QR Disaster Recovery Solution for Building a Windows Standby Exchange Server in Quick Recovery Mode

Overview

Configuration

Bring the Standby Server online

Appendices

Overview

This document describes the procedure necessary to create a Standby Exchange Server in the event that a Production Exchange Server is temporarily or permanently damaged.

These procedures are supported with Exchange 2000 and Exchange 2003 on Windows 2000, and Exchange 2003 on Windows 2003. It has been certified only with the Quick Recovery Agent, using the QSnap snap engine for Windows 2000, or the VSS snap engine for Windows 2003. A familiarity with the functionality and configuration of the QR Agent is necessary in order to properly conduct this procedure.

In the configuration stage, you will install Exchange in DisasterRecovery mode on the Standby Server. To use the Standby Server, you would reset the Production Server in Active Directory; then rename the Standby Server to the original production server name. Exchange functionality would then continues using the Standby Server.

This document contains four sections. First, the Production Server is configured. Second, the Standby Server is configured. Third, the Quick Recovery Volumes that will be used on the Standby Server are created. Fourth, the application is brought online.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Configuration

The following sections discuss preparing the Production and Standby Servers as well as configuring the QR Agent. The basic workflow is described below. For detailed instructions on installation and configuration options, see Quick Recovery Agent.

Prepare the Production Server

This procedure assumes that the Production Server has already been installed with Exchange 2000/2003 with the latest service packs or patches that may be needed, and that the users and mailboxes have already been created and configured.

  1. Place the Exchange Transaction log location and the Exchange System path location on the same volume. The purpose of this step is to ensure that the Exchange chk file will be at the same point in time as the databases and logs when QR Volumes are created.  

    NOTE: Keep track of your installation selections and storage locations so that Exchange can be installed identically on the Standby Server.

  2. Install the Quick Recovery Agent and QSnap on your Production Server. If you want to use VSS as your snap engine, install the VSS Enabler in addition to what's listed above. If necessary, install CommCell Console as a Stand-Alone Application. You don't need to install a MediaAgent or the Exchange Database iDataAgent on the Production Server. 

Prepare the Standby Server

Install the Quick Recovery Agent, QSnap, and MediaAgent software on the Standby Server. If necessary, install the CommCell Console as a Stand-Alone Application.

Configure the Production and Standby Servers

  1. On the Production Server:
    1. Set the following services configuration, if they are not already set:
      • Microsoft Exchange Event should be stopped with the startup type set to Manual
      • Microsoft Exchange Site Replication Service should be stopped with the Startup Type set to Disabled
    2. Stop the following Exchange Services, and set the Startup Type to Manual:
      • Microsoft Exchange IMAP4
      • Microsoft Exchange Information Store
      • Microsoft Exchange Management
      • Microsoft Exchange MTA Stacks
      • Microsoft Exchange POP3
      • Microsoft Exchange Routing Engine
      • Microsoft Exchange System Attendant
    3. Rename the Production Server to a temporary name.

      Example: <production server name>-temp

    4. Reboot the Production Server.
  2. On the Standby Server:
    1. Rename the Standby Server to the Exchange Server (Production Server).
    2. Reboot the Standby Server.

    3. Create partitions and assign drive letters on the Standby Server to match those of the Production Server where the private and public store's databases and logs reside. (These partitions must be equal to, or greater than, the partition sizes of the Production Server.)

      NOTE: The following components must be installed before installing Exchange: NNTP Services, and SMTP Services.  Exchange 2003 also requires ASP .NET. These can be found on the Windows 2000/2003 install CD.

