New Exchange server

[Ed_Jackson]

I need to replace an existing Exchange server with a new one. I'm going to bring up the new one next to the old one (with a different name), and then move the mailboxes over to it. I also need to set up mailbox and journaling on the new server. I currently have it running on the old server.
My question is this... What's the best way to transfer the EV services to the new server? Should I create all new services on the new server, then delete the old ones? Or, can they be transferred over? Any supporting docs would be appreciated.

Exchange 2003, SP2
Windows 2003, SP1
EV5, SP5 (soon to be 6, SP2)

Thank you.
Ed

[Jason_Szeto]

I believe all you need to do is create new services on the new Exchange server. When EV synchronizes the mailboxes it will update the hidden message for each user to reflect the new Exchange server. Then once you're confident everything is working, you can remove the old services.

[Micah_Wyenn_2]

I thought I remembered reading somewhere in the admin docs that if you're moving mailbox archives between servers, that you were supposed to disable the accounts first, move the mailbox, and re-enable the mailbox.

I'm pretty sure that jason's right here, as his explanation makes sense...I just wonder if it was the crack i was smoking, or if that above procedure is actually the recommended way to do it, and of course, whyfer?

micah

[Alan_M]

The latest training material states that the mailbox should be disabled in EV, the mailbox moved and then reenabled in EV on the new Exchange server.

[TonySterling]

You just need to create new services and service mailboxes on the new server.

The admin guide talks abit about moving mailboxes I believe. :)

[Micah_Wyenn_2]

So both jason is right, and the book is right? Which one is better? I mean, I know both works (just tested it), but really which is right. Why would the book want you to disable the account if hte syncronize can change the invis msg in the mailbox to the new server without being zapped or disabled/enabled?

Is there a possibility of corruption or other evil if you don't disable? Maybe a bug in a previous version that didn't get written out of hte manual?

micah

[TonySterling]

Both ways will work. I know of many customers that just move the mailbox, mostly without issues. ;)

If they do have issues they just zap and re-enable. Personally, I think it is cleaner if you disable, synch, move, synch, re-enable. but that is MHO.

[wren_mott]

Just to throw in my two..

We just moved mailboxes on the order of 5GB-10GB in size from one Excahnge server to another without disabling them (EV 6 SP 2). Some mailboxes failed but eventually made the transfer.

One thing we did notice, and I'm not sure if disabling them would have helped, is that some of the mailboxes took as long as 36 hours to move which seemed awfully long to me given the fact that things were just being shuttled around the same SAN (all fiber switched at 2gbps).

Given the performance I'll most likely disable the mailboxes in the future.

Wren