How to Install the Active Clustered Mailbox Role in a Single Copy Cluster on Windows Server 2008

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.

 

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3

This topic explains how to install a Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) clustered mailbox server (CMS) on the active node in a single copy cluster (SCC) that is running on the Windows Server 2008 operating system. For detailed information about installing an SCC on Windows Server 2008, see Installing a Single Copy Cluster on Windows Server 2008.

You can install the active clustered mailbox role on Windows Server 2008 and create a CMS using the command-line version of Setup (Setup.com) or by using the Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Setup wizard (Setup.exe).

Before You Begin

To perform this procedure, the account you use must be delegated membership in the Exchange Server Administrator role. For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Exchange 2007, see Permission Considerations.

If you accidentally specify the cluster IP address as the IP address for the CMS, or if you accidentally specify the cluster name as the name for the CMS, you can complete the installation by performing Step 2 of the first procedure with the correct IP address and name.

Procedure

To use Setup to install the Active Clustered Mailbox role in an SCC on Windows Server 2008

  1. Ensure that the Windows Firewall service is running. Windows Firewall does not need to be enabled, but the Windows Firewall service must be running.

  2. Open a Command Prompt window, navigate to the installation files, and then run the following command.

    Setup.com /roles:Mailbox /newcms /CMSname:<NameofClusteredMailboxServer> /CMSIPAddress:<ClusteredMailboxServerIPAddress> /CMSSharedStorage /CMSDataPath:<PathToSharedStorageForDatabase>
    

    Note

    If you need to place the program files in an alternate location, you can add /targetdir:<Path> to the command to specify the location. If you specify an alternate path, it must match the path used by all passive nodes.

    Note

    CMS names must be 15 characters or less.

    Note

    The database and log file path specified by the /CMSDataPath parameter must be on a physical disk that is shared storage. In addition, the preceding example uses the /CMSIPAddress option to specify a static Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address.

    Note

    If the Passive Clustered Mailbox role has already been installed, you can use the following command to make a passive node an active node:

    Setup.com /newcms /cmsname:<NameofClusteredMailboxServer> /cmsipaddress:<IPAddressofClusteredMailboxServer>
    

    In a single subnet installation, you can use the following options to configure a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) IPv4 address or an IPv6 address for the CMS.

    /CMSIPV4Networks:<PublicClusterNetworkName>
    /CMSIPV6Networks:<PublicClusterNetworkName>
    

    /CMSIPV4Addresses can be used to configure the CMS in a multiple subnet environment. /CMSIPV4Networks can be used to configure the CMS with a dynamically assigned IPv4 address on the public cluster network. /CMSIPV6Networks can be used to configure the CMS with a dynamically assigned IPv6 address on the public cluster network.

  3. After Setup has completed successfully, a message appears indicating that a restart is required. Before you restart the node, stop the CMS. To stop the CMS, open the Exchange Management Shell from the Start menu (in the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 program group) and run the following command:

    Stop-ClusteredMailboxServer <CMSName> -StopReason Setup -Confirm:$false
    
  4. After the CMS is stopped (offline), close the Command Prompt window and the Exchange Management Shell, and then restart the node.

  5. During the restart, the CMS, and any other cluster groups owned by the node being restarted are moved to another node in the cluster, if one is available, including a node that does not have Exchange installed. The CMS group should be moved back to the active node along with the groups containing the disk resources to be used by the CMS before the physical disk resources are configured. If the node that took ownership of the CMS during the restart has the same version of Exchange installed, you can use the following command in the Exchange Management Shell to move the CMS back to the node that was restarted:

    Move-ClusteredMailboxServer <CMSName> -TargetMachine <NodeName> -MoveComment Setup -Confirm:$false
    

    If the node that took ownership of the CMS during the restart does not have the same version of Exchange installed (or if Exchange is not installed on that node), you must use the cluster management tools (the Failover Cluster Management tool or Cluster.exe) to move the CMS group back to the node that was restarted. You can use the following command to do this:

    Cluster group <CMSName> /move:<NodeName>
    
  6. In a newly formed Windows Server 2008 failover cluster, the physical disk resources that were detected during cluster formation are added to a group called Available Storage, and each physical disk is named Cluster Disk X, where X is the disk number. Move each physical disk resource that will be used by the CMS from the passive node to the active node by running the following commands for each disk resource to be moved:

    Cluster group "Available Storage" /move:<ActiveNodeName>
    Cluster res <DiskResourceName> /move:<CMSName>
    

    For example, to make a disk resource named Cluster Disk 2 a dependency for a Microsoft Exchange Database Instance resource named First Storage Group/Mailbox Database (EXCLUSTER) in a failover cluster named SCCMBX1, run the following command:

    Cluster SCCMBX1 res "First Storage Group/Mailbox Database (EXCLUSTER)" /AddDep:"Cluster Disk 2"
    

    Repeat the command for each Microsoft Exchange Database Instance resource and its corresponding disk resource.

  7. After the physical disk resource dependencies are correctly configured, the physical disk resource policies must be configured so that a failure of a disk resource does not cause failover of the CMS to another node. This policy can be configured by running the following command for each disk resource in the CMS group:

    Cluster <ClusterName> res <DiskResourceName> /prop RestartAction=1
    

    After the physical disk resource policies have been configured, the next step is to run Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Setup on the passive node in the failover cluster. For detailed steps about how to install Exchange Server 2007 SP1 on the passive node, see How to Install the Passive Clustered Mailbox Role in a Single Copy Cluster on Windows Server 2008.

