Hi,

I have Exchange 2010 DAG and CASHUB severs in site A. I need to them to site B, where most of users reside. I plan to install in site B new multirole servers and switch existing databases to them using database portability fuctionality. I changed URL's in every Exchange services (EWS, Outlook Anywhere) to redirect connections to new servers in site B. Unfortunately I came to a stop at changing a site in exitisting CAS Array. In Outlook connection status I see connections to old CAS servers in site A, but netstat command shows connections to new servers in site B. I didn't change FQDN od CAS Array, just site.

As article http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2012/03/28/demystifying-the-cas-array-object-part-2.aspx says in point 5 changing FQDN od CAS Arrays makes trouble for Outlook, so apparently similiar problem is even if you don't change FQDN of CAS Array, but just site parameter.

The question is how to obey this obstacle in enterprise scale? (the right way)

If I plan to move existing databases to new servers in site B via database portability - should I do it before or after changing CAS Array?

Hi artikus,

You description about your environment is bit hazy, let me list out what I have understood. Correct me if wrong.

You have 2 sites.

SiteA: MBX1,MBX2,CAS+HT1,

SiteB: MBXCASHUB3,MBX+CAS+HT4

If you read article on the Database portability, it says "This can help reduce overall recovery times for some failure scenarios" basically you are not suppose to use it under normal scenarios. Specifically when you are at a Enterprise scale. Because this would cause mass disruption in the service and might cause failures too in the process as "reliability is improved" not mitigated.

The solution here should be as follows.

1. Setup SiteB, install 2 sets of servers configure DAG2 and CASarray2, RPCClientAccess 
2. Test some mailboxes with Outlook connectivity
3. Move some mailboxes from SiteA to SiteB servers, test Outlook connectivity
4. Move all the users from SiteA to SiteB
5. Now you might want to move the SiteA servers to SiteB and update the RPCClientAccess

NOTE:- Exchange 2010 onwards mailbox moves are online, and small disruption during the final move which can be scheduled at off production hours.

This process is straight forward and reliable. Just keep an eye for increase in the transaction logs during the move pr

Thank you for your response.

Now I have whole Exchange env. in site A. (DAG and CASHUB). I want to move it to site B (completely different IP network). So I thought about create new multirole servers in site B instead of readressing DAG and CASHUB. Since I have databases presented from LUN I though that better option would be to switch databases using database portability from old DAG to new DAG.

Why do you think that this would cause mass distruption?

I did move mailbox before (with migration from 2007 to 2010) and of course it is the most obvious solution. But it takes more time (I have to empty one LUN, switch it to new DAG etc...)

Hi artikus,

How do you plan to move "switch databases using database portability", you would be dismounting it right.

Dismounting will cause disruption to multiple users at a single time.(Maybe for less hours). I don't see any guides or recommendation for it unless in a recovery scenario.

Hence when you have nice working DBs, why not go slow and gradually move out users at a time. This will ensure you don't have any issues, that might comeup with your current plan.

If you are confident try it out using a smaller test DB on a seperate LUN for switching with some users first.

Hi artikus,

How do you plan to move "switch databases using database portability", you would be dismounting it right.

Dismounting will cause disruption to multiple users at a single time.(Maybe for less hours). I don't see any guides or recommendation for it unless in a recovery scenario.

Hence when you have nice working DBs, why not go slow and gradually move out users at a time. This will ensure you don't have any issues, that might comeup with your current plan.

If you are confident try it out using a smaller test DB on a seperate LUN for switching with some users first.

Of course, that's obvious :) 

But going back to my original problem about RPC CAS Array - if I change site parameter in CAS array object should I do manual update for Outlook profile?

As long as your Autodiscover is configured correctly and you have a CASArray in Site B you do not have to re-configure anything. THe user will need to restart outlook and when outlook find the autodiscover service it will connect your outlook to your mailbox in Site B. Depending how your virtual directories are configured it will either proxy or re-direct the connection to the appropriate Exchange Database server, where you mailbox resides.

I would personally just create a cross site DAG from Site A to B and once moves have been completed to Site B set site B as primary and your done.

You could also just re-IP the exchange server in Site A to the IP schema in Site B which would be a better idea then trying to use database portability. You can see the below link for details...

http://msexchangeteam.in/moving-exchange-server-2010-from-an-active-directory-site/

Will.

• Edited by Will Szymkowski- 7 hours 27 minutes ago

As long as your Autodiscover is configured correctly and you have a CASArray in Site B you do not have to re-configure anything. THe user will need to restart outlook and when outlook find the autodiscover service it will connect your outlook to your mailbox in Site B. Depending how your virtual directories are configured it will either proxy or re-direct the connection to the appropriate Exchange Database server, where you mailbox resides.