    4. Install Exchange on the Standby Server from the command line using the /DisasterRecovery switch. Select the same components, in DisasterRecovery mode, that were installed on the Production server. (If this option does not exist, verify that the command line was entered correctly).
      Example: Z:> setup.exe /DisasterRecovery

      NOTES:

      • If Exchange won't allow you to run the update with disaster recovery, you most likely have a permissions problem. First, try running the update.exe command with /DomainPrep. After these changes have been made and replicated through the domain, you should be able to run the update /DisasterRecovery command. 
      • You may see these informational messages, which do not apply to this configuration and may be disregarded:
        • Please use Exchange Admin Snap-in to ensure that you have a valid Exchange Server Object for this server for which you are running setup in recovery mode.
        • After setup has completed, please restore your databases from backup and then reboot your machine.
      • When the installation reaches the post installation processing section, the program may hang while starting the System Attendant service. If this has happened, kill the setup.exe process, using the Windows Task Manager. Your ability to start services on the Standby Server will not be harmed. See Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q280432.
    5. Apply the Service Packs and Patches that are on the Production server.
      Example: Z:> update.exe /DisasterRecovery

      NOTE: If Exchange won't allow you to run the update with disaster recovery, you most likely have a permissions problem. First, try running the update.exe command with /DomainPrep. After these changes have been made and replicated through the domain, you should be able to run the update /DisasterRecovery command.

    6. On the Standby Server, stop the Exchange Services.
    7. Set all of the Exchange Services to manual startup.
  3. To enable the Exchange Services to start on the Standby Server, the Windows ADSI Edit tool must be installed. (See Microsoft KB article 325674). The tool can be installed on any server in the domain, but it is preferred to be installed on a Domain Controller. The ADSI tool is located on the Windows 2000/2003 Install CD. Once the tool is installed, you will need to set the appropriate permissions for the Standby Server. To start ADSI Edit click on Start => Programs => Windows Support Tools => ADSI Edit.     
    1. In the ADSI Management console's left windowpane, expand the following:
      • Configuration Container
      • CN=Configuration
      • CN=Services
      • CN=Microsoft Exchange. 
    2. Right-click your organization [Domain Name] then click Properties. Click the Security tab:
      • Verify that the Standby Server object is there. (Production Server name) If the server object is not listed, click Add, select the server object, click Add, and click OK.
      • Highlight the server object and verify that the Allow check box for Create all child objects and Delete all child objects is selected. If they are not selected, click to select them, then click OK.
    3. In the ADSI Management console's left windowpane, expand the following:
      • CN=[Domain Name]
      • CN=Administrative Groups
      • CN=First Administrator Group
    4. Right-click CN=Servers and select Properties. Click the Security tab:
      • Verify that the Standby Server object is there. (Production Server name) If the server object is not listed, click Add, sort the objects by name, highlight the appropriate server object, click Add and click OK.
      • Highlight the server object and click Full Control under Allow, then click OK.
    5. Expand CN=Servers, right-click CN=Servers and select Properties. Click the Security tab:
      • Verify that the Standby Server object is there. (Production Server name). If the server object is not listed, click Add, sort the objects by name, highlight the appropriate server object, click Add and click OK.
      • Highlight the server object and click Full Control under Allow, then click OK.

    Replicate these changes throughout the domain.

  4. Manually Start the following Exchange Services on the Standby Server:
  5. Open Exchange System Manager, then open Organization Storage Group, and right-click on the Private Store Properties. Click the Database tab and verify the directory paths for the *.edb and *.stm files are the same as the Production Server. If the paths do not match the Production Server, click Browse, and redirect the store to the correct path to match the Production Server. Do the same for the Public Store files.
  6. Stop all of the Exchange Services on the Standby Server.
  7. Rename the Standby Server back to its original name and reboot.

    NOTE: Verify that the Standby Server has completely rebooted before continuing. If possible, check Active Directory to make sure the machine's name is properly registered.

  8. Rename the Production Server back to its original name and reboot.
  9. Reset the Exchange services that were set previously to manual, back to automatic on the Production Server, and start these services.
  10. Mount all mailbox and public folder stores that need to be mounted.
  11. Verify that the stores will always mount at startup. (Right-click each store and select Properties. On the Database tab, disable Do not mount this store at startup.)

At this time, the Production Server (Exchange Server) is running again.

