Question on deployment of OWA

Question on deployment of OWA

Hey all,

We currently have an 2 node Exchange 2003 SP2 cluster installed on a Windows 
2003 domain. The cluster isn't apart of RPC-HTTP topology right now.
We want to add an additional FE server and make the environment work as 
apart of HTTP-RPC topology.

We are in the processing of implementing OWA on our organization.
I have restored the real environment into a vm server and deployed the OWA 
soluton on a test environment. I have written a checklist for the steps we 
need to make in the real environment, just like I did on the test 
environment.

Since I want the checklist to be accurate, I stil have some questions 
regarding some phase in the process:

1. After I install additional Exchange server and before I make it a 
Front-End Server, by default, it creates a Storage Group which will contain 
Mailboxes and Public Folders. The Mailbox's and Public Folders created on 
the additional server are not a replica of the current (real) database base, 
right? So it is safe to dismount and delete them, even without deeply 
checking what is inside them? There is no change that the additional server 
will start to replicate the DB from the cluster, right?

2. Also, regarding the process I have listed the highlights in my checklist, 
let me know if they are in the correct and safe order:

1. Install Additional Exchange Server.
2. Make the Additional Server a Front-End Server.
3. Restart the server.
4. Make sure clients are working and cluster is fully up.
5. Make sure the additional server exists on the Exchange System Manager 
under servers.
6. Dismount and Delete any Mailboxes and Public Folders on the additional 
server. --> This step I is about my first question.
7.Disable unused Exchange releated services on the server. Leave only:
1. Exchange System Attended.
2. SMTP Service
3. World Web Web Service.
4. Exchange Routing Engine.
8. Make sure no other then HTTP protocols are offered on the Server within 
the Front-End server (in Exchange System Manager).
9. Go to step 4.
10. Make the cluster Server name a Back-End Server.
11. Go to step 4.

Any thing you might add for checks or additional step/detail?

Much Thanks.

Best Regards,
Syslog.

date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:07:19 +0200 author: drvirus

Re: Question on deployment of OWA

Responses inline.

-- 
Bharat Suneja
MVP - Exchange
www.zenprise.com
NEW blog location:
exchangepedia.com/blog
----------------------------------------------


"drvirus"  wrote in message 
news:fflk50$ofn$1@news2.netvision.net.il...
> Hey all,
>
> We currently have an 2 node Exchange 2003 SP2 cluster installed on a 
> Windows 2003 domain. The cluster isn't apart of RPC-HTTP topology right 
> now.
> We want to add an additional FE server and make the environment work as 
> apart of HTTP-RPC topology.
>
> We are in the processing of implementing OWA on our organization.
> I have restored the real environment into a vm server and deployed the OWA 
> soluton on a test environment. I have written a checklist for the steps we 
> need to make in the real environment, just like I did on the test 
> environment.
>
> Since I want the checklist to be accurate, I stil have some questions 
> regarding some phase in the process:
>
> 1. After I install additional Exchange server and before I make it a 
> Front-End Server, by default, it creates a Storage Group which will 
> contain Mailboxes and Public Folders. The Mailbox's and Public Folders 
> created on the additional server are not a replica of the current (real) 
> database base, right? So it is safe to dismount and delete them, even 
> without deeply checking what is inside them? There is no change that the 
> additional server will start to replicate the DB from the cluster, right?

No such thing...you can blow away the Stores if you're not going to use SMTP 
on the FE. SMTP needs a Store to return NDRs.

From FE/BE Topology Guide:
Disconnecting and Deleting Public and Mailbox Stores
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998436.aspx

>
> 2. Also, regarding the process I have listed the highlights in my 
> checklist, let me know if they are in the correct and safe order:
>
> 1. Install Additional Exchange Server.
> 2. Make the Additional Server a Front-End Server.
> 3. Restart the server.
> 4. Make sure clients are working and cluster is fully up.
> 5. Make sure the additional server exists on the Exchange System Manager 
> under servers.
> 6. Dismount and Delete any Mailboxes and Public Folders on the additional 
> server. --> This step I is about my first question.

There won't be any except the SA, etc.

