Monday, December 29, 2008

INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION OF NAGIOS

INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION OF NAGIOS
---------------------------------------------


1)tar xfvz nagios-1.0b5.tar.gz

2)cd nagios-1.0b5

3)mkdir /usr/local/nagios

4)chown nagios.nagios /usr/local/nagios

5)grep "^User" etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

6)/usr/sbin/groupadd nagcmd

7)/usr/sbin/usermod -G nagcmd apache
/usr/sbin/usermod -G nagcmd nagios

8)./configure --prefix=/usr/local/nagios
--with-cgiurl=/nagios/cgi-bin --with-htmurl=/nagios/ --with-nagios-user=nagios
--with-nagios-grp=nagios

9)make all

10)make install

11)make install-init (It creates the daemon script in rc.d)

12)make install-config (Creates the etc directory)

INSTALLATION OF PLUGGINS
-------------------------

1)tar xfvz nagios-pluggins-1.0b5.tar.gz

2)cd nagios-pluggins-1.0b5.tar.gz

3)./configure
--prefix=/usr/local/nagios --with-nagios-user=nagios --with-nagios-group=nagios

4)make all

5)make install

6)cd /usr/local/nagios/libexec/

There will be some files in this directory.

7)./check_ssh -h (To check ssh pluggin)

8)cd /usr/local/nagios/etc (All sample files are there remove the sample extension.)Make the necessary changes in the configuration files.

9)Now create the following cfg files

hosts.cfg
----------


# Host Definition

define host{
# Name of host template to use
use generic-host

host_name test-server1
alias subho
address 172.16.0.210
check_command check-host-alive
max_check_attempts 10
contact_groups nagios
notification_interval 120
notification_period 24x7
notification_options d,u,r
}

define host{
# Name of host template to use
use generic-host

host_name localhost.localdomain
alias sss
address 172.16.0.211
check_command check-host-alive
max_check_attempts 10
contact_groups nagios
notification_interval 120
notification_period 24x7
notification_options d,u,r



hostgroups.cfg(This file should not have the contact_groups directive)
----------------

define hostgroup{
hostgroup_name flcd-servers
alias The Free Linux CD Project Servers
members test-server1

contacts.cfg
---------------

define contact{
contact_name nagios
alias Oktay Altunergil
service_notification_period 24x7
host_notification_period 24x7
service_notification_options w,u,c,r
host_notification_options d,u,r
service_notification_commands notify-by-email
host_notification_commands host-notify-by-email
email oktay@localhost.localdomain


contactgroups.cfg
---------------------

define contactgroup{
contactgroup_name nagios
alias FreeLinuxCD.org Admins
members nagios

services.cfg
-------------------

# Service definition
define service{
# Name of service template to use
use generic-service

host_name test-server1
service_description HTTP
is_volatile 0
check_period 24x7
max_check_attempts 3
normal_check_interval 5
retry_check_interval 1
contact_groups nagios
notification_interval 120
notification_period 24x7
notification_options w,u,c,r
check_command check_http
}


# Service definition
define service{
# Name of service template to use
use generic-service

host_name test-server1
service_description PING
is_volatile 0
check_period 24x7
max_check_attempts 3
normal_check_interval 5
retry_check_interval 1
contact_groups nagios
notification_interval 120
notification_period 24x7
notification_options c,r
check_command check_ping!100.0,20%!500.0,60%



Added only two service for monitoring we can add many more.


10)../bin/nagios -v nagios.cfg (For checking the configuration)

11)Running Nagios Manually as a Daemon
/usr/local/nagios/bin/nagios -d
Note that you must specify the path/filename of the main configuration file (i.e.
/usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg) on the command line.

12)/etc/rc.d/init.d/nagios restart

13)chkconfig nagios on


To start the web interface
-------------------------------
1)Add the following lines in httpd.conf file

ScriptAlias /nagios/cgi-bin "/usr/local/nagios/sbin/"

Options ExecCGI
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
AuthName "Nagios Access"
AuthType Basic
AuthUserFile /usr/local/nagios/etc/htpasswd.users
Require valid-user


Alias /nagios "/usr/local/nagios/share/"

Options None
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
AuthName "Nagios Access"
AuthType Basic
AuthUserFile /usr/local/nagios/etc/htpasswd.users
Require valid-user



2)Issue the following commands

htpasswd -c /usr/local/nagios/etc/htpasswd.users nagiosadmin

To add more than one user

htpasswd /usr/local/nagios/etc/htpasswd.users


3)# service httpd restart

4)check from the browser

http://172.16.0.211/nagios/index.html

For the REMOTE HOSTS (tO BE INSTALLED ON THE REMOTE HOSTS)
-----------------------------------------------------------

1)Download the NRPE tar ball and unpack it

#tar xzf nrpe-2.8.tar.gz

#cd nrpe-2.8

2)Compile the NRPE addon.

#./configure
# make all

3)Install the NRPE plugin (for testing), daemon, and sample daemon config file.

#make install-plugin
#make install-daemon
#make install-daemon-config

4)Install the NRPE daemon as a service under xinetd.

#make install-xinetd

5)Edit the /etc/xinetd.d/nrpe file and add the IP address of the monitoring server to the only_from directive.

only_from = 127.0.0.1

6)Add the following entry for the NRPE daemon to the /etc/services file.

nrpe 5666/tcp # NRPE

7)Restart the xinetd service.

#service xinetd restart

8)Test the NRPE daemon locally

#netstat -at | grep nrpe

The output out this command should show something like this:

tcp 0 0 *:nrpe *:* LISTEN

9)/usr/local/nagios/libexec/check_nrpe -H localhost

You should get a string back that tells you what version of NRPE is installed, like this:

NRPE v2.8


NRPE PLUGGIN IN THE NAGIOS SERVER
--------------------------------------

1)Extract the NRPE source code tarball.

# tar xzf nrpe-2.8.tar.gz
# cd nrpe-2.8

2)Compile the NRPE addon.

#./configure
# make all

3)Install the NRPE plugin.

# make install-plugin

4) Test communication with the NRPE daemon


Make sure the check_nrpe plugin can talk to the NRPE daemon on the remote host.

