Member Server Recovery Methods

This topic discusses the following methods you can use to recover a damaged server running Exchange:

• Restoring an Exchange member server.

• Rebuilding an Exchange member server.

• Using an Exchange standby recovery server.

For detailed information about how to perform the procedures that are listed for each method, see "Member Server Recovery Procedures."

Restoring an Exchange Member Server

Restoring an Exchange member server involves restoring a full computer backup set made from a server running Exchange. A full computer backup set includes a backup of System State data and most of the data on your hard disks. Restoring an Exchange member server requires fewer steps than other server recovery methods.

Before performing recovery operations on an Exchange server, redirect the Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) traffic to a temporary SMTP email server. If a temporary SMTP server is not available then make sure that SMTP traffic does not route to the server that you are performing recovery on until the server has been fully recovered, Otherwise, you run the risk of losing email. Most email servers will queue email for three days before issuing non delivery receipts (NDRs). That gives you access to three days of emails being retried to your domain. Redirecting the SMTP traffic will reduce the amount of email that you will lose during the recovery process.

Restoring Checklist

Follow these steps if necessary:

Rebuilding an Exchange Member Server

To rebuild an Exchange member server, you must:

• Reinstall your Windows Server 2003 operating system (if you cannot start the server) and other software applications.

• Restore the System State data.

• Run Exchange Setup in disaster recovery mode.

• Restore the Exchange databases.

It takes more time to rebuild a server. However, the resulting operating environment is cleaner than if you were to restore a server from a full computer backup set.

Rebuilding Checklist

Follow these steps if necessary:

Using an Exchange Standby Recovery Server

To recover from a disaster using a standby recovery server, you must have one or more spare servers available to replace the damaged server. The spare servers must have hardware and firmware that is the same as the hardware of the server that you are replacing. If a disaster occurs, using standby recovery servers minimizes the downtime that your Exchange organization experiences.

Because servers running Exchange include various types of dynamic data, using the standby server recovery method is not as simple as disconnecting the damaged server and connecting the standby recovery server in its place. For this reason, prepare your standby recovery servers by installing the following:

• The correct version of your Windows Server 2003 operating system.

• Operating system service packs or product updates.

• Software applications (not including Microsoft Exchange Server).

• Software and firmware updates that existed on the damaged server.

  Note

  Install your Windows Server 2003 operating system to a workgroup, including both the SMTP and Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) IIS components as part of your installation. Additionally, configure the same drive letter and drive space configurations as the server that is running Exchange and that you intend to replace.

Standby Checklist

Follow these steps if necessary: