Simulate a Failover in Exchange 2010

You have only 2 servers with all roles inside both. How are you balancing CAS conections? Did you configure correctly CAS server on DAG databases?

It is working as per design. As you mentioned, db failed over to server 2 and you were able to connect mailbox. So DAG is working.

What error are you getting, when you are trying to send an email. Remember, DAG is only for MBX. For CAS you need HLB, for HUB you need multiple hub servers.

I assume your FSW is on separate box.

The problem here is the fact that you have all roles on each server.

Your CAS Array and DAG cannot run on the same server.

So the best option here would be to either move your mailbox role to a different server and have the others reside on the current ones or vise versa

@Hendrik

CAS Array is just a object in AD, read this.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2012/03/23/demystifying-the-cas-array-object-part-1.aspx

Ok let me rephrase. You would normally use Windows NLB to load balance the 2 and you cannot use Windows NLB and DAG on the same server.

When I said CAS Array I was referring to the NLB sertup. :)

Thanks for all the Comments,  we are not using a NLB you cannot use that in my configuration it will not work with a DAG. The FSW is on another Member Server as it has to be in my configuration, yes proper permission (ETS) was added to the local Admin account.  For AMIT -  No error, email just stays in the outbox and any email that is sent to that test account does not get delivered.   I turned on SVR 1 before leaving work and this morning all messages Sent and Received were delivered within 15 minutes after turning SVR 1 back on.  There has to be a way to successfully test a hard and soft failure, I rather know that works now while still in the testing phase before it becomes a live Server.

Both server are in same site?

AMIT - Yes, both servers are in the Same Site.  I am using DNS as my sort of Load Balancer.  I have my A record for the CAS Array pointing to both servers.  I do not have DNS round robin enable for the two servers, I am thinking that I need to do that, but I am not sure. I will be reading up on that today.  The Servers are Windows 2008 R2 Virtual.  Small User base - which is why I opted for 2 multi-role Servers and the only reason I have 2 servers is more for redundancy in case I experience issues with one of the servers.

For CAS you need a load balancer. Then only you can achieve High Availability. As far as, your issue, it is not related to CAS it is related to HUB role. Can you send an email to test account itself and tell me the result.

We have had two servers for Exchange 2010 for years in two different sites. All roles on h82bu other servers. We would manually modify DNS for the CAS array to point to the right server, but that was the only manual step required for failover.

The best thing to do it try it, and troubleshoot all the issues you find. Make sure both servers have a send connector.

Good News and another question.  So the failover actually worked because the DB from SVR1 that I shutdown is still on SVR 2 and mail is flowing.  The mailbox that was original on SVR1 and that moved to SRV 2 as it should after I shutdown SVR 1, but could not receive or send emails was because when I first set up the Test MBX'S I had not created the CAS Array as of yet. According to documentation it is best to create your CAS Array before you create or move any mailboxes, I knew this after the fact.  Anyway I needed and just did a repair on that mailbox in outlook and mail flows incoming and outgoing with no problem on the SVR 2.  My question is how to I get the MB back on it's original SVR 1?  It should not be a move command, is there an activate command or something that I need to run on the EMS?  I plan on testing all again, but after I figure out how to get the DB back to it's original Server.

Thanks - Activated the original and it is back where it needs to be.  Thanks for the article.