I'm in a situation where I have to forklife my information store to a new 
server.  I've spent considerable time googling this topic, but one of the 
things I keep running across is where, after everything's prepared and the IS 
moved to the new box, it won't mount.  In fact, that's probably the #1 
problem I hear about.  I don't want to run into a similar problem.

Anyway, has anybody here forklifted their information store successfully?

Thanks!
Mark

Is the new Server in the same Org and in same Administrative Group? If not 
the database won't mount.

Any reason you are not just using the move mailbox feature? Or is this a new 
Org.

Oliver

On Mon, 12 May 2008 05:09:02 -0700, justmark
 wrote:

>I'm in a situation where I have to forklife my information store to a new 
>server.  I've spent considerable time googling this topic, but one of the 
>things I keep running across is where, after everything's prepared and the IS 
>moved to the new box, it won't mount.  In fact, that's probably the #1 
>problem I hear about.  I don't want to run into a similar problem.
>
>Anyway, has anybody here forklifted their information store successfully?

Yes.
Did you follow:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997176(EXCHG.65).aspx 
"How to Move Exchange Server 2003 to New Hardware and Keep the Same 
Server Name" 

Im assuming 2003.


>
>Thanks!
>Mark

"Oliver Moazzezi [MVP]" wrote:

> Is the new Server in the same Org and in same Administrative Group? If not 
> the database won't mount.

Yes - it will be an exact (as close as possible, except that my old server 
is not the enterprise version of Exchange 2003 and this one is) replacement 
for my current server.


> Any reason you are not just using the move mailbox feature? Or is this a new 
> Org.

The previous admin liked to go in and "tweak" default security and 
permissions so much so that when I inherited this server, I found that it 
wasn't very healthy.  I've installed Exchange 2003 Enterprise onto the new 
box (where this is supposed to go) but it couldn't communicate with the 
existing server.  I've performed the Ed Crowley server move several times 
over the years with success, but this server won't allow communication 
between the two.  I can move a mailbox, but then mail won't flow between the 
two servers so the new one is effectively cut off from the site.  When I set 
up folder synchronization, the folders refuse to synch.  A new folder on the 
new server synchs to the old, but the old folders won't synch to the new.  I 
moved my mailbox to the new server and couldn't send mail inside of the site 
to other mailboxes on the old one.

I spent several months trying to unravel this (and posted a lot of questions 
here), but just couldn't figure out how to make these servers communicate.  
I'm using a smart host, which seemed to cause problems too - inbound mail to 
the old server wouldn't move within the site to my new server.

The forklift method is a desperate attempt to remedy this situation.  We're 
low on information store space and I really need to get this server 
updated/moved.

Thanks!
Mark

"Andy David  {MVP}" wrote:

> Yes.
> Did you follow:
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997176(EXCHG.65).aspx 
> "How to Move Exchange Server 2003 to New Hardware and Keep the Same 
> Server Name" 
> 
> Im assuming 2003.

I have that article printed out and hanging on my bulletin board  :-)

I guess what I'm looking for are people who have done this, run into 
problems, what those problems were, and how they fixed them.

For instance, if I follow that entire article and find that my information 
store won't mount, what then?  If an entire weekend of messing around can't 
get this running, can I somehow bring back the old server?

These are some of the concerns I have...

Thanks!
Mark

Hi,

In that case follow the link Andy David posted, "How to Move Exchange Server 
2003 to New Hardware and Keep the Same
Server Name".

Oliver

> The previous admin liked to go in and "tweak" default security and
> permissions so much so that when I inherited this server, I found that it
> wasn't very healthy.  I've installed Exchange 2003 Enterprise onto the new
> box (where this is supposed to go) but it couldn't communicate with the
> existing server.  I've performed the Ed Crowley server move several times
> over the years with success, but this server won't allow communication
> between the two.  I can move a mailbox, but then mail won't flow between 
> the
> two servers so the new one is effectively cut off from the site.  When I 
> set
> up folder synchronization, the folders refuse to synch.  A new folder on 
> the
> new server synchs to the old, but the old folders won't synch to the new. 
> I
> moved my mailbox to the new server and couldn't send mail inside of the 
> site
> to other mailboxes on the old one.
>
> I spent several months trying to unravel this (and posted a lot of 
> questions
> here), but just couldn't figure out how to make these servers communicate.
> I'm using a smart host, which seemed to cause problems too - inbound mail 
> to
> the old server wouldn't move within the site to my new server.
>
> The forklift method is a desperate attempt to remedy this situation. 
> We're
> low on information store space and I really need to get this server
> updated/moved.

On Mon, 12 May 2008 06:46:00 -0700, justmark
 wrote:

>"Andy David  {MVP}" wrote:
>
>> Yes.
>> Did you follow:
>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997176(EXCHG.65).aspx 
>> "How to Move Exchange Server 2003 to New Hardware and Keep the Same 
>> Server Name" 
>> 
>> Im assuming 2003.
>
>I have that article printed out and hanging on my bulletin board  :-)
>
>I guess what I'm looking for are people who have done this, run into 
>problems, what those problems were, and how they fixed them.
>
>For instance, if I follow that entire article and find that my information 
>store won't mount, what then?  If an entire weekend of messing around can't 
>get this running, can I somehow bring back the old server?
>
>These are some of the concerns I have...

As long as your backup is good and you follow that KB, it should be
fine.
You may find that after you restore, that you need to bounce the
server if the SA doesnt start.


>
>Thanks!
>Mark

On Mon, 12 May 2008 09:52:53 -0400, Andy David  {MVP}
 wrote:

>On Mon, 12 May 2008 06:46:00 -0700, justmark
> wrote:
>
>>"Andy David  {MVP}" wrote:
>>

Oh and keep this KB handy as well. This bit me once:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325674




>>> Yes.
>>> Did you follow:
>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997176(EXCHG.65).aspx 
>>> "How to Move Exchange Server 2003 to New Hardware and Keep the Same 
>>> Server Name" 
>>> 
>>> Im assuming 2003.
>>
>>I have that article printed out and hanging on my bulletin board  :-)
>>
>>I guess what I'm looking for are people who have done this, run into 
>>problems, what those problems were, and how they fixed them.
>>
>>For instance, if I follow that entire article and find that my information 
>>store won't mount, what then?  If an entire weekend of messing around can't 
>>get this running, can I somehow bring back the old server?
>>
>>These are some of the concerns I have...
>
>As long as your backup is good and you follow that KB, it should be
>fine.
>You may find that after you restore, that you need to bounce the
>server if the SA doesnt start.
>
>
>>
>>Thanks!
>>Mark

"Andy David  {MVP}" wrote:
> 
> Oh and keep this KB handy as well. This bit me once:
> 
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325674


Good stuff - thanks!  
This is the sort of thing I worry about  :-)

Mark

Okay, just a couple more questions:

1)  If there's a really big problem with the new server not coming online 
properly, is it possible to roll back to the one I'm decommissioning, or not?

2)  I've built my new server to be as close as possible in configuration to 
the old one.  But my old one has Server 2003 SP0 (not sure why, but the old 
admin did something that made it impossible to install service packs).  My 
new one has server 2003 SP1 - I couldn't find a Dell server assistant CD old 
enough to have no service packs during the rebuild  :-(

Thanks for helping me with these questions - you don't know how much I 
appreciate everybody's help!

Mark