XADM: How to Set Up a Disaster Recovery Server for Dir.edb

MORE INFORMATION

The Dir.edb file is Windows NT machine name specific and thus it can only be restored to a server with the same computer name.

NOTE: The following steps will allow you to construct a server offline. The resulting server will not be usable in your production Exchange environment.

Steps to build a Dir.edb recovery server

1. In the production domain where the Exchange service account resides, install a computer as a backup domain controller (BDC) with the same version of Microsoft Windows NT Server and service pack level as the production Exchange Server computer.
2. Make sure that the recovery server computer has enough free disk space and any other devices that are necessary, such as a tape drive or CD-ROM drive. Take this computer offline by isolating it from the production network on a hub.
3. Promote this server to a primary domain controller (PDC) and reboot the computer.
4. Go to Control Panel, and in the Network tool, click the Identification tab. In the Network Settings dialog box, click Change button next to the computer name. Type the new name in the Computer Name dialog box, and then click OK, first verifying that you are not on the production network. Restart the PDC for the name change to take effect.
5. Reboot the server. Now the recovery server is running the same version of Windows NT Server as the production Exchange Server computer.
6. Install Microsoft Exchange Server as a new site, but use the same organization and site name as the production Exchange environment. Make sure to select the same service account as the production domain to use for the Exchange services.
7. Update to the same service pack level as the production Exchange Server computer.
8. Restore from backup the previous Microsoft Exchange directory store and/or the Microsoft Exchange information store.