#/usr/local/nagios/libexec/check_nrpe -H

You should get a string back that tells you what version of NRPE is installed on the remote host, like this:

NRPE v2.8

Thursday, December 18, 2008

How to MS Cluster ?

reate a Windows Server 2003 Two-Node Cluster
Page 1
Introduction
This step-by-step guide provides instructions for installing Cluster Service on servers running the Windows 2003 Enterprise Servers operating system. The guide describes the process of installing Cluster Service on cluster nodes. It is not intended to explain how to install cluster applications. Rather, it guides you through the process of installing a typical, two-node cluster itself.
A server cluster is a group of independent servers running Cluster service and working collectively as a single system. Server clusters provide high-availability, scalability, and manageability for resources and applications by grouping multiple servers running Windows 2003 Enterprise Server.
The purpose of server clusters is to preserve client access to applications and resources during failure and planned outages. If one of the servers in the cluster is unavailable due to failure or maintenance, resource and applications move to another available cluster node
For cluster systems, the term high availability is used rather that fault-tolerant, as fault tolerant technology offers a higher level of resilience and recovery. Fault-tolerant servers typically use a high degree of hardware redundancy plus specialized software to provide near-instantaneous recovery from any single hardware or software fault. These solutions cost significantly more than clustering solutions because organizations must pay for redundant hardware that waits idly for a fault. Fault-tolerant servers are used for applications that support high-value, high-rate transactions such as check clearinghouses, Automated Teller Machines (ATMS), or stock exchanges.
While Cluster service does not guarantee non-stop operation, it provides availability sufficient for most mission-critical applications. Cluster service can monitor applications and resources, automatically recognizing and recovering from many failure conditions. This provides greater flexibility in managing the workload within cluster, and improves overall availability of the system.
Cluster service benefits include:
High Availability – With Cluster service, ownership of resources such as disk drives and IP address is automatically transferred from failed server to surviving server. When a system or application in the cluster fails, the cluster software restarts the failed application on a surviving server, or disperses the work from the failed node to the remaining nodes. As a result, users experience only a momentary pause in service.
Failback – Cluster service automatically re-balances the workload in a cluster when a failed server comes back online.
Manageability – You can use the Cluster Administrator to manage a cluster as a single system and to manage applications as if they were running on a single server. You can move applications to different servers within a cluster by dragging and dropping cluster objects. You can move data to a different server in the same way. This can be used to manually balance server workloads and to unload servers for planned maintenance. You can also monitor the status of the cluster, all nodes and resources from anywhere on the network.
Scalability – Cluster services can grow to meet rising demands. When the overall load for a cluster-aware application exceeds the capabilities of the cluster, additional nodes can be added.
This document provides instructions for installing Cluster service on servers running Windows 2003 Enterprise Server. It describes the process of installing the Cluster service on cluster nodes. It is not intended to explain how to install cluster applications, but rather to guide you through the process of installing a typical,

Checklists for Cluster Server Installation
This checklist assists you in preparing for installation. Step-by-step instructions begin after the checklist.
Software Requirements
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise installed on all computers in the cluster.
A name resolution method such as Domain Name System (DNS), DNS dynamic update protocol, Windows Internet Name Service (WINS), HOSTS, and so on.
An existing domain model.
All nodes must be members of the same domain.
A domain-level account that is a member of the local administrators group on each node. A dedicated account is recommended.
Hardware requirements
The hardware for a Cluster service node must meet the hardware requirements for Windows 2003 Enterprise Server. These requirements can be found at the Product Compatibility Search page.
Cluster hardware must be on Cluster Service Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). The latest version of the Cluster Service HCL can be found by going to the Windows Hardware Compatibility List and then searching on Cluster.
Two HCL-approved computers, each with the following:
A boot disk with Windows 2003 Enterprise Server installed. The boot disk cannot be on a shared storage bus described below.
Boot disks and shared disks must be on separate SCSI channels (SCSI PathID); separate adapters (SCSI PortNumber) are not required. Thus, you can use a single multi-channel SCSI or Fibre Channel adapter for both boot and shared disks.
Two PCI network adapters on each machine in the cluster.
And HCL-approved external disk storage unit that connects to all computers. This will be used as the clustered disk. A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is recommended.
Storage cables to attach the shared storage device to all computers. Refer to the manufacturers’ instructions for configuring storage devices.
All hardware should be identical, slot for slot, card for card, for all nodes. This will make configuration easier and eliminate potential compatibility problems.
Network Requirements
A unique NetBIOS name.
Static IP addresses for all network interfaces on each node.
Note: Server Clustering does not support the use of IP addresses assigned from Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers.
Access to a domain controller. If the cluster service is unable to authenticate the user account used to start the service, it could cause the cluster to fail. It is recommended that you have a domain controller on the same local area network (LAN) as the cluster is on to ensure availability.
Each node must have at least two network adapters—one for connection to the client public network and the other for the node-to-node private cluster network. A dedicated private network adapter is required for HCL certification.
All nodes must have two physically independent LANs or virtual LANs for public and private communication.
If you are using fault-tolerant network cards or network adapter teaming, verify that you are using the most recent firmware and drivers. Check with your network adapter manufacturer for cluster compatibility.
Shared Disk Requirements
An HCL-approved external disk storage unit connected to all computers. This will be used as the clustered shared disk. Some type of a hardware redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is recommended.
All shared disks, including the quorum disk, must be physically attached to a shared bus.
Note: The requirement above does not hold true for Majority Node Set (MNS) clusters, which are not covered in this guide.
Shared disks must be on a different controller then the one used by the system drive.
Creating multiple logical drives at the hardware level in the RAID configuration is recommended rather than using a single logical disk that is then divided into multiple partitions at the operating system level. This is different from the configuration commonly used for stand-alone servers. However, it enables you to have multiple disk resources and to do Active/Active configurations and manual load balancing across the nodes in the cluster.
A dedicated disk with a minimum size of 50 megabytes (MB) to use as the quorum device. A partition of at least 500 MB is recommended for optimal NTFS file system performance.
Verify that disks attached to the shared bus can be seen from all nodes. This can be checked at the host adapter setup level. Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for adapter-specific instructions.
SCSI devices must be assigned unique SCSI identification numbers and properly terminated according to the manufacturer’s instructions. See the appendix with this article for information on installing and terminating SCSI devices.
All shared disks must be configured as basic disks. For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
237853 Dynamic Disk Configuration Unavailable for Server Cluster Disk Resources
Software fault tolerance is not natively supported on cluster shared disks.
All partitions on the clustered disks must be formatted as NTFS.
Hardware fault-tolerant RAID configurations are recommended for all disks.
A minimum of two logical shared drives is recommended.

