Exchange 2013 Server DR Planning

Recently we migrated from exchange server 2010 to 2013(2Mb, 2CAS) .

Planning to do below steps in DR. Kindly suggest me good practices, if possible share good document for exchange 2013 DR.

1) Mailbox Server (One Node)

2) CAS Server(One Node).

3) Adding this DR mailbox server to DAG.

4) Enabling DAC for DAG.

Is there any steps i missed out...

Kindly suggest me good practices, if possible share good document for exchange 2013 DR with DAC.

March 15th, 2015 8:07am

Hi Vino,

Are you planning to have automatic failover ?
If yes. You have to configure dynamic quorum for an automatic failover in a 3 node DAG and your bandwidth/latency should support as well.
We discourage automatic failover to DR. Recommended to manually mount the database in DR in case both the servers goes offline.

Please check my comments in the below URL as well
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/9aea2f0c-3cf6-4283-ad50-73357079f16f/3-node-dag-with-dr-site?forum=exchangesvradmin

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
March 15th, 2015 10:18am

hi

i am also planning to have manual mounting the database in DR.

Is there any configuration document available for achieving this things..

March 15th, 2015 12:11pm

There is no relationship between dynamic quorums ( which is enabled by default in W2012/2012R2) and automatic datacenter failover. Automatic datacenter failover is achieved with an even number of DAG members in each DC and a File Share Witness in a 3rd DC. Automatic datacenter  failover is not possible in an odd-numbered DAG.

To enable a manual datacenter *switchover" see:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd351049%28v=exchg.150%29.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

Datacenter Switchovers

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
March 15th, 2015 1:28pm

Agree with Andy dynamic Quorum is enabled by default.
In an odd number of servers File share witness is being ignored it uses "Node majority"
In Windows 2008 if you have 3 members in a DAG and 2 of them fails automatically the 3rd one will be offline because no quorum. But in windows2012 if 2 members fails 3rd one will be still online.
Please refer these as it will answer your question I guess.
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/e4a46b94-e510-42bd-927b-8fa0a912f2e0/dag-file-share-witness-quorum-best-practice?forum=exchangesvravailabilityandisasterrecovery

http://www.msexchange.org/articles-tutorials/exchange-server-2013/high-availability-recovery/exchange-2013-dag-dynamic-quorum-part2.html

Below command will prevent automatic failover to  DR site. Refer below URL

Set-MailboxServer -Identity EXDR02 -DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy IntrasiteOnly

http://www.msexchange.org/kbase/ExchangeServerTips/ExchangeServer2010/HighAvailability/PreventDatabaseCopiesfromAutomaticallyMountinginotherSites.ht

March 16th, 2015 1:48am

Please correct if iam wrong..

It means there is nothing to do with cluster configuration.

1)DAC should be enabled for DAG.

2) Autoactivation policy command should executed for DR Exchange Server.

3) In my primary site any node fails, automatically switch over will happen to other node in primary site.

If my primary site fails, then manually i have to activate the database in DR.

Also tell me the recommended location for witness server(Primary site or Dr site).

Thanks in advance.

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
March 16th, 2015 5:49am


1)DAC should be enabled for DAG.
Yes

2) Autoactivation policy command should executed for DR Exchange Server.
Yes

3) In my primary site any node fails, automatically switch over will happen to other node in primary site.
Yes.

-->my primary site fails, then manually i have to activate the database in DR.
Yes if you configure as suggested above.

-->Also tell me the recommended location for witness server(Primary site or Dr site).
If you have a HA fileserver I recommend to configure on fileserver in primary site. If you don't have a HA file server then configure file share witness on one of your CAS server in primary site.
The same for alternate witness. If you have file server in DR site you configure file server in DR site as alternate witness server else configure CAS server in DR site as the witness server in DR

March 16th, 2015 6:24am

Agree with Andy dynamic Quorum is enabled by default.
In an odd number of servers File share witness is being ignored it uses "Node majority"
In Windows 2008 if you have 3 members in a DAG and 2 of them fails automatically the 3rd one will be offline because no quorum. But in windows2012 if 2 members fails 3rd one will be still online.
Please refer these as it will answer your question I guess.
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/e4a46b94-e510-42bd-927b-8fa0a912f2e0/dag-file-share-witness-quorum-best-practice?forum=exchangesvravailabilityandisasterrecovery

http://www.msexchange.org/articles-tutorials/exchange-server-2013/high-availability-recovery/exchange-2013-dag-dynamic-quorum-part2.html

Below command will prevent automatic failover to  DR site. Refer below URL

Set-MailboxServer -Identity EXDR02 -DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy IntrasiteOnly

http://www.msexchange.org/kbase/ExchangeServerTips/ExchangeServer2010/HighAvailability/PreventDatabaseCopiesfromAutomaticallyMountinginotherSites.ht

March 16th, 2015 9:14am

This topic is archived. No further replies will be accepted.

Other recent topics Other recent topics