Windows 2000 System state

  • Thread starter Thread starter buddd
  • Start date Start date
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buddd

Hello,

I am fortunate in the fact that I do not have a system fauilure. I am
trying to go through the motions of a system failure and I would to
reproduce the production environment in a separate test environment,
using different hardware.

My production network is windows 2000 Active directory, with one Domain
Controller only. On this domain controller, Exchange 2000 is installed.

I want to have in my test environment a member server with Exchange
2000 installed on it and a domain controller with Windows 2000 server
on a serparate machine (although these 2 machines would work together
in the test network).

If I back up the system state from the production DC:

1. Can I restore it to my test box which will be my test DC?
2. Do I have to use the same machine name?
3. How does this affect recreation of Exchange? Can I use Echange on a
different box or it must be on the same machine?
4. Can I name the machine for Exchange a different name?
5. Would it be better (in my test environment) to keep the DC and
Exchange together, add a second DC and do a DCPromo on the first DC?
6. How does the fact that there will be the same machine name but a
different SID play into this?

Any information would be appreciated.

I tried contacting Microsoft technical support, and I paid for service,
but I was unable to get straight answers to these questions from them,.
Quite disappointing as they are usually quite helpful.

Thanks in advance,

Mark
(e-mail address removed)
 
See below.

buddd said:
Hello,

I am fortunate in the fact that I do not have a system fauilure.
Click to expand...

That's not fortunate - that's good planning (which is part of
a server administrator's training).
I am trying to go through the motions of a system failure and I would to
reproduce the production environment in a separate test environment,
using different hardware.
Click to expand...

Excellent idea!
My production network is windows 2000 Active directory, with one Domain
Controller only. On this domain controller, Exchange 2000 is installed.

I want to have in my test environment a member server with Exchange
2000 installed on it and a domain controller with Windows 2000 server
on a separate machine (although these 2 machines would work together
in the test network).
Click to expand...

A test environment must be completely separate from
a production environment, with no connection of any
kind between the two.
If I back up the system state from the production DC:

1. Can I restore it to my test box which will be my test DC?
Click to expand...

Yes, as long as the two machines are identical in every respect.
2. Do I have to use the same machine name?
Click to expand...

That's irrelevant, since the two networks are never connected.
3. How does this affect recreation of Exchange? Can I use Echange on a
different box or it must be on the same machine?
Click to expand...

The test server is a clone of the production server.
4. Can I name the machine for Exchange a different name?
Click to expand...

See your point 2. above.
5. Would it be better (in my test environment) to keep the DC and
Exchange together, add a second DC and do a DCPromo on the first DC?
Click to expand...

If the purpose of the exercise is to test a disaster situation
then you must keep the two environments the same.
6. How does the fact that there will be the same machine name but a
different SID play into this?
Click to expand...

See your point 2. above.
Any information would be appreciated.

I tried contacting Microsoft technical support, and I paid for service,
but I was unable to get straight answers to these questions from them,.
Quite disappointing as they are usually quite helpful.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you did not make it clear whether you wanted a
test environment (to test your ability to recover from a
disaster), or a hot standby setup (to switch rapidly from
one to the other in case of a disaster).
 
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