I would personally just create a cross site DAG from Site A to B and once moves have been completed to Site B set site B as primary and your done.

You could also just re-IP the exchange server in Site A to the IP schema in Site B which would be a better idea then trying to use database portability. You can see the below link for details...

http://msexchangeteam.in/moving-exchange-server-2010-from-an-active-directory-site/

Will.

• Edited by Will Szymkowski- Sunday, July 19, 2015 12:00 AM
• Marked as answer by artikus 12 hours 8 minutes ago

As long as your Autodiscover is configured correctly and you have a CASArray in Site B you do not have to re-configure anything. THe user will need to restart outlook and when outlook find the autodiscover service it will connect your outlook to your mailbox in Site B. Depending how your virtual directories are configured it will either proxy or re-direct the connection to the appropriate Exchange Database server, where you mailbox resides.

I would personally just create a cross site DAG from Site A to B and once moves have been completed to Site B set site B as primary and your done.

You could also just re-IP the exchange server in Site A to the IP schema in Site B which would be a better idea then trying to use database portability. You can see the below link for details...

http://msexchangeteam.in/moving-exchange-server-2010-from-an-active-directory-site/

Will.

• Edited by Will Szymkowski- Sunday, July 19, 2015 12:00 AM
• Marked as answer by artikus Sunday, July 19, 2015 7:22 PM

I don't have any servers in Site B, so no CAS Array also. Maybe the best sollution will be creating new servers in site B with separate DAG and then move mailboxes gradually. Site A and B has to be separated (as less network traffic as possible) so creating cross site DAG is not the best for me.

You don't have any servers in SiteB yet, however you said that you were going to set them up. What is the point of setting up a completely new DAG, and moving the mailboxes? If you setup a cross site DAG with your existing server in Site A it will replicate all of the databases to Site B. Once replication is completed, make site B the primary Site A is now secondary. Now your clients have their mailbox in site B without you having to do move mailbox requests for all of them. At that point you can break the DAG and demote Site A exchange servers. You then add a second Exchange server to Site B and have DAG replicate your databases from the first server in Site B. In this scenario, you are doing as little as possible and there is no need to move mailboxes.


Will.

• Edited by Will Szymkowski- 20 hours 36 minutes ago

thank you. It's good sollution. But I plan to integrate two servers (CASHUB and DAG) into one multirole server on the occassion, so I rather choose create a new DAG in site B with new CAS Array and move mailboxes. I wonder if I can use the same CAS Array FQDN in site B (like nice outlook.domain.com name)

• Edited by artikus 17 hours 40 minutes ago

There are several ways to accomplish what you are doing. I personally like to take the path of least resistance, also keeping optimal up. My solution is only in place to transfer the mailboxes. You can just remove Exchange from Site A and reuse the DAG in site B. It does not matter if you have a multi role setup in Site B you are just creating extra work for yourself.
Will.

You don't have any servers in SiteB yet, however you said that you were going to set them up. What is the point of setting up a completely new DAG, and moving the mailboxes? If you setup a cross site DAG with your existing server in Site A it will replicate all of the databases to Site B. Once replication is completed, make site B the primary Site A is now secondary. Now your clients have their mailbox in site B without you having to do move mailbox requests for all of them. At that point you can break the DAG and demote Site A exchange servers. You then add a second Exchange server to Site B and have DAG replicate your databases from the first server in Site B. In this scenario, you are doing as little as possible and there is no need to move mailboxes.


Will.

• Edited by Will Szymkowski- Sunday, July 19, 2015 10:54 AM

thank you. It's good sollution. But I plan to integrate two servers (CASHUB and DAG) into one multirole server on the occassion, so I rather choose create a new DAG in site B with new CAS Array and move mailboxes. I wonder if I can use the same CAS Array FQDN in site B (like nice outlook.domain.com name)

• Edited by artikus Sunday, July 19, 2015 1:50 PM

Hi artikus,

"I wonder if I can use the same CAS Array FQDN in site B (like nice outlook.domain.com name)"

In Ex2010 you can't, each site needs to have separate CASArray names as it requires you to have session affinity maintained (Layer7)

If you have a HLB which can do a cross subnet load balancing and maintain the sessions you can use it though, but its too complicated for the options you already have.

Steps:

1. New CASarray, CAS,mailbox servers in new site,

2. Configure autodiscover (URL, RPCclientaccess on DBs, AutodiscoverURI, etc.)

3. Move mailboxes

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