I need help shutting down an old exchange server / Domain Controller ...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Henry Stock
  • Start date Start date
H

Henry Stock

We decided to retire the old exchange server running Exchange 2000 because
we were running out of disk room and horsepower. It was also a Domain
Controller, the first in the domain. We do not want to upgrade to Exchange
Server 2003 yet, so I followed the process below: (It has been anything but
a clean break)

We got a new server from Dell also running Windows 2000 Server.

I ran all updates on the server and ran DCPromo to make it a Domain
Controller too.

I then installed Exchange 2000 on the new system and updated that to service
pack 3, the same level as the production server.

With both servers running I started moving all mailboxes from old to new. I
think I have all the mailboxes on the new server.

I set up public folder and system folder replication so that all data should
have transfered cleanly over to the new server.

I looked for other objects like offline address books, and replication
policies. I put every Exchange management object I could think of on the
new server where I could find assignments that specified such.

With respect to the Domain Controller I looked up fsmo and moved all single
master services or functions to the new DC. I made sure that other domain
controllers were global catalog servers too.

I swapped IP addresses so that I did not have fiddle with external IP's

Then I started shutting off services on the old exchange after a couple of
days. I basically had turned off all Exchange related services. Issues
started arising. One user gets errors regarding the offline address book.
I know I need to trace this down, but I don't know where to start looking!

Others have complained about sluggishness in service, but not stopped
service.

When I physically turn off the old Exchange server, one user's outlook stops
working. It hangs. Outlook web works fine, not the Outlook 2000. I
haven't heard complaints from other users and I did not experience the
problem.

I brought the old exchange server back from our collocation facility to our
office, and changed the IP address.

Now I seem to have domain access problems. I can see other machines, but I
can't seem to access them.

When I try to uninstall exchange the application complains It can't find the
Schema Master. That was one of those fsmo items I moved to the new
DC/Exchange server.

I am not sure what is left to do. How can I remove this exchange server
from the site and ensure all the functionality is on the new box?

I really need help. If anyone can advise me, I would greatly appreciate it.
 
Hello Henry,

The best thing to do is to dcpromo the old Exchange Server out of Active
Directory

-- any roles will be transferred to another DC

-- any info about this DC will be removed from AD.

-- force replication for all other DCs, no that this DC is no longer
available.

*** if you are unable to run dcpromo on this machine, please let me know
******

Once we get the domain piece fixed, we can than work on fixing any Exchange
issues.

Did you take a look at this article:
297289 XADM: How to Move Exchange 2000 to New Hardware and Keep the Same
Server
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=297289

PS. If you are still having problems, please reply back to this email.

(e-mail address removed)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
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