Installing Update Rollups on Database Availability Group Members

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It's relatively straightforward to install Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 update rollups on a server that's a member of a database availability group (DAG).

Servers that are DAG members don't use Microsoft Update to install update rollups. Instead, you need to download the update rollups from the Microsoft Download Center and then install them manually. When you install an update rollup on a server that's a DAG member, several services will be stopped during the installation, including all Exchange services and the Windows Cluster service. The general process for installing update rollups on a DAG member is as follows:

  • Suspend activation for the databases on the server being updated.
  • Perform a server switchover so that all databases on the server are passive copies. During the switchover process, there will be a brief interruption in service for the mailboxes hosted on the active databases.
  • Install the update rollup.
  • Resume activation for the databases on the updated server.
  • Perform database switchovers as needed.

You can download the latest update rollup for Exchange 2010 from the Microsoft Download Center.

Install a Update Rollup on a Database Availability Group Member

To update all DAG members, perform the following procedures on each DAG member, one at a time.

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Database availability groups" entry in the High Availability Permissions topic.

Suspend activation for the database copies on the server being updated

  1. Run the following command in the Exchange Management Shell:

    Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus -Server <Server> | Suspend-MailboxDatabaseCopy -ActivationOnly -Confirm:$False -SuspendComment "Install update rollup for Exchange 2010"

For more information about how to suspend activation for a database copy or server, see Suspend or Resume a Mailbox Database Copy.

Perform a server switchover on the server being updated

  1. In the console tree of the Exchanger Management Console (EMC), navigate to Server Configuration > Mailbox.
  2. In the result pane, select the Mailbox server you want.
  3. In the action pane, select Switchover Server.
  4. In Switchover server database copies, do one of the following:
    • Accept the default setting of Automatically choose a target server (in which case, the system automatically selects the best Mailbox server for each database being switched over), and then click OK.
    • Click Use the specified server as the target for switchover, click Browse to select a Mailbox server, and then click OK.

For details about how to perform a server switchover, including steps to perform a server switchover using the Shell, see Perform a Server Switchover.

Install the update rollup

  1. Close all Exchange management tools.
  2. Right-click the Exchange update rollup file (.msp file) you downloaded, and then select Apply.
  3. On the Welcome page, click Next.
  4. On the License Terms page, review the license terms, select I accept the License Terms, and then click Next.
  5. On the Completion page, click Finish.

Resume activation for the databases on the updated server

  1. Run the following command in the Shell:

    Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus -Server <Server> | Resume-MailboxDatabaseCopy

For more information about how to resume a database copy or server, see Suspend or Resume a Mailbox Database Copy.

Perform database switchovers as needed

  1. In the console tree of the EMC, navigate to Organization Configuration > Mailbox.
  2. In the result pane, click the Database Management tab, and then click the mailbox database whose copy you want to activate.
  3. In the action pane, click Activate a Database Copy.
  4. On the Activate a Database Copy page, click Browse to select the server you updated.
  5. Select the desired setting for the automatic database mount dial setting on the selected server.
  6. Click Move to activate the selected passive copy of the database to the updated server.
  7. On the Completion page, review the following, and then click Finish to close the wizard:
    • A status of Completed indicates that the wizard completed the task successfully.
    • A status of Failed indicates that the task wasn't completed. If the task fails, review the summary for an explanation, and then click Back to make any configuration changes.

For more information about how to perform database switchovers, including steps to perform database switchovers using the Shell, see Activate a Mailbox Database Copy.