Cluster Installation
Installation Overview
During the installation process, some nodes will be shut down while others are being installed. This step helps guarantee that data on disks attached to the shared bus is not lost or corrupted. This can happen when multiple nodes simultaneously try to write to a disk that is not protected by the cluster software. The default behavior of how new disks are mounted has been changed in Windows 2003 Server from the behavior in the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 operating system. In Windows 2003, logical disks that are not on the same bus as the boot partition will not be automatically mounted and assigned a drive letter. This helps ensure that the server will not mount drives that could possibly belong to another server in a complex SAN environment.
Although the drives will not be mounted, it is still recommended that you follow the procedures below to be certain the shared disks will not become corrupted.
Use the table below to determine which nodes and storage devices should be turned on during each step.
The steps in this guide are for a two-node cluster. However, if you are installing a cluster with more than two nodes, the Node 2 column lists the required state of all other nodes.

Several steps must be taken before configuring the Cluster service software. These steps are:
Installing Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition or Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition operating system on each node.
Setting up networks.
Setting up disks.
Perform these steps on each cluster node before proceeding with the installation of cluster service on the first node.
To configure the cluster service, you must be logged on with an account that has administrative permissions to all nodes. Each node must be a member of the same domain. If you choose to make one of the nodes a domain controller, have another domain controller available on the same subnet to eliminate a single point of failure and enable maintenance on that node.
Installing the Windows 2003 Operating System
Refer to the documentation you received with the Windows Server 2003 operating system package to install the system on each node in the cluster.
Before configuring the cluster service, you must be logged on locally with a domain account that is a member of the local administrators group.
Note: The installation will fail if you attempt to join a node to a cluster that has a blank password for the local administrator account. For security reasons, Windows Server 2003 prohibits blank administrator passwords.
Setting Up Networks
Note: For this section, power down all shared storage devices and then power up all nodes. Do not let both nodes access the shared storage device at the same time until cluster services is installed on at least one node and that node is online.
Each cluster node requires at least two adapters – one to connect to a public network and one to connect to a private network consisting of cluster nodes only.
The private network adapter establishes node-to-node communications, cluster status signals and cluster management. Each node’s public network adapter connects the cluster to the public network where clients reside.
Note: To eliminate possible communication issues refer to Knowledge Base (KB) article Q258750 – Recommended Private “HeartBeat” Configuration on a Cluster Server.
Verify that all network connections are correct, with private network adapters connected to other private network adapters only, and public network adapters connected to the public network. The connections are illustrated in Figure 7 below. Run these steps on each cluster node before proceeding with shared disk setup.

Teaming Network Adapters
Perform these steps on the first node in the cluster. Please note that the following screens assume an HP interface. If you are setting up a Dell, please refer to appendix H. To provide for network redundancy, HP provides a utility to group network adapters in teams, which can provide for fault tolerance and/or load balancing.
1.To open the HP Network Configuration Utility, click on the Icon located in the system tray, as shown in the figure below.

2.The HP Network Configuration Utility property window will open and show the installed network adapters

3.Select the appropriate adapters for the Private Network Team by clicking on the adapter names.
4.On the Teaming Setup selection box, select Team. The utility will perform the necessary configuration and change the properties of the team as shown below.
5.Repeat the process for the Public Network Team as in steps 3-4.

6.Highlight the network Team and then click on the Properties button. The following screen is displayed.

7.Ensure that the Team Type Selection is set to Network Fault Tolerance Only (NFT), then click OK
8.Repeat steps 5-8 for the Public Network Team
Configuring the Private Network Adapter
1.Right-click My Network Places and then click Properties.
2.Right-click the Private Network Team icon
3.Click Status. The Private Network Team Status window shows the connection status, as well as the speed of connection. If the window shows that the network is disconnected, examine cables and connections to resolve the problem before proceeding. Click Close.
4.Right-click Private Network Team again, click Properties, and click Configure.
5.Click Advanced. The window shown in the figure below should appear

6.Network adapter on the private network should be set to the actual speed of the network, rather then default automated speed selection. Select your network speed from the drop-down list. Do not use and Auto-select setting for speed. Some adapters may drop packets while determining the speed. To set the network adapter speed, click on appropriate option such as Media Type or Speed.
All network adapters in the cluster that are attached to the same network must be identically configured to use the same Duplex Mode, Flow Control, Media Type, and so on. These settings should remain the same even if the hardware is different.
7.Right click My Network Places
8.Right Click the Private Network Team and select Properties

9.Click Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
10.Click Properties

11.Click the radio-button for Use the following IP address and type in the address that has been assigned by the system administrator.
12.Type in a subnet mask, which has been assigned by the system administrator
13.Click the Advanced radio-button and select the WINS tab. Select Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

14.Click OK to return to the previous menu.

Configuring the Public Network Adapter
Perform these steps on the first node in the cluster.
Right-click My Network Places and then click Properties.
Right-click the Local Area Connection 1 icon
Click Status. The Local Area Connection 1 Status window shows the connection status, as well as the speed of connection. If the window shows that the network is disconnected, examine cables and connections to resolve the problem before proceeding. Click Close.
Right-click Local Area Connection 1 again, click Properties, and click Configure.
Click Advanced. The window shown in the figure below should appear

Network adapter on the private network should be set to the actual speed of the network, rather then default automated speed selection. Select your network speed from the drop-down list. Do not use an Auto-select setting for speed. Some adapters may drop packets while determining the speed. To set the network adapter speed, click on the appropriate option such as Media Type or Speed.
All network adapters in the cluster that are attached to the same network must be identically configured to use the same Duplex Mode, Flow Control, Media Type, and so on. These settings should remain the same even if the hardware is different.
Click Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Click Properties
Click the radio-button for Use the following IP address and type in the address that has been assigned by the system administrator.
Type in a subnet mask, which has been assigned by the system administrator
The window should now look like the figure below:

Rename the Local Rear Network Icons
It is recommended to change the names of the network connections for clarity.
1.Right-click the Private Network Team icon
2.Click Rename
3.Type Private Cluster Connection into the textbox and press Enter.
4.Repeat steps 1-3 and rename the public network adapter as Public Cluster Connection.