> 7.Disable unused Exchange releated services on the server. Leave only:
> 1. Exchange System Attended.
> 2. SMTP Service
> 3. World Web Web Service.
> 4. Exchange Routing Engine.

From the FE/BE Topology Guide:
Disabling Unnecessary Services
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb125009.aspx


> 8. Make sure no other then HTTP protocols are offered on the Server within 
> the Front-End server (in Exchange System Manager).
> 9. Go to step 4.
> 10. Make the cluster Server name a Back-End Server.

Configuring Exchange Front-End Servers
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997801.aspx

> 11. Go to step 4.
>
> Any thing you might add for checks or additional step/detail?
>
> Much Thanks.
>
> Best Regards,
> Syslog.
>

date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:10:24 -0700 author: Bharat Suneja [MVP]

Re: Question on deployment of OWA

Hey,

Thanks for the great help.

Regards,
Syslog.

"Bharat Suneja [MVP]"  wrote in message 
news:%237YJxkbFIHA.4544@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Responses inline.
>
> -- 
> Bharat Suneja
> MVP - Exchange
> www.zenprise.com
> NEW blog location:
> exchangepedia.com/blog
> ----------------------------------------------
>
>
> "drvirus"  wrote in message 
> news:fflk50$ofn$1@news2.netvision.net.il...
>> Hey all,
>>
>> We currently have an 2 node Exchange 2003 SP2 cluster installed on a 
>> Windows 2003 domain. The cluster isn't apart of RPC-HTTP topology right 
>> now.
>> We want to add an additional FE server and make the environment work as 
>> apart of HTTP-RPC topology.
>>
>> We are in the processing of implementing OWA on our organization.
>> I have restored the real environment into a vm server and deployed the 
>> OWA soluton on a test environment. I have written a checklist for the 
>> steps we need to make in the real environment, just like I did on the 
>> test environment.
>>
>> Since I want the checklist to be accurate, I stil have some questions 
>> regarding some phase in the process:
>>
>> 1. After I install additional Exchange server and before I make it a 
>> Front-End Server, by default, it creates a Storage Group which will 
>> contain Mailboxes and Public Folders. The Mailbox's and Public Folders 
>> created on the additional server are not a replica of the current (real) 
>> database base, right? So it is safe to dismount and delete them, even 
>> without deeply checking what is inside them? There is no change that the 
>> additional server will start to replicate the DB from the cluster, right?
>
> No such thing...you can blow away the Stores if you're not going to use 
> SMTP on the FE. SMTP needs a Store to return NDRs.
>
> From FE/BE Topology Guide:
> Disconnecting and Deleting Public and Mailbox Stores
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998436.aspx
>
>>
>> 2. Also, regarding the process I have listed the highlights in my 
>> checklist, let me know if they are in the correct and safe order:
>>
>> 1. Install Additional Exchange Server.
>> 2. Make the Additional Server a Front-End Server.
>> 3. Restart the server.
>> 4. Make sure clients are working and cluster is fully up.
>> 5. Make sure the additional server exists on the Exchange System Manager 
>> under servers.
>> 6. Dismount and Delete any Mailboxes and Public Folders on the additional 
>> server. --> This step I is about my first question.
>
> There won't be any except the SA, etc.
>
>> 7.Disable unused Exchange releated services on the server. Leave only:
>> 1. Exchange System Attended.
>> 2. SMTP Service
>> 3. World Web Web Service.
>> 4. Exchange Routing Engine.
>
> From the FE/BE Topology Guide:
> Disabling Unnecessary Services
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb125009.aspx
>
>
>> 8. Make sure no other then HTTP protocols are offered on the Server 
>> within the Front-End server (in Exchange System Manager).
>> 9. Go to step 4.
>> 10. Make the cluster Server name a Back-End Server.
>
> Configuring Exchange Front-End Servers
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997801.aspx
>
>> 11. Go to step 4.
>>
>> Any thing you might add for checks or additional step/detail?
>>
>> Much Thanks.
>>
>> Best Regards,
>> Syslog.
>>
>

date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:50:35 +0200 author: drvirus