Configure the Quick Recovery Agent

  1. Create a scratch volume pool that contains the destination volumes on the Standby Server.
  2. Create a QR policy, set the appropriate snap engine type, use the Standby Server's LAN Copy manager, and associate your scratch volume pool.
  3. Under your Production Server client, create a new QR subclient. Associate the QR policy created above with the new subclient.
  4. When adding content to your subclient, use the Add App button to discover all the Exchange volumes on your Production Server.
  5. When finished creating the subclient, right-click the subclient and select Create QR Volumes. Schedule an incremental update and use the Advanced button to map each source volume to its corresponding destination volume and mount point.
  6. Create QR volume(s) from Production Server to the Standby Server.

Bring the Standby Server online

The strategy for replacing the original Production Server with the Standby Server is illustrated below:

Due to dependencies that Exchange Server has within Active Directory, changes are required for Exchange to operate correctly on the Standby Server.

  1. At this point a problem has caused the Production Server to fail. Shut down the Production Server machine.
  2. Reset the Production Server from Active Directory. To reset the Production Server from the Active Directory Users and Computers window, expand Domain, then expand Computers. Right click the Production Server and select Reset Account.

    NOTE: Resetting a computer account breaks that computer's connection to the domain and requires it to rejoin the domain.

  3. Take the Standby Server out of the domain, rename the Standby Server to the Exchange Server (Production Server) name, and reboot. Put the Standby Server back into the domain and reboot.
  4. After the reboot, set the following Exchange services to Automatic on the Standby Server, and start these services.

    WARNING: If a QR incremental update is in the copy phase during a Production Server failure and has not completed, the data on the Standby Server will be incomplete and Exchange will not start.

  5. Mount all mailbox and public folder stores that need to be mounted.
  6. If necessary, change the IP address on the Standby Server to match the original Production Server's address.

Exchange is now operating on the Standby Server, which now takes the place of the Production Server.

Appendices

Clean up after Quick Recovery for Exchange on a non-cluster machine

  1. Recovery Server
    1. Delete the Outlook profile of the Exchange user.
    2. Delete the user from Active Directory User and Computers.
    3. Delete the Public and Mailbox Stores from the Exchange System Manager.
    4. Delete the storage group from the Exchange System Manager.
    5. To uninstall Microsoft Exchange, proceed as follows:
    6. When you have completed the procedures in the appropriate Microsoft article, if necessary, perform the following:
      • In the registry, delete the registry keys 65D9643D-06E8-47d6-865E-80F4CC9BB879 and 13F9F3AF-9463-4492-854A-191CCC441FDB from the following location:
        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Uninstall
      • If you cannot delete three dlls (exchmem.dll, exsp.dll, pttrace.dll) in the Exchsrvr\bin folder, use procexp.exe to see which processes are using these dlls and kill them.
      • Delete the Exchsrvr folder.
    7. Rename the Recovery Server back to the original name and reboot.
  2. Source Server (only for Windows 2003)
    1. The Source server has to be brought up in the Safe mode.
    2. Set all the Exchange services to Manual and boot the system.
    3. Even though it looks like your Source Server is in the domain, it is not. For this you have to take the Server out of the domain and reboot.
    4. Log into the domain and reboot again.
    5. Delete the Outlook profile of the Exchange user.
    6. To uninstall Microsoft Exchange 2003, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833396/.
    7. If you cannot delete three dlls (exchmem.dll, exsp.dll, pttrace.dll) in the Exchsrvr\bin folder, use procexp.exe to see which processes are using these dlls and kill them.
    8. Delete the Exchsrvr folder.
  3. Source Server (only for Windows 2000)
    1. Even though it looks like your Source Server is in the domain, it is not. For this you have to take the Server out of the domain and reboot.
    2. Log into the domain and reboot again.
    3. Delete the Outlook profile of the Exchange user.
    4. To uninstall Microsoft Exchange, proceed as follows:
    5. In the registry, delete the registry keys 65D9643D-06E8-47d6-865E-80F4CC9BB879 and 13F9F3AF-9463-4492-854A-191CCC441FDB from the following location:
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Uninstall
    6. If you cannot delete three dlls (exchmem.dll, exsp.dll, pttrace.dll) in the Exchsrvr\bin folder, use procexp.exe to see which processes are using these dlls and kill them.
    7. Delete the Exchsrvr folder.

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