5.The renamed icons should look like those in the figure above. Close the Networking and Dial-up Connections window. The new connection names automatically replicate to the other cluster servers as they are brought online.
Verifying Connectivity and Name Resolution
To verify that the private and public networks are communicating properly, perform the following steps for each network adapter in each node. You need to know the IP address for each network adapter in the cluster. If you do not already have this information, you can retrieve it using the ipconfig command on each node.
1.Click Start, click Run and type cmd in the text box. Click OK
2.Type ipconfig /all and press Enter. IP information should display for all network adapters in the machine.
3.Type ping ipaddress where ipaddress is the IP address for the corresponding network adapter in the other node.
To verify name resolution, ping each node from a client using the node’s machine name instead of its IP number. (Requires workstation setup to be completed)
Verifying Domain Membership
All nodes in a cluster must be members of the same domain and able to access the domain controller and DNS server. They can be configured as member servers or domain controllers.
1.Right-click My Computer, and click Properties.
2.Click Computer Name tab. The System Properties dialog box displays the full computer name and domain.
3.If you are using member servers and need to join a domain, you can do so at this time. Click Change and follow the on screen instructions for joining a domain.
4.Otherwise click the OK button.
Setting Up a Cluster User Account
The Cluster service requires a domain user account under which the Cluster Service can run. This user account must be created on the primary domain controller before installing Cluster Services, because setup requires a user name and password. This user account should not belong to a user on the domain.
1.Click Start, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and click Active Directory Users and Computers.
2.Click the + to expand the domain (If not already expanded)
3.Click Users
4.Right-click Users, point to New, and Click User
5.Type in the cluster name as shown in the figure below and click Next.

6.Set the password settings to User Cannot Change Password and Password Never Expires. Click Next and then click Finish to create this user.
7.Right-click Cluster in the left pane of the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. Select Properties from the context menu.
8.Click the Member of tab
9.Click Add
10.Type Administrator
11.Click OK
12.Click Administrators and click OK. This gives the new user account administrative privileges on this computer.
13.Close the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
Setting Up Shared Disks
Warning: Make sure the Windows 2003 Enterprise Server and the Cluster service are installed and running on one node before starting an operating system on another node. If the operating system is started on other nodes before the Cluster service is installed, configured and running on at least one node, the cluster disks will probably be corrupted
To proceed, power off all nodes. Power up the shared storage device are then power up node one.
About the Quorum Disk
The quorum disk is used to store cluster configuration database checkpoints and log files that help manage the cluster.
Create a small partition [A minimum of 50 MB to be used as quorum disk. Generally it’s recommended a quorum disk to be 500 MB.
Dedicate a separate disk for a quorum resource. As failure of the quorum disk would cause the entire cluster to fail
Configuring Shared Disk
1.Make sure that only one node is turned on.
2.Right click My Computer, click Manage, and then expand Storage.
3.Double-click Disk Management.
4.If you connect a new drive, then it automatically starts the Write Signature and Upgrade Disk Wizard. If this happens, click Next to step through the wizard.
Note: The wizard automatically sets the disk to dynamic. To reset the disk to basic, right-click Disk n (where n specifies the disk that you are working with), and then click Revert to Basic Disk.
5.Right-click unallocated disk space.
6.Click New Partition.
7.The New Partition Wizard begins. Click Next.
8.Select the Primary Partition type. Click Next.
9.The default is set to maximum size for the partition size, change to 500MB. Click Next. (Multiple logical disks are recommended over multiple partitions on one disk.)
10.Use the drop-down box to change the drive letter. Use a drive letter that is farther down the alphabet than the default enumerated letters. Commonly, the drive letter Q is used for the quorum disk, then R, S, and so on for the data disks. For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
318534 Best Practices for Drive-Letter Assignments on a Server Cluster
Note: If you are planning on using volume mount points, do not assign a drive letter to the disk. For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
280297 How to Configure Volume Mount Points on a Clustered Server
11.Format the partition using NTFS. In the Volume Label box, type a name for the disk. For example, Drive Q, as shown in Figure 15 below. It is critical to assign drive labels for shared disks, because this can dramatically reduce troubleshooting time in the event of a disk recovery situation.

If you are installing a 64-bit version of Windows Server 2003, verify that all disks are formatted as MBR. Global Partition Table (GPT) disks are not supported as clustered disks. For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
284134 Server Clusters Do Not Support GPT Shared Disks
Verify that all shared disks are formatted as NTFS and designated as MBR Basic.
Verify Disk Access and Functionality
1.Start Windows Explorer.
2.Right-click one of the shared disks (such as Drive D:\), click New, and then click Text Document.
3.Verify that you can successfully write to the disk and that the file was created.
4.Select the file, and then press the Del key to delete it from the clustered disk.
5.Repeat steps 1 through 4 for all clustered disks to verify they can be correctly accessed from the first node.
6.Turn off the first node, turn on the second node, and repeat steps 1 through 4 to verify disk access and functionality. Assign drive letters to match the corresponding drive labels. Repeat again for any additional nodes. Verify that all nodes can read and write from the disks, turn off all nodes except the first one, and then continue with this white paper.
Configure the First Node
Note: During installation of Cluster service on the first node, all other nodes must either be turned off, or stopped prior to Windows 2003 booting. All shared storage devices should be powered up.
1.Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click Cluster Administrator.
2.When prompted by the Open Connection to Cluster Wizard, click Create new cluster in the Action drop-down list, as shown in the figure below and click OK.

