1 Domain + 1 domain + syncronised users = possible?

[Lord_Edam]

According to one snip of info I obtained, when installing/using Exchange on a single site domain, it just uses that site, but for some confusing reason, when an additional site is added to a domain, it "doesn't know what to be in anymore".

 

Question is, how do I tell it to be in one of these sites?

 

Depends what the error actually is. If exchange is struggling to contact a domain controller because it can't decide which site it's in, just add the domain controllers manually to the DSAccess tab on the server's properties in ESM.

 

Any ideas? Something i need to change outside of exchange possibly? *coughs DNS lol*

 

It might turn out to need ADSI Edit :twisted:

 

Is there a good procedure to backing up everything in exchange, in order to uninstall it and then install it again, and put the storage folders back etc?

 

Good backups of exchange are online backups - but you can't do that if the stores won't mount. If the databases are fine in terms of being cleanly shut down, just copy the edb, stm & log files off somewhere safe, uninstall Exchange, re-install Exchange with the /disasterrecovery switch, then overwrite the newly created databases with your backup and re-mount everything. Very quick & painless.

[tarquel]

I wonder if you would beable to move the mailboxes over if the original Exchange Server Services are not starting...

 

Exactly, which is why I dont think that will work - as ive tried all sorts of basic stuff to try and get them to come on... but they refuse.

 

Lord_Edam...

 

Depends what the error actually is. If exchange is struggling to contact a domain controller because it can't decide which site it's in, just add the domain controllers manually to the DSAccess tab on the server's properties in ESM.

 

I'll have a look first thing and dig out the error in Event Viewer, but its something along the lines of not being able to determine what site its in thus it fails to start the main Exchange service [cant remember what its called] - thus the others in turn dont start.

 

You may have the answer right there [hopefully] lol

 

Good backups of exchange are online backups - but you can't do that if the stores won't mount. If the databases are fine in terms of being cleanly shut down, just copy the edb, stm & log files off somewhere safe, uninstall Exchange, re-install Exchange with the /disasterrecovery switch, then overwrite the newly created databases with your backup and re-mount everything. Very quick & painless.

 

Thats what I was thinking If its as simple as that then it should be good. I dont remember seeing any error messages relating to problems with the database & not being shut down cleanly. EMS seems happy enough too - dont see any error messages in that, except for obvious ones when you click on certain sections in it that, of course, tell you that that the service isn't running so you cant look at that section.

 

Havent been able to find a distinctive guide regarding backing up everything [on msexchange.org] so I guess I'll just have to try it.

 

Any more thoughts are welcome of course.

 

Nath.

[tarquel]

Well.... here's an amusing twist to things....

 

Walked into work this morning all geared up for getting the Exchange bax sorted. Said to the ICT Co-ordinator "well i guess i better crack on in fixing the email box then!?" and he says "Why? its working fine"

 

......

 

So then he loads up OWA and logs in and voila - up it comes.

 

I nearly passed out I think hehe

 

So went to my room and looked at the server, and sure enough, all the services were working as god intended [god being me in this scenario lol]

 

I was so chuffled.... then the fun began as the internet wasn't working [turns out to be me not reconfiguring dns fully the other day i.e. forwarding requests to the LEA's DNS servers hehe] and then some one deleting all of someone elses work - very pointless considering how my backup system is very good these days hehe

 

We of course know who it is, but how do you prove it eh? lol

 

All sorted now so i can relax and carry on configuring this new site's DC.... somehow hehe

 

Regards

Nath.