Unity Voicemail Only Hardware/Software upgrade Procedure

[palves]

Hi All,

I have to upgrade the hardware and software on a VoiceMail only Unity Server.

Customer is currently at 3.1(5) and will go to 4.0(5).

I will be upgrading from a 7825 to a 7835 MCS platform.

The domain for the voicemail solution exists on this server only (and the exchange server exists on this server as well).

Is the only way to upgrade the hardware/software to 1. move over the key domain services from one server to the other and 2. to migrate the exchange voicemail accounts from the existing exchange server to the new one?

Is there a simpler way to do this?

thanks,

Paul

[Hin Lee]

This is one way.

Do a DiRT backup of the 3.1(5) MCS7825 server

Build Unity 3.1(5) on the MCS7835. Do a DiRT Restore on the new server.

Upgrade to Unity 4.0(5) on the new MCS7835.

[palves]

Hi Hinho,

thanks for the response.

I've got the Unity part figured out (as you've described it).

The question was actually about exchange/active directory (not unity).

I don't like the fact that I have to rebuild unity to 3.1(5) on the new hardware first then upgrade to 4.0(5), but that's fine.

The problem will be about MS Exchange and Active directory on this box! I'm trying to figure out if there's some way restore the exchange mailboxes to a new domain/exchange server without having to migrate the two (exchange and active directory functions to new domain controller). It's messy when you have to enable all those Active Directory services on a new domain controller. I've had to do this in the past and it wasn't fun!

thanks,

Paul

[Hin Lee]

I am not sure if I can think of a cleaner way than DiRT backup and restore. You could uninstall Unity off the old MCS server and leave the AD/Exchange on it. Install Unity only on the new server. Licensing will be tricky - I think you will at least have to have a new windows 2000 license.

[palves]

Hi Hinho,

I may be thinking too much about this...

Do you think the following would work?

On the existing unity 3.1(5) voicemail only server, backup using the DiRT tool with mailboxes.

On a new server....

Follow the basic Unity Server procedures for a new server....

Install windows 2000 and add active directory

Build a new exchange server on the same new server.

Note: New domain will be different and exchange OU may be different.

Install unity 3.1(5) (Same version as original).

Use Unity DiRT restore (with mailboxes/messages).

Questions I have are as follows.

Can I restore unity to a different exchange OU?

Do I have to have the windows/exchange accounts of all the users in place before restoring unity using the DiRT restore tool to this server? Or will the DiRT restore tool do it for me?

thanks,

Paul

[Hin Lee]

That is the cool thing about DiRT. You would build a new Unity server with a new AD and a new exchange for the purpose of DiRT restore. DiRT Restore would create new users and mailboxes, then then Exmerge is invoked to restore the messages from DiRT Backup.

Please read the help files and watch the videos to help you with migration to new server.

http://www.ciscounitytools.com/App_DisasterRecoveryTools.htm

http://www.ciscounitytools.com/HelpFiles/DiRT/index.html

1) restore unity to a different exchange OU?

You can restore to a different exchange server and a different AD OU.

2) have to have the windows/exchange accounts of all the users in place before restoring unity ?

Well, when you build a new unity server for DiRT Restore, the accounts would already be there because you would need them for unity install and operations.