3.Verify that you have the necessary prerequisites to configure the cluster, as shown in the figure below. Click Next.

4.Type a unique NetBIOS name for the cluster (up to 15 characters), and then click Next. In the example shown in Figure 18 below, the cluster is named MyCluster.) Adherence to DNS naming rules is recommended. For additional information, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
163409 NetBIOS Suffixes (16th Character of the NetBIOS Name)
254680 DNS Namespace Planning

5.If you are logged on locally with an account that is not a Domain Account with Local Administrative privileges, the wizard will prompt you to specify an account. This is not the account the Cluster service will use to start.
Note: If you have appropriate credentials, the prompt mentioned in step 5 and shown in the figure below may not appear.

6.Because it is possible to configure clusters remotely, you must verify or type the name of the server that is going to be used as the first node to create the cluster, as shown in the figure below. Click Next.

Note: The Install wizard verifies that all nodes can see the shared disks the same. In a complex storage area network the target identifiers (TIDs) for the disks may sometimes be different, and the Setup program may incorrectly detect that the disk configuration is not valid for Setup. To work around this issue you can click the Advanced button, and then click Advanced (minimum) configuration. For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 331801 Cluster Setup May Not Work When You Add Nodes

7.The figure below illustrates that the Setup process will now analyze the node for possible hardware or software problems that may cause problems with the installation. Review any warnings or error messages. You can also click the Details button to get detailed information about each one.

8.Type the unique cluster IP address (in this example 172.26.204.10), and then click Next.
9.As shown in the figure below, the New Server Cluster Wizard automatically associates the cluster IP address with one of the public networks by using the subnet mask to select the correct network. The cluster IP address should be used for administrative purposes only, and not for client connections.

10.Type the user name and password of the cluster service account that was created during pre-installation. (In the example in the figure below, the user name is “Cluster”). Select the domain name in the Domain drop-down list, and then click Next.

11.Review the Summary page, shown in the figure below, to verify that all the information that is about to be used to create the cluster is correct. If desired, you can use the quorum button to change the quorum disk designation from the default auto-selected disk.
The summary information displayed on this screen can be used to reconfigure the cluster in the event of a disaster recovery situation. It is recommended that you save and print a hard copy to keep with the change management log at the server.
Note: The Quorum button can also be used to specify a Majority Node Set (MNS) quorum model. This is one of the major configuration differences when you create an MNS cluster

12.Review any warnings or errors encountered during cluster creation. To do this, click the plus signs to see more, and then click Next. Warnings and errors appear in the Creating the Cluster page as shown in the figure below.

13.Click Finish to complete the installation. The figure below illustrates the final step.

Note: To view a detailed summary, click the View Log button or view the text file stored in the following location:
%SystemRoot%\System32\LogFiles\Cluster\ClCfgSrv.Log
6.2 Validate Cluster Installation
Use the Cluster Administrator (CluAdmin.exe) to validate the cluster service installation on Node 1.
To validate the cluster installation
1.Click Start, click Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click Cluster Administrator.
2.Verify that all resources came online successfully, as shown in the figure below.

Note As general rules, do not put anything in the cluster group, do not take anything out of the cluster group, and do not use anything in the cluster group for anything other than cluster administration.
Configuring Second Node
Installing the cluster service on the other nodes requires less time than on the first node. Setup configures the cluster service network settings on the second node based on the configuration of the first node. You can also add multiple nodes to the cluster at the same time, and remotely.
Note: For this section, leave node 1 and all shared disks turned on. Then turn on all other nodes. The cluster service will control access to the shared disks at this point to eliminate any chance of corrupting the volume.
1.Open Cluster Administrator on Node 1.
2.Click File, click New, and then click Node.
3.The Add Cluster Computers Wizard will start. Click Next.
4.If you are not logged on with appropriate credentials, you will be asked to specify a domain account that has administrative rights over all nodes in the cluster.
5.Enter the machine name for the node you want to add to the cluster. Click Add. Repeat this step, shown in the figure below, to add all other nodes that you want. When you have added all nodes, click Next.

6.The Setup wizard will perform an analysis of all the nodes to verify that they are configured properly.
7.Type the password for the account used to start the cluster service.
8.Review the summary information that is displayed for accuracy. The summary information will be used to configure the other nodes when they join the cluster.
9.Review any warnings or errors encountered during cluster creation, and then click Next.
10.Click Finish to complete the installation.
Post Installation Configuration
Heartbeat Configuration
Now that the networks have been configured correctly on each node and the Cluster service has been configured, you need to configure the network roles to define their functionality within the cluster. Here is a list of the network configuration options in Cluster Administrator:
Enable for cluster use: If this check box is selected, the cluster service uses this network. This check box is selected by default for all networks.
Client access only (public network): Select this option if you want the cluster service to use this network adapter only for external communication with other clients. No node-to-node communication will take place on this network adapter.
Internal cluster communications only (private network): Select this option if you want the cluster service to use this network only for node-to-node communication.
All communications (mixed network): Select this option if you want the cluster service to use the network adapter for node-to-node communication and for communication with external clients. This option is selected by default for all networks.
This white paper assumes that only two networks are in use. It explains how to configure these networks as one mixed network and one private network. This is the most common configuration. If you have available resources, two dedicated redundant networks for internal-only cluster communication are recommended.
To configure the heartbeat
1.Start Cluster Administrator.
2.In the left pane, click Cluster Configuration, click Networks, right-click Private, and then click Properties.
3.Click Internal cluster communications only (private network), as shown in the figure below

4.Click OK.
5.Right-click Public, and then click Properties
6.Click to select the Enable this network for cluster use check box.
7.Click the All communications (mixed network) option, and then click OK.

Heartbeat Adapter Prioritization
After configuring the role of how the cluster service will use the network adapters, the next step is to prioritize the order in which they will be used for intra-cluster communication. This is applicable only if two or more networks were configured for node-to-node communication. Priority arrows on the right side of the screen specify the order in which the cluster service will use the network adapters for communication between nodes. The cluster service always attempts to use the first network adapter listed for remote procedure call (RPC) communication between the nodes. Cluster service uses the next network adapter in the list only if it cannot communicate by using the first network adapter.
1.Start Cluster Administrator.
2.In the left pane, right-click the cluster name (in the upper left corner), and then click Properties.
3.Click the Network Priority tab, as shown in Figure 31 below.

