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Bad Exchange.. need to redo again possibly.. Please advise

Dear All,

Quick history:
Windows 2003, Exchange 2003..... added 2008r2, 2012 r2. Exchange 2010.
Co existed.
Removed Exchange 2003 (with errors - cant specify now).
Demoted 2003
Raised domain level to 2008r2.

Problems I am getting.. plenty of errors in Event Viewer on new Exchange 2010 box with moved mailboxes etc...
Relating to cant find DC originally, Public Folder Store, Outlook clients cannot get in and then can later.
Getting certificate issues.
Some can get in and some cant. Getting lock ups.
Suspect AD is dirty from an Exchange 2003 removal that had errors and I had to use ADSI also.

This is a small site of 20x going from W2003 and Exch2003 to W2008+W2012 and ExCH2010.

I need to almost restart with Exchange 2010. I have suspicions with the install as services do not appear to auto start every time when the box is rebooted. I cannot get Outlook to open anymore on some users, but can on others after getting password prompts and some with password and untrusted certificates. Suspicions of AD.

Feels like a storm of issues :S.

I am not an Exchange Guru. Think I need to almost start again :).

What guidance please and ASAP as I do have users that need to use OWA, but I keep having to restart Info Store and other services etc... due to Outlook getting locked up

Many thanks in advance

R

ROM

ASKER

Big question is can I save..

As I am starting a new VM network as we speak. But thats a ton of work

R

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Gareth Gudger

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ROM

ASKER

Yup.. checked NICS and config all ok. Can ping DC's when I check.. but then sometimes it does not.
I did move FSMO roles.
Outlook Web App locks up as well..

Thanks

R

Gareth Gudger

This almost sounds like bad hardware.

Is this a physical or virtual server?

Does this server have antivirus loaded? If so, make sure you have all the relevant exceptions in play.

What happens when you run DCDIAG from the domain controllers? Can you post the results here? Run from both DCs.

Adam Farage

What errors do you see on Exchange? I agree with Gareth, but if you also are trying to fit Exchange on a virtual server with 2GB of RAM and a single Core that isnt going to really work in a production environment..

Please let us know the specs of the server, number of users and the event viewer; Application log errors once you have the server started up (so we know what is causing the errors to generate).

ROM

ASKER

Sorry everyone.

Was away over Christmas.

Just come in and no mail again.

Just doing a reboot.

Its a physical server. This week I think I need to rebuild it or something.

There is currently 3 Outlook users and 4 Goldmine users (pop3 email collection into CRM on a schedule).
There will be up to 8 Outlook users. With 5 of them starting with no mail in the mailbox as there historical is in Goldmine.

I was thinking I could get away with Exchange 2010, Win2012r2 on 8gb RAM, 4x virtual cores on the HP hypervisor.
Current mailboxes are 2GB, 4GB, 1GB.

2 users access exchange via terminal services so NO caching... and they have 20000 items in the inbox.

Please confirm that this really is not considered overload for what is a dedicated server 8x cores, 16GB Ram, SAS drives etc... I think the performance even on NO CACHE exchange mode is not correct at all!!! Yes the server is a bit older but this really is a Micro environment.

Ill undertake some tests and feedback.

Please give your comments asap as I need to plan and get going as soon as .

a) Virtual with that spec.
b) NOT overloaded, agree?
c) Possible rebuild?!?!

Many thanks in advance.

R

ROM

ASKER

BTW - got AVG Business Internet Edition 2013 loaded on server. It is Exchange aware.

R

ROM

ASKER

Brand New VM DC -

Directory Server Diagnosis
Performing initial setup:
Trying to find home server...
Home Server = VMDC
* Identified AD Forest.
Done gathering initial info.
Doing initial required tests
Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\VMDC
Starting test: Connectivity
......................... VMDC passed test Connectivity
Doing primary tests
Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\VMDC
Starting test: Advertising
......................... VMDC passed test Advertising
Starting test: FrsEvent
......................... VMDC passed test FrsEvent
Starting test: DFSREvent
......................... VMDC passed test DFSREvent
Starting test: SysVolCheck
......................... VMDC passed test SysVolCheck
Starting test: KccEvent
......................... VMDC passed test KccEvent
Starting test: KnowsOfRoleHolders
......................... VMDC passed test KnowsOfRoleHolders
Starting test: MachineAccount
......................... VMDC passed test MachineAccount
Starting test: NCSecDesc
......................... VMDC passed test NCSecDesc
Starting test: NetLogons
......................... VMDC passed test NetLogons
Starting test: ObjectsReplicated
......................... VMDC passed test ObjectsReplicated
Starting test: Replications
......................... VMDC passed test Replications
Starting test: RidManager
......................... VMDC passed test RidManager
Starting test: Services
......................... VMDC passed test Services
Starting test: SystemLog
......................... VMDC passed test SystemLog
Starting test: VerifyReferences
......................... VMDC passed test VerifyReferences
Running partition tests on : ForestDnsZones
Starting test: CheckSDRefDom
......................... ForestDnsZones passed test CheckSDRefDom
Starting test: CrossRefValidation
......................... ForestDnsZones passed test
CrossRefValidation
Running partition tests on : DomainDnsZones
Starting test: CheckSDRefDom
......................... DomainDnsZones passed test CheckSDRefDom
Starting test: CrossRefValidation
......................... DomainDnsZones passed test
CrossRefValidation
Running partition tests on : Schema
Starting test: CheckSDRefDom
......................... Schema passed test CheckSDRefDom
Starting test: CrossRefValidation
......................... Schema passed test CrossRefValidation
Running partition tests on : Configuration
Starting test: CheckSDRefDom
......................... Configuration passed test CheckSDRefDom
Starting test: CrossRefValidation
......................... Configuration passed test CrossRefValidation
Running partition tests on : MyDom
Starting test: CheckSDRefDom
......................... MyDom passed test CheckSDRefDom
Starting test: CrossRefValidation
......................... MyDom passed test CrossRefValidation
Running enterprise tests on : MyDom.lan
Starting test: LocatorCheck
......................... MyDom.lan passed test LocatorCheck
Starting test: Intersite
......................... MyDom.lan passed test Intersite

This is the only DC as I have demoted the other one.
I will be spinning up a new VM DC soon on the other Hypervisor.

Gareth Gudger

BTW - got AVG Business Internet Edition 2013 loaded on server. It is Exchange aware.

I'd still make sure you have all the relevant exceptions in place. At a minimum exclude the Exchange Databases, Logs and Exchange Install Path locations. And any locations where you have message queuing.

Here is Microsoft's list of recommended exceptions for Exchange. You need to make sure these exclusions are the same for both real-time and on demand scanning.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb332342(v=exchg.150).aspx

I was thinking I could get away with Exchange 2010, Win2012r2 on 8gb RAM, 4x virtual cores on the HP hypervisor.
Current mailboxes are 2GB, 4GB, 1GB.

Exchange 2010 can only go up to 2012 RTM. Can't use R2 for 2010. It is unsupported. Also, you can only go to 2012 RTM if you are using the SP3 media. Everything else looks fine. Also, what do you mean the HP HyperVisor? Current spec seems fine if Exchange 2010 is the ONLY thing you have on there. Everything looks fine from DCDIAG.

ROM

ASKER

This did help with me resolving.
Thanks everyone

R