Exchange Server - Exchange SCR included with Exchange Server

Asked By Rustom

28-Aug-07 12:21 AM

Does Exchange SCR included with Exchange Server 2007 Beta 1 require Windows
Clustering or does it work independant of Windows clustering?  In addtion, i
clustering is not required, will it work on the Windows Server 2003
standard?

28-Aug-07 02:10 AM

Don't think the licensing details are public yet.... but it works with and
without clusters - you can replicate a Storage Group from a Clusterd Mailbox
Server (CMS) or a standalone server to a (passive) cluster node or
standalone server. You can also replicate one source Storage Group to
multiple remote servers, or replicate Storage Groups from multiple servers
to one remote server.
--
Bharat Suneja
MVP - Exchange
www.zenprise.com
NEW blog location:
exchangepedia.com/blog
----------------------------------------------

30-Aug-07 01:01 PM

SCR is not a clustered solution, and does not require Windows clustering.
SCR is available in the Standard Edition of Exchange 2007 SP1. If a Mailbox
server in an SCC or CCR environment is used as the SCR source, the
Enterprise Edition of Exchange 2007 SP1 is required because Enterprise
Edition is required when clustering Exchange 2007. If a standby cluster is
being used as the SCR target, the Enterprise Edition of Exchange 2007 SP1 is
also required.

05-Sep-07 08:25 AM

I was wandering and went through all documents available and tried to test
it myself but I was not able to find the key/command/method that would
enable me to setup Exchange 2007 Standby cluster. Setup creates cluster
resources by default. Unattended setup doesn't have the switches necessary
to prevent this and I didn’t find the way to install exchange files only.
Help file is full of Exchange 2003 references... And you are referencing
here to Standby cluster... What am I missing?



Scott? Rodney?



Dusan Kosaric

05-Sep-07 08:42 AM

Are you testing with SP1 installed? You can only do SCR after you have SP1.

Cheers,

Rodney R. Fournier
MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering Website
http://msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
http://www.clusterhelp.com - Cluster Training
ClusterHelp.com is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner

05-Sep-07 09:07 AM

SP1 installed, but it's not SCR I am asking the questions for.
I tested SCR already and for now it looks great. Now I am testing all the
clustered possibilities....
In Exchange 2003 you could create Standby clustered Exchange (One node
cluster) in which Exchange resources were created but were offline. So you
replicated the database in any of the possible ways and in the time of
disaster you started this one node cluster with replicated database, with
same Exchange name, IP address, etc.

Maybe the logic behind Exchange 2007 is different ... but how can I create
this standby cluster in Exchange 2007? Is this logic still applied to
Exchange 2007 or not?

Thanks.

Dusan Kosaric
--
My Exchange Technical bLog
www.exchangelog.info

05-Sep-07 09:34 AM

From my understanding SCR replaces Standby Clustering in 2003.

Cheers,

Rodney R. Fournier
MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
http://www.nw-america.com - Clustering Website
http://msmvps.com/clustering - Blog
http://www.clusterhelp.com - Cluster Training
ClusterHelp.com is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner

05-Sep-07 09:33 AM

There is no Exchange 2007 Standby cluster. SCR is Standby Continuous
Replication. It only comes with SP1 as Rod has pointed out.


--
Russ Kaufmann
MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp

The next ClusterHelp classes are:
Sep 3 - 6   in Copenhagen
Oct 8 - 11 in New York

05-Sep-07 10:27 AM

For SCR you need target. Correct? Target must have Exchange installed.
Correct?
In the case of disaster can I have prepared exchange cluster with the same
IP address and Name as failed cluster? As it looks like, no.

Let me quote Scott form previous post:
Edition of Exchange 2007 SP1 is also required."

Now, I found this also in Exchange srv help file, but as far as I tried and
went through I could not do that.

Am I clear enough what I want? Please, check again what I wrote about the
possibilities in exchange 2003 (standby cluster) in previous post. Russ, I
know what SCR is. Thanks anyway.

Dusan Kosaric
--
My Exchange Technical bLog
www.exchangelog.info

05-Sep-07 10:47 AM

SCR target can be a standalone box (in which case you don't need Ent
Edition), or a "standby" CCR cluster (Exchange installed, no CMS created,
yes - need Enterprise Ed).

Not sure why the same IP address is required, typically you'd set this up in
a remote site. Clients should be able to connect once DNS is updated.

Yes, it works differently than the standby cluster option in Exchange Server
2003. Overall, it's a better option for DR with Exchange-native Storage
Group replication, Store integrity checks built-in, and replication lags
(built-in and configurable) providing resilience in case of corrupt Stores.

The options of one source to many targets, many sources to one target, and
CCR/SCC to standalone (as well as other way round) make it a better solution
thant standby clusters, imo.

--
Bharat Suneja
MVP - Exchange
www.zenprise.com
NEW blog location:
exchangepedia.com/blog
----------------------------------------------

05-Sep-07 11:23 AM

It is just the testing I am going through... I must make myself clear...
I was actually not comparing SCR to standby option in Exchange 2003. I just
wanted to know if Standby cluster is possible with Exchange 2007. All the
tests I did till now failed to create Standby Cluster despite the fact
Exchange Help files include references to it. I am working with other
software solutions for replicating data and I have implemented disaster
recovery solutions using standby cluster with Ex 2003, so I want to know
what the possibilities in Exchange 2007 are since Help files are sometimes
sooo very confused. I agree with you that "Overall, it's a better option for
DR with Exchange-native Storage Group replication, Store integrity checks
built-in, and replication lags (built-in and configurable) providing
resilience in case of corrupt Stores" but it is not the only thing I will
use.

Thank you all for your answers.

Dusan Kosaric
--
My Exchange Technical bLog
www.exchangelog.info