4.Verify that the Private network is listed at the top. Use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to change the priority order.
5.Click OK
6.5 Configuring Cluster Disks
Start Cluster Administrator, right-click any disks that you want to remove from the cluster, and then click Delete.
Note: By default, all disks not residing on the same bus as the system disk will have Physical Disk Resources created for them, and will be clustered. Therefore, if the node has multiple buses, some disks may be listed that will not be used as shared storage, for example, an internal SCSI drive. Such disks should be removed from the cluster configuration. If you plan to implement Volume Mount points for some disks, you may want to delete the current disk resources for those disks, delete the drive letters, and then create a new disk resource without a drive letter assignment.
Quorum Disk Configuration
The Cluster Configuration Wizard automatically selects the drive that is to be used as the quorum device. It will use the smallest partition that is larger then 50 MB. You may want to change the automatically selected disk to a dedicated disk that you have designated for use as the quorum.
Configure the Quorum Disk
1.Start Cluster Administrator (CluAdmin.exe).
2.Right-click the cluster name in the upper-left corner, and then click Properties.
3.Click the Quorum tab.
4.In the Quorum resource list box, select a different disk resource. In the figure below, Disk Q is selected in the Quorum resource list box.

5.If the disk has more than one partition, click the partition where you want the cluster-specific data to be kept, and then click OK.
For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q280353 How to Change Quorum Disk Designation
Creating a Boot Delay
In a situation where all the cluster nodes boot up and attempt to attach to the quorum resource at the same time, the Cluster service may fail to start. For example, this may occur when power is restored to all nodes at the exact same time after a power failure. To avoid such a situation, increase or decrease the Time to Display list of operating systems setting. To find this setting, click Start, point to My Computer, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Startup And Recovery. Set the first node to 15 seconds and the second node to 30 seconds

Test Installation
There are several methods for verifying a cluster service installation after the Setup process is complete. These include:
Cluster Administrator: If installation was completed only on node 1, start Cluster Administrator, and then attempt to connect to the cluster. If a second node was installed, start Cluster Administrator on either node, connect to the cluster, and then verify that the second node is listed.
Services Applet: Use the services snap-in to verify that the cluster service is listed and started.
Event Log: Use the Event Viewer to check for ClusSvc entries in the system log. You should see entries confirming that the cluster service successfully formed or joined a cluster.
Cluster service registry entries: Verify that the cluster service installation process wrote the correct entries to the registry. You can find many of the registry settings under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Cluster
Click Start, click Run, and then type the Virtual Server name. Verify that you can connect and see resources.
Test Failover
Verify Resources will Failover
1.Click Start, click Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click Cluster Administrator, as shown in the figure below.

2.Right-click the Disk Group 1 group, and then click Move Group. The group and all its resources will be moved to another node. After a short period of time, the Disk F: G: will be brought online on the second node. Watch the window to see this shift. Quit Cluster Administrator.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Exchange Server 2003

Using the recovery storage group feature in Microsoft® Exchange Server 2003, you can mount a second copy of an Exchange mailbox database on the same server as the original database, or on any other Exchange server in the same Exchange administrative group. You can do this while the original database is still running and serving clients. The recovery storage group can also be useful in disaster recovery scenarios. This guide provides information on how to determine if a recovery storage group is useful in your deployment, how to set up a recovery storage group, and how to troubleshoot common problems.
How to Add the ..\exchsrvr\bin Directory to Your Windows Server 2003 System Path
Topic Last Modified: 2005-05-09
This topic explains how to add the Exchange \bin directory to your system path so that the tools in \bin are available from any command prompt.
Procedure
To add the ..\exchsrvr\bin directory to your Windows Server 2003 system path
1. Open System Properties. To open System Properties, click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Click the Environment Variables button.
4. In the System Variables box, scroll down to the variable "Path."
5. Click Path to select it, and then click Edit.
6. In the Variable Value box, add a semicolon (;) to the end of the string.
7. After the semicolon (with no spaces) type the full path of ..\exchsrvr\bin.
8. Add a semicolon at the end of the path variable.
The default path is C:\program files\exchsrvr\bin
9. Click OK to close Edit System Variable, click OK to close Environment Variables, and then click OK to close System Properties.
10. Close any command shells that are open.
11. Open a new command shell. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK. You should now be able to run any tool in the \bin directory from any command prompt on that server.

troubleshoot startup problems in Windows Server 2003

How to troubleshoot start up problems in Windows Server 2003
SUMMARY
This article describes general procedures that you can use to troubleshoot startup problems in Windows Server 2003.

A successful Windows start up includes of the following four phases:
• Initial phase
• Boot loader phase
• Kernel phase
• Logan phase
If a problem occurs during one of these phases, Windows may not start correctly, and you may experience one of the following problems:
• The computer stops responding (hangs).
• You receive an error message.
If a start up problem occurs after you click Microsoft Windows Server 2003 on either the boot loader menu or when you receive the "Please select the operating system to start" message, files that the operating system needs may be missing or damaged. Windows provides a variety of options that you can use to troubleshoot this issue, including Safe mode, the Recovery Console, and an Automated System Recovery.
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How to Start the Computer by Using the Last Known Good Configuration
If the start up problem occurs immediately after you make a change to the computer (for example, after you install a new driver), try to start the computer by using the Last Known Good Configuration feature.

When you use the Last Known Good Configuration feature, you start your computer by using the most recent settings that worked. This feature restores registry information and driver settings that were in effect the last time the computer started successfully. Use this feature when you cannot start Windows after you make a change to the computer (for example, after you install or upgrade a device driver).

To start the computer by using Last Known Good Configuration, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
2. Click Restart, and then click OK.
3. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start, press the F8 key.
4. Use the arrow keys to select Last Known Good Configuration, and then press ENTER.

