RE: [ActiveDir] Exchange Routing

Tue, 01 Mar 2005 14:53:28 -0800

Yes and no.  The problem is moving an Exchange server along with the supporting requirements such as DC/GC/DNS/(AD in general).  Outside of that, it would probably work with those gotchas and the DNS TTL issues to contend with.
 
It's just that it's simpler to prop up a simple MTA that will just queue the mail until your Exchange servers come back online to take delivery. W2K server would work just fine (note: make the timeout of delivery longer than the default to account for your outage).
 
Al

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dan DeStefano
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 4:54 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Exchange Routing

The thing is that the server we are planning to move is currently idle, for all intents and purposes, but Exchange is installed and working on it. Plus, the server uses a private IP and has a NAT mapping to a public IP. So shouldn’t we just have to change the NAT mapping and add the MX record to our public zone file; then, for internal, just re-register the DNS records with the new IP?

 

I did not mention this in my previous message, but we are not concerned with users being able to access their e-mail during this outage, we would just like to make sure the mail sent during this time period is eventually delivered.

To deliver these few requirements, will the plan work?

 

Also, we do not have any W2k3 servers.

 

 

Dan

 

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Michael B. Smith
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 3:38 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Exchange Routing

 

Is cutting off your arm a way to get rid of a hangnail?

 

Sure, but it's overmuch.

 

Doing what you want, properly, is pretty involved - you've gotta get DNS, GC, AD, Exchange, etc. all happy at the remote location - not just SMTP.

 

Just stick a standalone W2K3 server with the SMTP service installed at the remote location if you REALLY want to put a server somewhere else.

 

Or pay some service provider to do your secondary MX/store-and-forward for you. Worst case, you're looking at less than $100 for a month's service.

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dan DeStefano
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 3:26 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Exchange Routing

I am not sure about that with our ISP. But will the procedures I suggested work?

 

 

Dan

 

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Michael B. Smith
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 3:00 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Exchange Routing

 

You don't need to move an Exchange server you just need to have some company act as a secondary MX (store and forward mail services) for the domain of interest.

 

PROBABLY your bandwidth provider will do this for you, for free.

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dan DeStefano
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 2:27 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ActiveDir] Exchange Routing

I have a question about Exchange routing.

 

We have 2 Exchange 2000 servers at our main site, one that holds all the mailboxes and the other currently holds just a few mailboxes that aren’t being used, but the server is up and working. Both servers are in the same routing and administrative groups. Both servers are in the data center of our main site.

 

The problem is that this weekend, the power will be turned off in our building and our network will be unavailable as will user’s mailboxes. We currently have no offsite data replication or Exchange DR strategy (though it’s not for lack of trying/nagging by our department to upper management).

 

So, as a temporary solution, our current plan is to move the second Ex server to one of our colo sites and add a lower-priority MX record for it to our public DNS zone. The thinking is that messages sent to our domain will be sent to the second server at the colo, and this server will cache all the messages until the main server is back up and mail can be delivered to it. And, since the mail was received, no senders should receive NDRs. Then, on Monday, when the power is back, all messages will be delivered to the main server.

 

Is this plan going to work? If so, how long will the messages be cached by the second server? How many messages will it cache (until it fills the drive)? Are these options configurable? Does anyone see any gotchas or things to consider?

 

Thank you very much. I am a novice when it comes to Exchange, but trying to change that by studying my MSPress 70-284 text. Besides, I usually do not like to make any major changes to our mail/AD infrastructure without consulting you guys first.

 

_________________________

 

Daniel DeStefano

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