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Replacing stand-alone Unity with pair of failover - 4.2

jenny.russo
Level 1
Level 1

Current - Unity on a DC with Exchange 2000

Wish to replace with Failover Pair - anyone done anything similar?

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

I hate to keep this going :-)

the issue is not really whether or not you move the messages. It is good that you are not however Exchange could have to remain the same. Same name same mailstore same aliases, and so for. Here is the reason.

Whether or not you move the messages the subscribers are still tied to a mailstore and AD. If on of the field that DiRT is looking for does not match it creates a new AD account and Exchange mailbox. Then you will have to call TAC. Duplicate mailboxes.

Yes, go with what Tommer said and try it in the lab first.

rlp

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Tommer Catlin
VIP Alumni
VIP Alumni

You wish to replace the entire server or?

Basically you can simple add a new Failover server to your existing infrastructure, but ideally, you would want to do this:

- Install new Exchange server on seperate box, in the same domain.

- Add new Exchange stores to Unity

- migrate over Exchange mailboxes from old server to new stand alone server.

- Test Unity with the new Exchange.

now you have Exchange offbox Unity. You can add Failover now if you like OR:

- Upgrade to Unity 4.2.1

- DIRT backup Unity

- Install new Unity server

- DIRT restore

- Install new Failover server

- config failover

- test.

Failover is not really a "pair" Its a Primary Server and (1) Failover server.

Thank you! I want to remove Unity off current server but leave Exchange on there for the time being, I thought this would be less compicated.

I was heading towards option 2 but I wasn't sure if you could simply add a failover server after I confirm that the restore of Unity onto new box is successful, as I though they Primary and Secondary had to come up at same time.

Please - if you would answer me this - I will use DiRT to backup everything except Subscriber Messages since they are located in Exchange and that will not be moving onto the Primary server.

I appreciate the help..

I think that would work also, you are cutting a corner, but it will work. If you were doing all this work anyways, I would just start to reload everything from scratch and get it ready for the next 2-3 years of service.

But yes, DIRT the Unity server with Exchange. Install a new Unity server (same version, etc) DIRT restore. Should be good to go. Then add your failover server once everything is up and running and tested. If you add it in before, you could be complicating troubleshooting if this go sideways

I would go to ciscounitytools.com and study the help file and watch all the videos for the DiRT backup and restore.

It is easy to get into trouble and come out with duplicate accounts and so forth.

If the servername and all the aliases are the same then you should be ok. Mailstore name needs to be the same too if you are moving Exchange to a different server.

I have done this in the lab and have come out with different results than what I thought I would many times. That is why it is important to do it in a lab first if you can.

In the DiRT documentation there are 3 field that DiRT tries to match and if there is no match it will create a new account. you may end up with dups. just be careful.

rlp

Do you see any issues with just moving Unity off the old server, leaving Exchange and doing a DiRT restore on new Unity. (Also I would not back up the subscriber messages as they are on the message store - is this right?) It is nice to hear form someone who has experience - I apprecaite the post.

Yeah, i would watch the DIRT video on Unitytools. The other thing I just thought of, Using DIRT, might not work. Because you have to use the same server name. Well, if the Exchange server you are leaving is "Unity01" on Windows, and you go and install the new Unity server at Unity01, you will have a problem. You cant really rename the Exchange server because it is Exchange a Domain controller, which is a pure mess, not recommended. I believe you can install the new Unity server, and change the server name, its in the forum somewhere or there is a doc, then DIRT import. But I would try it in the lab first. You can leave your current deployment running the entire time, should not affect operations.

I can see if I can find that link about changing hostnames on unity (if a member server)

Thank you - all these posts have saved me days of grief, I am sure.

I will DiRT "old" Unity, restore Primary and then rename Server prior to connecting to bringing back online.

I hate to keep this going :-)

the issue is not really whether or not you move the messages. It is good that you are not however Exchange could have to remain the same. Same name same mailstore same aliases, and so for. Here is the reason.

Whether or not you move the messages the subscribers are still tied to a mailstore and AD. If on of the field that DiRT is looking for does not match it creates a new AD account and Exchange mailbox. Then you will have to call TAC. Duplicate mailboxes.

Yes, go with what Tommer said and try it in the lab first.

rlp

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