Note NUM LOCK must be off before the arrow keys on the numeric keypad will function.
5. If you are running other operating systems on the computer, click Microsoft Windows Server 2003 in the list, and then press ENTER.
Notes
• By selecting Last Known Good Configuration, you can recover from problems such as a newly added driver that may be incorrect for your hardware. This feature does not solve problems caused by corrupted or missing drivers or files.
• When you select Last Known Good Configuration, only the information in registry key HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet is restored. Any changes you have made in other registry keys remain.
If you can start your computer by using Last Known Good Configuration, the last change that you made to the computer (for example, the installation of a driver) may be the cause of the incorrect startup behavior. Microsoft recommends that you either remove or update the driver or program, and then test Windows for correct startup.
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How to Start the Computer in Safe Mode
When you start the computer in Safe mode, Windows loads only the drivers and computer services that you need. You can use Safe mode when you have to identify and resolve problems that are caused by faulty drivers, programs, or services that start automatically.

If the computer starts successfully in Safe mode but it does not start in normal mode, the computer may have a conflict with the hardware settings or the resources. There may be incompatibilities with programs, services, or drivers, or there may be registry damage. In Safe mode, you can disable or remove a program, service, or device driver that may prevent the computer from starting.

To troubleshoot startup problems in Safe mode, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
2. Click Restart, and then click OK.
3. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start, press F8.
4. In Windows Advanced Option Menu, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.

Note NUM LOCK must be off before the arrow keys on the numeric keypad will function.
5. If you are running other operating systems on the computer, click Microsoft Windows Server 2003 on the list that is displayed, and then press ENTER.
6. Do one of the following:
• If the computer does not start in Safe mode, try starting the computer by using the Recovery Console. If you still cannot start the computer, look for possible hardware problems, such as defective devices, installation problems, cabling problems, or connector problems. Remove any newly added hardware, and then restart the computer to see if the problem is resolved.
• If the computer starts in Safe mode, go to the next section to continue to troubleshoot the startup issue.

To Use Event Viewer to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem
View the event logs in Event Viewer for additional information that may help you to identify and diagnose the cause of the startup problem. To view events that are recorded in the event logs, follow these steps:
1. Do one of the following:
• Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Event Viewer.
• Start the Event Viewer snap-in in Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

2. In the console tree, expand Event Viewer, and then click the log that you want to view. For example, click System log or Application log.
3. In the details pane, double-click the event that you want to view.

To copy the details of the event, click Copy, open a new document in the program in which you want to paste the event (for example, Microsoft Word), and then click Paste on the Edit menu.
4. To view the description of the previous event or the next event, press the UP ARROW key or the DOWN ARROW key.
To Use System Information to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem
The System Information tool displays a comprehensive view of the computer's hardware, the system components, and the software environment. Use this tool to help identify possible problem devices and device conflicts. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type msinfo32, and then click OK.
3. Look for problem devices or device conflicts. To do so:
a. In the console tree, expand Components, and then click Problem Devices.

Note any devices that are listed in the right pane.
b. In the console tree, expand Hardware Resources, and then click Conflicts/Sharing.

Note any resource conflicts that are listed in the right pane.
c. If you identify a problem device, perform the appropriate action (for example, remove, disable, or reconfigure the device, or update the driver), and then restart the computer in normal mode.

You can use Device Manager to remove or disable devices and their drivers. For more information about Device Manager, see the Use Device Manager to Identify the Cause of the Start up Problem section of this article.

If the computer starts correctly, that particular device may be the cause of the start up problem.

If you disabled a device to resolve the problem, make sure that the device is listed on the Windows Server 2003 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), and that it is installed correctly. Also, contact the manufacturer to report the behavior and to obtain information about possible updates that can resolve the startup problem.For information about how to contact computer hardware manufacturers, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
65416 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/65416/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, A-K

60781 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60781/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, L-P

60782 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60782/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, Q-Z
Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

4. If no device conflicts or problem devices are reported by the System Information tool, look for programs that start automatically when Windows starts. To do so, follow these steps:
a. In the console tree, expand Software Environment, and then click Startup Programs.

Programs that start automatically when Windows starts are listed in the right pane.
b. Disable the programs, and then restart the computer.

For information about how to disable the program, see the program documentation or contact the manufacturer.
c. If you disable the startup programs, and the startup problem is resolved, enable the programs again, one at a time.

Shut down and restart the computer each time you enable a program, and note if the incorrect startup behavior occurs. If the behavior occurs, the last program that you enabled may be causing the incorrect startup behavior.

To View the Safe Mode Boot Log File
To troubleshoot startup issues, view the boot log file, Ntbtlog.txt, and then make a note of the drivers and services that did not load when you started your computer in Safe mode.

This log file is located in the %SystemRoot% folder (by default, this is the Windows folder). The log file lists devices and services that load (and do not load) when you start the computer in Safe mode. You can use a text editor such as Notepad to open and view the log file.

Use the list of drivers and services that did not load at startup to help identify the possible cause of the startup problem.

Note Some startup problems may occur early in the startup process. In this scenario, Windows may not save the boot log file to the hard disk.


To Use Device Manager to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem
Device Manager displays a graphical view of the hardware that is installed on your computer. Use this tool to resolve any possible device conflicts or to identify incompatible devices that may be the cause of the startup problem.

To start Device Manager, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
2. Expand System Tools, and then click Device Manager.

The devices that are installed on your computer are listed in the right pane. If a symbol is displayed next to a device, there may be a problem with the device. For example, a black exclamation point (!) on a yellow field indicates that the device is in a problem state.

Note To disable a device in Device Manager, right-click the device, and then click Disable.
3. Investigate possible device conflicts. To do so, double-click the device in the right pane, and then click the Resources tab.

If a device conflict exists, it is listed under Conflicting device list.

Note the Use automatic settings check box. If Windows successfully detects a device, this check box is selected, and the device functions correctly. However, if the resource settings are based on Basic Configuration n (where n is any number from 0 to 9), you may have to change the configuration. To do so, either click a different basic configuration from the list or manually change the resource settings. WARNING This procedure may require that you change the computer's complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) settings and the basic input/output system (BIOS) settings. Incorrect changes to the BIOS of the computer can result in serious problems. Change the computer's CMOS settings at your own risk.

