setting up an emergency server

[Rozzer]

Hello,

Just wanted some advice on setting up an emergency server when our rebuild is taking place. Here is what i hope to achieve from the emergency server.

It to have a copy of SIMS server on in with robocopy copying across the sims backup daily so i can do a quick change over.

DNS/DHCP/Active Directory. Not sure on how the active directory will happen not 100% on how global catolog works.

Exchange 2003 enterprise server.

I can do the SIMS part and DNS and DHCP I am just confused with setting up a secondary exchange 2003 server. Is it possible?

Also As stated above Active Directory not 100% on how the server will cope if the master is down.

Thanks in advance guys

Ross

[Chris_Jones]

Cant help you with the exchange bit, but for Active Directory, you may be better doing a System state backup to the machine, and creating a Domain controller from the backup if neccessary, otherwise you will get machines authenticating against your emergency server even if the other DC's are still alive.

[m25man]

Why not consider using the Trial Version of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery 8.x

This wil allow you to snapshot an entire server and restore to dis-similar hardware or create a Virtual Hard Disk image you can use with Virtual Server or VMWare whilst your system is upgraded/replaced.

I have used it several times now to move SBS2003 systems to a virtual environment and these are 2003 DC's with Exchange so there is no reason belive it couldn't do what you need.

[Michael]

Well from an initial point of view you need two domain controllers running Active Directory with DNS integration. The primary DNS server is usually also your DHCP server within a domain.

Now if you're intentionally going to take a server down, then you need to look at transfering roles. How are going to transfer/keep active two DHCP's? I can see this being a problem.

[EduTech]

I dont know if this is possible, or the best way but it is just a thought.

Maybe you could take a snapshot of the Server's (DC, Exchange, SIMS) using VMware Converter, and then run every machine as a VM Temp while you re-build your servers.

Nothing will then change, it will just be like what you have now.. just in the virtual world..

Just a thought.. feel free to call me a prat!

[SkreeM1980]

Well from an initial point of view you need two domain controllers running Active Directory with DNS integration. The primary DNS server is usually also your DHCP server within a domain.

Now if you're intentionally going to take a server down, then you need to look at transfering roles. How are going to transfer/keep active two DHCP's? I can see this being a problem.

You can run 2 dhcp servers on a network no problems, we've got 2 already, all you need to do is turn on conflict detection attempts, there is an MSKB article but it was a while ago i did it. I'm considering adding a third because if a fibre link goes down (big yellow digger issue) people don't get addresses and cant access local servers, going to pur a DC and DNS up there too.

[Michael]

Have you got a link to that SkreeM1980?

[SkreeM1980]

Have you got a link to that SkreeM1980?

I can't find it any more .. how strange

Basic procedure is

Follow instructions for transferring DHCP to another server How to move a DHCP database from a computer that is running Windows NT Server 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows Server 2003 to a computer that is running Windows Server 2003

but don't disable the first and then on both DHCP server enable conflict detection attempts to 1

you will need to remember in future any updates to your DHCP need to be done on both i.e. dns server changes etc but it does work!

Regards

G

[Michael]

Thanks SkreeM1980, I didn't know there was a conflict detection. Good to know so at least if one server goes down, the other continues serving IPs.