Day: March 13, 2008

Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 RU1

by ucinfo, posted in Flaphead, MsExchange

Okay so it’s not difficult to install, but as ever I want to share the steps we have used successfully.

So before you start yeah a reboot to start with, as we have seen that is just a better place to start the installation! 

Generally it takes 10-15mins for the Rollup to install

Standalone Servers

  1. Reboot Server
  2. Apply Rollup 1
  3. Check Event log & all Exchange services have started.
  4. Reboot Server.
  5. Check Event log and all make sure that all Exchange services have started.

Note. On Hub servers check all mail queues.

Mailbox SCC Clusters 
Passive Node

  1. Reboot passive node.
  2. Apply Rollup 1 to passive node
  3. Reboot passive node
  4. Move Cluster Resources to Passive Node
  5. Check all Resources & Exchange Stores are online
  6. Test mailbox access

Active Node

  1. Reboot server once cluster resources have been moved to Passive Node.
  2. Apply Rollup 1 to active node. (Takes 10-15mins)
  3. Reboot Node.
  4. Move Cluster resources back.
  5. Check all Resources & Exchange Stores are online.
  6. Test mailbox access.

Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and the Scalable Networking Pack

by ucinfo, posted in Flaphead, KB Articles, MsExchange

Remember all the heart ache we had with this … and having to disable TCP Chimney just for the server to actually stay working :-|

 Wel Michael has found the latest installment in the way of a new KB that essentially sets EnableTCPChimney, EnableRSS,and EnableTCPA to 0

948496 An update to turn off default SNP features is available for Windows Server 2003-based and Small Business Server 2003-based computers

What is interesting about the KB is the list of issues that may occur when Windows Server 2003 SNP is turned on!

  • You cannot create a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connection to the server.
  • You cannot connect to the Exchange server from a computer that is running Microsoft Outlook.
  • Inactive Outlook connections to the Exchange server may not be cleaned up
  • You experience slow network performance.
  • You experience intermittent RPC communications failures.
  • The server stops responding.
  • The server runs low on nonpaged pool memory

Not to serious then!