To use the Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Setup wizard to install the Active Clustered Mailbox role in an SCC on Windows Server 2008

  1. Open Windows Explorer, navigate to the Exchange installation files, and then run the following command:

    Setup.exe
    

    Note

    If you have installed the necessary prerequisite packages, you can click Step 4: Install Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP1 to proceed with the installation.

  2. On the Introduction page, review the information, and then click Next.

  3. On the License Agreement page, review the license agreement. If you accept the terms, select I accept the terms in the license agreement, and then click Next.

  4. On the Error Reporting page, review the information and make your selection. Click Next.

  5. On the Installation Type page, select Custom Exchange Server Installation. Optionally, change the location for the Exchange program files. If you specify a path, it must match the path used by the passive node. Click Next.

  6. On the Server Role Selection page, select Active Clustered Mailbox Role. This will automatically select the Management Tools role, and the other roles will be unavailable. Optionally, change the location for the Exchange program files. If you specify a path, it must match the path used by the passive node. Click Next.

  7. On the Cluster Settings page, select Single Copy Cluster, and then enter the name of the CMS. You must also change the path for the CMS database files to a location on a shared storage disk resource. Click Next.

    Important

       The CMS database and log file path must be on a physical disk that is shared storage.

  8. On the Cluster IP Address Configuration page, select from the following options:

    • If all public network interfaces in the cluster use IPv4 addresses, select IPv4 Network. After you select this option, you must select a static IP address or use DHCP.

    • If you want to use a static IP address for the CMS, select Use the following static IPv4 address, and type the IP address in dotted decimal format in the field.

    • If you want to use a dynamically assigned IP address for the CMS, select Use a dynamically assigned (DHCP) IPv4 address for the following network. Then, click the Browse button to select the public cluster network.

    • If all public network interfaces in the cluster use IPv6 addresses, select IPv6 Network. Then, click the Browse button to select the public cluster network.

  9. If you are installing a CMS in a multiple subnet environment, select the Second Subnet check box, and then configure the network settings for the second subnet.

  10. Click Next to initiate the checks and installation.

  11. On the Readiness Checks page, the status appears as the checks are performed. After the checks complete successfully, click Install. If the checks fail, you must correct the issues that are identified, and then you can restart the installation.

  12. The Progress page shows the steps that Setup will perform. When all steps are complete, clear the Finalize installation using the Exchange Management Console check box, and then click Finish.

  13. A message appears indicating a restart is required prior to placing the server in production. Click OK to acknowledge this message.

  14. After installation and configuration are complete, you are brought back to the initial Setup page to download Exchange updates and complete the setup on this node. Click Step 5: Get Critical Updates for Microsoft Exchange to download any available updates. If you install updates and those updates require a restart, do not restart the node. Instead, continue this procedure.

  15. Click Close to exit Setup.exe, and if a message appears, click Yes to confirm.

  16. After Setup has completed, but before the node is restarted, stop the CMS. To stop the CMS, open the Exchange Management Shell and run the following command:

    Stop-ClusteredMailboxServer <CMSName> -StopReason Setup -Confirm:$false
    
  17. After the CMS is stopped (offline), restart the node. During the restart, the CMS, and any other cluster groups owned by the node being restarted are moved to another node in the cluster, if one is available, including a node that does not have Exchange installed. If the CMS group is moved to another node, it should be moved back to the active node along with the groups containing the disk resources to be used by the CMS before the physical disk resources are configured. If the node that took ownership of the CMS during the restart has the same version of Exchange installed, you can use the following command in the Exchange Management Shell to move the CMS back to the node that was restarted:

    Move-ClusteredMailboxServer <CMSName> -TargetMachine <NodeName> -MoveComment Setup -Confirm:$false
    

    If the node that took ownership of the CMS during the restart does not have the same version of Exchange installed (or Exchange is not installed at all), you must use the cluster management tools (the Failover Cluster Management tool or Cluster.exe) to move the CMS group back to the node that was restarted. You can use the following command to do this:

    Cluster group <CMSName> /move:<NodeName>
    
  18. In a newly formed Windows Server 2008 failover cluster, the physical disk resources that were detected during cluster formation are added to a group called Available Storage, and each physical disk is named Cluster Disk X, where X is the disk number. Move each physical disk resource that will be used by the CMS from the passive node to the active node by running the following commands for each disk resource to be moved:

    Cluster group "Available Storage" /move:<ActiveNodeName>
    Cluster res <DiskResourceName> /move:<CMSName>
    

    For example, to make a disk resource named Cluster Disk 2 a dependency for a Microsoft Exchange Database Instance resource named First Storage Group/Mailbox Database (EXCLUSTER) in a failover cluster named SCCMBX1, run the following command:

    Cluster SCCMBX1 res "First Storage Group/Mailbox Database (EXCLUSTER)" /AddDep:"Cluster Disk 2"
    

    Repeat the command for each Microsoft Exchange Database Instance resource and its corresponding disk resource.

  19. After the physical disk resource dependencies are properly configured, the physical disk resource policies must be configured so that a failure of a disk resource does not cause failover of the CMS to another node. This policy can be configured by running the following command for each disk resource in the CMS group:

    Cluster <ClusterName> res <DiskResourceName> /prop RestartAction=1
    

    After the physical disk resource policies are configured, the next step is to run Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Setup on the passive node in the failover cluster. For detailed steps about how to install Exchange Server 2007 SP1 on the passive node, see How to Install the Passive Clustered Mailbox Role in a Single Copy Cluster on Windows Server 2008.