ncomper
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Remove all Exchange data from AD and user accounts then re-install with fresh exchange Org
HI All
I need to remove all data from AD relating to the Exchange 2010 org and then re-create as new.
Background Info...We have a single forest / domain running on Windows 2008R2 dcs although the DFL / FFL are both Windows 2003 server.
Recently I powered off one of our DC's that was a VM and stuck it in an isolated Test environment at the request of the management as they wanted to test Integration between our HR system and AD. I seized all the FSMO roles and manually cleaned up AD / DNS of all the DC's and sites not in use in the test lab so i was left with a single DC that was in a healthy state, i then renamed the domain from abc.com to testabc.com
All is good so far, everything looks healthy from a logs perspective and dcdiag etc
Now that has finished they have thrown me curve ball i was not expecting and requested Exchange be added to the test LAB. In prod we have 4 CAS / HT servers and 3 mailbox servers in a DAG so i do not want to P2V those into the LAB.
My preference would be to remove all exchange data from AD in test lab and all the attributes from user accounts and then install a fresh Install of exchange in a new Org and then re create blank mailboxes.
Anyone help me on how to go about this.
Thanks
I need to remove all data from AD relating to the Exchange 2010 org and then re-create as new.
Background Info...We have a single forest / domain running on Windows 2008R2 dcs although the DFL / FFL are both Windows 2003 server.
Recently I powered off one of our DC's that was a VM and stuck it in an isolated Test environment at the request of the management as they wanted to test Integration between our HR system and AD. I seized all the FSMO roles and manually cleaned up AD / DNS of all the DC's and sites not in use in the test lab so i was left with a single DC that was in a healthy state, i then renamed the domain from abc.com to testabc.com
All is good so far, everything looks healthy from a logs perspective and dcdiag etc
Now that has finished they have thrown me curve ball i was not expecting and requested Exchange be added to the test LAB. In prod we have 4 CAS / HT servers and 3 mailbox servers in a DAG so i do not want to P2V those into the LAB.
My preference would be to remove all exchange data from AD in test lab and all the attributes from user accounts and then install a fresh Install of exchange in a new Org and then re create blank mailboxes.
Anyone help me on how to go about this.
Thanks
If you have setup new AD that is good to fresh exchange installation although you can install on same add after remove old exchange server complete information from Remove (legacy) Exchange server using ADSIEdit.
Do you also have a lab version of the HR software?
The best options to properly replicate the environments for simulation testing is to use the same domains.
This means isolating your LAB Domain, LAB Exchange and LAB HR system onto a single switch that is not connect to your production network.
In this scenario, you do the AD clean-up tasks as done previously and then run Exchange installation with the recoverserver options. It will read from AD and rebuild your first Exchange Server. I've not tried the Exchange disaster recover installation on a renamed domain, but it's an option you could try.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876880(v=exchg.141).aspx
By rebuilding all the servers entirely you're actually not replicating your environment and other issue could appear when you try your integration.
The best options to properly replicate the environments for simulation testing is to use the same domains.
This means isolating your LAB Domain, LAB Exchange and LAB HR system onto a single switch that is not connect to your production network.
In this scenario, you do the AD clean-up tasks as done previously and then run Exchange installation with the recoverserver options. It will read from AD and rebuild your first Exchange Server. I've not tried the Exchange disaster recover installation on a renamed domain, but it's an option you could try.
You can recover a lost server by using the Setup /m:RecoverServer switch in Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. Most of the settings for a computer running Exchange 2010 are stored in Active Directory. The /m:RecoverServer switch rebuilds an Exchange server with the same name by using the settings and other information stored in Active Directory.
Recovering a lost Exchange server is often accomplished by using new hardware. However, you can also use an existing server.
This topic shows you how to recover a lost Exchange 2010 server that isn't a member of a database availability group (DAG). For detailed steps about how to recover a server that was a member of a DAG, see Recover a Database Availability Group Member Server.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876880(v=exchg.141).aspx
By rebuilding all the servers entirely you're actually not replicating your environment and other issue could appear when you try your integration.
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Even if you replicate your environment in lab, you cannot guarantee that you will not face any issues in production
The lab is after all test lab and production setup is production setup and the scale of both setup have drastic difference
The Idea of test lab is to check basic functionality and to build confidence
The lab is after all test lab and production setup is production setup and the scale of both setup have drastic difference
The Idea of test lab is to check basic functionality and to build confidence
ASKER
Thanks, ill try that tool
When you renamed domain, your Exchange has braked at that moment
Also even if you wipe out Exchange attributes from user properties and cleanup exchange setup from adsiedit.msc, your schema is already upgraded to work with Exchange and that changes can't be undone
At a maximum you can try by removing Exchange completely through adsiedit.msc\configuration
http://www.wackytechtips.com/force-removal-of-exchange-server-remove-exchange-2010-manually/
Then try to reinstall MS Exchange again, then delete all Exchange attributes from users and groups through Exchange EMC
The best way to deal with your situation I can see:
Prepare new domain as same name as your production domain \ the name whichever you want in isolated network
Modify AD schema with MS Exchange setup
Install brand new Exchange ORG
create required test users, groups OU structure for testing
setup application integration \ whatever testing you want
Once done replicate the changes to production environment
Mahesh