P2V Exchange/DC system

[neil_murphy]

Hi,

I just wanted to get an idea rubber-stamped by the community. I have a small customer with 3 servers - Exchange/DC, File/DC and a web server. All run Windows Server 2003. Initially they want to P2V just the Exchange server. I am aware that P2Ving a domain controller is risky as it can cause a USN rollback condition in Active Directory. What I am planning to propose is as follows:

1. Demote the Exchange server as a DC (the physical file server will remain as the only DC at this point)

2. P2V Exchange server

3. Promote virtualised Exchange server as a DC

I'd love to here from anyone who has been through a similar experience.

[AWo]

My suggestion:

1. Create the appropriate numbers of guests

2. Add one guest to the domain and promote it to a DC, de-promote the physical one after that is done and working.

3. Add one guest as an Exchange server to the organization, get the MS document on how to remove an existing Exchange Server (includes moving mailboxes, replicating sharded folders, switching roles, removing the Exchange server from the organization).

AWo

VCP / VMware vEXPERT 2009

[neil_murphy]

Yes, I considered that as an option but I am trying to do this without having to buy an additional Windows Server 2003 licenses.

[AWo]

As the old server will be decomissioned (won't they?) I wouldn't care about licensing. But if they wo't go out of service you need a license anyway. It's like using an eval license for the migration phase.

AWo

VCP / VMware vEXPERT 2009

[azn2kew]

You don't want to P2V Exchange and DC servers as its not a best practices. The best shot as mentioned is always create a new VM and promote it to the DC and the same to Exchange server, but instead just migrate the mailboxes and settings over the new server. However, there is several great Best Practices guide on specifically virtualizing Exchange and domain controllers you should check out to make your transition more affectively. I wouldn't worry about licensing right now since the project would take you couple days to complete and decomissioned the rest of physical servers.

http://www.vmworld.com/docs/DOC-2467

For a larger environment, I would still want to have a physical domain controller and several virtual DCs in case but since this is small you can go by your plan.

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Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

VMware vExpert 2009

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

[jayctd]

I have never really had any problem with P to V exchange ... we HAVE had issues with DC's though and you SHOULD build them out from scratch and phase over to them.

Jered Rassier

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[AsherN]

P2V Exchange is not an issue, make sure that the Exchange services are stopped and set to disabled prior.

Do not attempt to P2V a live DC.

You can't demote a DC that hosts Exchange. AAMOF, you should not run AD on an Exchange server.

So in your situation, you're kin od stuck. Best way is to create a new Exchange server and migrate to it.

[TomHowarth]

Hi,

I just wanted to get an idea rubber-stamped by the community. I have a small customer with 3 servers - Exchange/DC, File/DC and a web server. All run Windows Server 2003. Initially they want to P2V just the Exchange server. I am aware that P2Ving a domain controller is risky as it can cause a USN rollback condition in Active Directory. What I am planning to propose is as follows:

1. Demote the Exchange server as a DC (the physical file server will remain as the only DC at this point)

2. P2V Exchange server

3. Promote virtualised Exchange server as a DC

I'd love to here from anyone who has been through a similar experience.

as aWo says, create 1 new guest promote it as a DC - demote the Exchange DC - personally I would create a new Exchange instance, but you can P2V Exchange if you are careful, remember to stop all exchange services prior to migration.

Once you have converted your Exchange, DC Promo it and then remove the DC role from your F&P server, migrate that. once you have Migrated the file and print server, DCPromo it again and decommision the single DC machine i

The reason I that recommend commissioning a new DC is that personally I do not like, positions of having to trust a single DC

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Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

Contributing author for the upcoming book "[VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment|http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780136083214]”. Currently available on roughcuts