Exchange Cluster SAN Move

Chris · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 79

We currently have 2 exchange servers in an Active/Passive cluster connected
to an EMC SAN. Within the next week we will be migrating to a new SAN
solution. I am wondering if anyone knows the best way to go about doing this
migration. I know there will be issues with disk signatures, but I am not a
cluster guru by any means, so I was just looking to see if anyone has done
this and know a reliable way of getting this done. Thanks!
--
Chris

Archived from group: microsoft>public>exchange2000>clustering

Mark Arnold [MVP] · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 1126

On Fri, 3 Mar 2006 08:15:29 -0800, Chris
wrote:

>We currently have 2 exchange servers in an Active/Passive cluster connected
>to an EMC SAN. Within the next week we will be migrating to a new SAN
>solution. I am wondering if anyone knows the best way to go about doing this
>migration. I know there will be issues with disk signatures, but I am not a
>cluster guru by any means, so I was just looking to see if anyone has done
>this and know a reliable way of getting this done. Thanks!

Bring the new SAN on line and prepare the storage. Add the storage as
a new drive, add it to the relevant storage group and then do a store
move (in the normal plain old way) to the new location. There are
other ways such as dropping the server and flipping the LUNS with your
management software.

Why, in all that is holy, hasn't your SAN vendor given you this
answer. It's such an obvious thing for them to give you the value add
service on? Some vendors just astound me. Sell it and scarper, I hate
that.

Chris · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 79

WOW...thanks for the quick reply Mark! It's funny you ask that
question...that is an issue in and of itself and would take me a week to
answer! LOL! The only problem is that I can't connect to both SAN's at the
same time. What kind of problems will I see with the disk signatures? Any?

--
Chris

"Mark Arnold [MVP]" wrote:

> On Fri, 3 Mar 2006 08:15:29 -0800, Chris
> wrote:
>
> >We currently have 2 exchange servers in an Active/Passive cluster connected
> >to an EMC SAN. Within the next week we will be migrating to a new SAN
> >solution. I am wondering if anyone knows the best way to go about doing this
> >migration. I know there will be issues with disk signatures, but I am not a
> >cluster guru by any means, so I was just looking to see if anyone has done
> >this and know a reliable way of getting this done. Thanks!
>
> Bring the new SAN on line and prepare the storage. Add the storage as
> a new drive, add it to the relevant storage group and then do a store
> move (in the normal plain old way) to the new location. There are
> other ways such as dropping the server and flipping the LUNS with your
> management software.
>
> Why, in all that is holy, hasn't your SAN vendor given you this
> answer. It's such an obvious thing for them to give you the value add
> service on? Some vendors just astound me. Sell it and scarper, I hate
> that.
>
>

Mark Arnold [MVP] · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 1126

On Fri, 3 Mar 2006 09:19:30 -0800, Chris
wrote:

>WOW...thanks for the quick reply Mark! It's funny you ask that
>question...that is an issue in and of itself and would take me a week to
>answer! LOL! The only problem is that I can't connect to both SAN's at the
>same time. What kind of problems will I see with the disk signatures? Any?

Whoa. You can't connect to both SAN's? That's a joke, right? Your
cluster (nothing to do with Exchange) isn't going to be terribly happy
about all that and you're going to have to have some downtime to
backup and restore from one san to the other, then repoint the
configuration at the new one.
I would have a serious word with the folks at the vendor. There has to
be a better way that your vendor can help you out here. The disk
signatures is the most trivial of your issues right now.

Russ Kaufmann [MVP] · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 69

"Chris" wrote in message @microsoft.com...
> We currently have 2 exchange servers in an Active/Passive cluster
> connected
> to an EMC SAN. Within the next week we will be migrating to a new SAN
> solution. I am wondering if anyone knows the best way to go about doing
> this
> migration. I know there will be issues with disk signatures, but I am not
> a
> cluster guru by any means, so I was just looking to see if anyone has done
> this and know a reliable way of getting this done. Thanks!

I have done this several times, and others have used this information to do
the same thing with little trouble.

http://msmvps.com/blogs/clusterhelp/archive/2005/08/05/61741.aspx

Whatever you do, make sure you test it in a test environment first.

--
Russ Kaufmann
MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp

Chris · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 79

Here's what I was thinking of doing: Not sure if it will work or not...
1.) Move all resources to Node1
2.) Stop Cluster service on Node2 and set the service to disabled
3.) Bring down Node2, install new cards
4.) Power on Node2
5.) In Disk Management on Node2- partition and format the new disks
6.) On Node1, dismount all Exchange stores
7.) Copy all info from the drives on Node1 to the drives on Node2
8.) Stop the cluster service on Node1 and set it to disabled
9.) Bring down Node1 and install new cards
10.) On Node2, use dumpcfg to set the disk signatures so cluster can see the
new disks
11.) Bring node1 back up
12.) Start the cluster service on Node2
13.) Mount the the Information store(s)
14.) Start the cluster service on Node1
15.) Test Failover

--
Chris

"Russ Kaufmann [MVP]" wrote:

> "Chris" wrote in message
> @microsoft.com...
> > We currently have 2 exchange servers in an Active/Passive cluster
> > connected
> > to an EMC SAN. Within the next week we will be migrating to a new SAN
> > solution. I am wondering if anyone knows the best way to go about doing
> > this
> > migration. I know there will be issues with disk signatures, but I am not
> > a
> > cluster guru by any means, so I was just looking to see if anyone has done
> > this and know a reliable way of getting this done. Thanks!
>
> I have done this several times, and others have used this information to do
> the same thing with little trouble.
>
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/clusterhelp/archive/2005/08/05/61741.aspx
>
> Whatever you do, make sure you test it in a test environment first.
>
> --
> Russ Kaufmann
> MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
> ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
> Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
> Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp
>
>
>

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