes to a different path, if its Exchange - again to a different path.
Clarify.
Regards,
Exchange_Geek
If its network login - troubleshooting goes to a different path, if its Exchange - again to a different path.
Clarify.
Regards,
Exchange_Geek
@Exchange_Geek... I think he was pretty clear... his new DC is online and holds the FSMO roles... he brought up an Exchange 2010 SP2 install in co-existence with his original 2007 server. Once he got everything "working" he just shut down the 2007 machine which isn't going to work... the 2007 server has to be uninstalled from the domain properly so that the 2010 server isn't still referencing it...
...it's all pretty clearly written...
...it's all pretty clearly written...
ASKER
I know that uninstalling the Exchange server will resolve the issues with Exchange, but will demoting the original resolve the issues? I did an NTDSUTIL and saw that all five FSMO roles were on the new server. Is there a delegation step I might have missed with DNS?
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ASKER
Thanks for the tip. It got me started looking at DHCP. Turns out there were issues on the old server's registry. The new server was never properly authorized. A "ghost" server which was decommissioned years ago was showing up as an authorized server. I had to go into the registry to get rid of it. Now DNS and DHCP are disabled on the old server. The new server is serving up addresses just fine. <br /><br />Now for the nightmare of moving public folders off the old server. Thanks for your help!