Disaster recovery issues

[mrscary]

Here is the scenario:

2 servers, both running w2k3. One with E2k3.

The exchange server has 2 hard disks - c: for the system, and D: for exchange - everything exchange is stored on D:

Now - C: starts getting the odd bad block - so I figured I would add another HD and mirror both C & D, then maybe retire C and replace with another one and re-mirror.
If you see what I mean.

Anyways - w2k3 wouldn't let me mirror C: because "it has bad blocks". Gah.

Ok - no problem. I will use Ghost and Ghost C: onto a replacement and restart.
No problems there..
well, not till I come to reboot. All seems to be well, but exchange will not mount.

Now, I haven't touched the D: drive at all in all this.

Tracing the problem, it looks like the system no longers sees the exchange server as being who it says it is, the GAC cannot be located (which is run by that server) and so on.

So, I replaced the old C: drive, bad blocks and all and rebooted.

After a bit of faffing with re-activating the disks in disk manager, all is well.

So - the question is - what is the best way to replace the C: drive simply? It obviously isn't a case of copy to a new disk and carry on....

Cheers folks. I'll post this on the Win2k3 forum too, so please forgive my cross posting.

M


Hollingside Technologies, Making Technology work for you.

http://www.hollingside.com

(No, I am not scary at all! See

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[Zelandakh]

Did you wait until the mirror had rebuilt?

 

[xmsre]

Let's assume it's not a DC.

1. Shut down the exchange services. Stop port 25 at firwall
2. Create a temporary folder and ove the DB/log folders there.
3. Shut down the server
4. In ADUC, reset the computer account for the server
5. Replace the hardrive.
6. Install windows and service packs using the same computer name when you join the domain and same IP
7. Do a disasterrecovery install of exchange
8. Shut down exchange services
9. swap out the new blank databases and associated logs with the old ones from step 2
10.Start up exchange services
11 open port 25

 

[mrscary]

It is a DC - and the mirror wouldn't build at all.
Is there no way of swapping out a faulty HD simply?

Hollingside Technologies, Making Technology work for you.

http://www.hollingside.com

(No, I am not scary at all! See

http://www.stircrazy.org)

 

[xmsre]

The first problem is that the drive already has errors on it. The second is that demoting a DC after exchange is already installed is not supported. At this point, whatever you do, make sure you have a good backup.

I'd probably go ahead and demote, then do the dr isntall process. The logic is that you'll blow it away after demoting, so it won't be in production in an unsupported state.