XADM: Recovering a Key Management Server after a complete Exchange Rebuild

SUMMARY

If you completely reinstall Exchange Server 5.5, you will have to reinstall Key Management Server as well. The following article outlines the steps necessary to recover Key Management Server to a computer with the same name.

You need the following before you can successfully restore Key Management Server:

• A backup of the Kmsdata directory from the original Key Management Server.
• The alpha string that you input when you start the Key Management Server services, or the start up disk.

1. Reinstall Exchange Server, any service packs, and Key Management Server. It will create a new alpha string for you to write down or store on disk.
2. After installation, stop the Exchange Key Management Server service.
3. Go to the path\Exchsrvr\Kmsdata directory, and delete all files.
4. Restore the Kmsdata directory from backup.
5. Go to Services, and select the Microsoft Exchange Key Management Server service.
6. On the start up parameters, type in the alpha string, or insert the start up disk from the old (original) Key Management Server.
7. Start the Microsoft Key Management Server service.

At this point, you have recovered and successfully reinstalled the original Key Management Server and all of its data.