We have an unstable server at the moment and am looking at a tactical solution to move exchange to new hardware. The solution will be to install a new exchange server (we would than have 2) and move mailboxes of users, then decommission the old hardware. Currently our mailbox stores etc are on a seperate SAN. When I perform the above, would I actually need to move the mailboxes or could I leave them where they are somehow... i.e. its only the front end server what is an issue at the moment. I know if I need to move mailboxes then logs would be generated, so need to keep away from that as space is tight.

No, This is not recommended. You must be moving mailbox to new exchange server then decommision old server.Anil

Hi Anil This is what I am intending to do, but what I'm not sure of is the actual move of the mailbox... The current server "EXCHANGE1" the mailboxes are not locally stored - they are on a SAN. My new server "EXCHANGE2" do I actually have to move the mailboxes or can I leave them on the SAN, and just repoint outlook to the new server.

On Wed, 11 May 2011 08:21:12 +0000, Peter Cashen wrote: > > >We have an unstable server at the moment and am looking at a tactical solution to move exchange to new hardware. > >The solution will be to install a new exchange server (we would than have 2) and move mailboxes of users, then decommission the old hardware. > >Currently our mailbox stores etc are on a seperate SAN. > >When I perform the above, would I actually need to move the mailboxes or could I leave them where they are somehow... i.e. its only the front end server what is an issue at the moment. There should be no mailboxes on a FE server so moving them at all should be unnecessary. Just stand up a new FE. You can even create a WNLB cluster and, when you're ready, remove the old FE without affecting anything. >I know if I need to move mailboxes then logs would be generated, so need to keep away from that as space is tight. Log files would be created on the target server -- if you had to move any mailboxes. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP

When I say its a FE server ... we only have one Exchange server but the mailboxes aren't local.... so it is the ONLY server related to Exchange. Its only on Windows Standard to no clustering available AFAIK. Are log files ONLY created on target? I thought source as well?

Hi Peter, As per my understadning, you have only one server which host all the roles, In this case you have to move mailbox into new server for free your existing server. If you think just attach SAN storage with new server will work for mailbox then its not possible. Please correct me if i missunderstood your issue, Also you should be bit more explainotry..Anil

Hi Anil, Correct. One Server for Exchange with all mailboxes stored on SAN. So ONLY solution is to build new server and add it to domain, so i would then have 2 Exchange Servers. Move mailboxes from Server1 to Server2 then decommission Server1. Only remaining issue is space. Destination Server (Server2) wont be an issue, but we hardly have any space left on Source Server (Server1). 'Rich' says above that transaction logs are only created on destination, yet Microsoft here says they are created on Destination AND Source: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/821829 - "For every gigabyte of data that you move, an additional gigabyte of transaction logs is generated at the source and target server." What is right? IF they are created on the source also, what is the workaround?

On Thu, 12 May 2011 10:13:52 +0000, Peter Cashen wrote: >When I say its a FE server ... we only have one Exchange server but the mailboxes aren't local.... so it is the ONLY server related to Exchange. I'm sorry, but that makes no sense. A FE server has no mailboxes. If it's a FE server, the "This is a front-end server" check-box on the server's property page will be checked. You may have a single Exchange server that allows the use of OWA, but that doesn't make it a FE server. If the mailboxes aren't local, and you have only one Exchange sever, then where are the mailboxes but your one server??? >Its only on Windows Standard to no clustering available AFAIK. Not a MSCS clustered server, a WNLB cluster (i.e. a load-balanced set of machines). But that's not going to work if you don't actually have a FE server (or servers). >Are log files ONLY created on target? I thought source as well? There may a small amount of log files created on the source, but the target will have log files slightly larger than the amount of e-mail you move to the server. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP

On Thu, 12 May 2011 12:13:17 +0000, Peter Cashen wrote: >Correct. > >One Server for Exchange with all mailboxes stored on SAN. Then there's no FE server. You have a BE server. It may allow the use of OWA through the local IIS server, but it's not a FE serever. >So ONLY solution is to build new server and add it to domain, so i would then have 2 Exchange Servers. Yes, and you'll have two different URLs to access each of them using OWA (which wouldn't be true if you really had a FE server). >Move mailboxes from Server1 to Server2 then decommission Server1. Don't forget any public folders -- including the site folders that hold your free/busy information and any organizational forms. >Only remaining issue is space. Destination Server (Server2) wont be an issue, but we hardly have any space left on Source Server (Server1). > >'Rich' says above that transaction logs are only created on destination, yet Microsoft here says they are created on Destination AND Source: > >http://support.microsoft.com/kb/821829 - "For every gigabyte of data that you move, an additional gigabyte of transaction logs is generated at the source and target server." > >What is right? IF they are created on the source also, what is the workaround? --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP

Hi Peter, The transaction logs will generate at the source and target Sever. Maybe enable circular log is a workaround for your issue, but it will leave you no recovery options. smart

OK, the logs created on the source server, will they be small as per Rich's post on Thursday, May 12, 2011 9:47 PM??

Hi Peter, per my knowledge, the reason it generates transaction logs at the source and destinations is due to how transaction logs work: The log on source server records the transaction of items being deleted from it. The log on destination server records the transaction of items being added to it. So the size of log on source server is due to what you will do on the source server. smart

Hi Peter, per my knowledge, the reason it generates transaction logs at the source and destinations is due to how transaction logs work: The log on source server records the transaction of items being deleted from it. The log on destination server records the transaction of items being added to it. smart