If Windows cannot resolve a resource conflict, verify that the computer is configured to permit Windows to enumerate the devices in the computer. To do so, enable the Plug and Play OS setting in the Setup tool of the computer's BIOS. To change the computer's BIOS settings, see the computer documentation or contact your computer manufacturer.
4. If you identify a problem device, disable it, and then restart the computer in normal mode.

If the computer starts correctly, the device that you disabled may be the cause of the startup problem.

Make sure that the device is listed on the Windows Server 2003 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) and that it is installed correctly. Also, contact the manufacturer to report the behavior and to obtain information about possible updates that can resolve the startup problem.
For additional information about how to configure devices in Device Manager, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
323423 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323423/) How to use Device Manager to configure devices in Windows Server 2003
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How to Use System Configuration Utility
System Configuration Utility (Msconfig.exe) automates the routine troubleshooting steps that Microsoft Product Support Services technicians use when they diagnose Windows configuration issues. You can use this tool to modify the system configuration and troubleshoot the problem by using a process-of-elimination method.

You must be logged on as Administrator or as a member of the administrative groups to use System Configuration Utility. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from using the utility. As a security "best practice," consider using the Run as command to perform these procedures.

Note Microsoft strongly recommends that you do not use System Configuration Utility to modify the Boot.ini file on your computer without the help of a Microsoft support professional. Doing so may render your computer unusable.


To Create a Clean Environment for Troubleshooting
1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK. (To use the Run as command, type runas /user:administrator Path\msconfig.exe in the Open box, and then click OK. )
2. Click the General tab, click Diagnostic startup - load basic devices and services only, click OK, and then click Restart to restart your computer.
3. After Windows starts, determine whether the problem still occurs.
To Isolate Problems by Using System Startup Options
1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Click the General tab, and then click Selective Startup.
3. Click to clear the following check boxes:
Process SYSTEM.INI File
Process WIN.INI File
Load System Services
You will not be able to clear the Use Original BOOT.INI check box.
4. To test the software loading process, make sure the Load Startup Items check box is selected, and then click OK.
5. Restart the computer when you are prompted to do so.
To Isolate Problems by Using Selective Startup Options
1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Click the General tab, and then click Selective Startup.
3. Click to clear all the check boxes under Selective Startup. You will not be able to clear the Use Original BOOT.INI check box.
4. Click to select the Process SYSTEM.INI File check box, click OK, and then restart the computer when you are prompted.

Repeat this process and select each check box one at a time. Restart your computer each time. Repeat the process until the problem occurs.
5. When the problem occurs, click the tab that corresponds to the selected file. For example, if the problem occurs after you select the Win.ini file, click the WIN.INI tab in System Configuration Utility.
To Isolate Problems by Using the Startup Tab
The Startup tab lists items that load at startup from the Startup group, Win.ini load= and run=, and the registry.
1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Click the Startup tab.
3. Click to clear all check boxes.
4. To start troubleshooting, click to select the first check box, click OK, and then restart the computer when you are prompted.

Repeat this process and select each check box one at a time. Restart your computer each time. Repeat the process until the problem occurs.
To Troubleshoot System Services
1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Click the Services tab.
3. Make a note of any services that are not selected.

IMPORTANT Do not skip this step. You will need this information later.
4. Click Disable All, click OK, and then restart your computer.
5. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
6. Click the Services tab.
7. Click to select the check box of a service to turn it on, and then click OK.
8. Restart your computer, and see if the problem occurs.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each service until the problem occurs. When the problem occurs, you will know that the last service you turned on is causing the problem. Make a note of this service, and go to step 10.
10. Click Enable All, click to clear the check box next to the faulty service, click to clear the check boxes of any other services you made note of in step 3, click OK, and then restart your computer.

As a workaround, you can leave the faulty service turned off (not selected). Contact the manufacturer of the faulty service for more assistance.

Note You might be able to determine more quickly which service is causing the problem by testing the services in groups. Divide the services into two groups--select the check boxes of the first group, and clear the check boxes of the second group. Restart your computer, and then test for the problem. If the problem occurs, the faulty service is in the group with the selected check boxes. If the problem does not occur, the faulty service is in the group with the cleared check boxes. Repeat this process on the faulty group until you have isolated the faulty service.
To Troubleshoot the System.ini File
1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Click the SYSTEM.INI tab.
3. Make a note of any items that are not selected. You might have to expand some items (such as [drivers]) to determine if any sub-items are not selected.

IMPORTANT Do not skip this step. You will need this information later.
4. Click Disable All, click OK, and then restart your computer.
5. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
6. Click the SYSTEM.INI tab.
7. Expand all items in the list, click the check box of an item to turn it on, and then click OK.
8. Restart your computer, and see if the problem occurs.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each item until the problem occurs.

When the problem occurs, you will know that the last item you turned on is causing the problem. Make a note of this item, and then go to step 10.
10. Click Enable All, click to clear the check box next to the faulty item, click to clear the check boxes of any other items you made note of in step 3, click OK, and then restart your computer.

As a workaround, you can leave the faulty item turned off (not selected). If possible, contact the manufacturer of the faulty item for more assistance.

Note You might be able to determine more quickly which System.ini item is causing the problem by testing the items in groups. Divide the items into two groups--select the check boxes of the first group, and clear the check boxes of the second group. Restart your computer, and then test for the problem. If the problem occurs, the faulty service is in the group with the selected check boxes. If the problem does not occur, the faulty service is in the group with the cleared check boxes. Repeat this process on the faulty group until you have isolated the faulty System.ini item.
To Troubleshoot the Win.ini File
1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Click the WIN.INI tab.
3. Make a note of any items that are not selected. You might have to expand some items (such as [OLFax Ports]) to determine if any sub-items are not selected.

IMPORTANT Do not skip this step. You will need this information later.
4. Click Disable All, click OK, and then restart your computer.
5. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
6. Click the WIN.INI tab.
7. Expand all items in the list, click the check box of an item to turn it on, and then click OK.
8. Restart your computer, and see if the problem occurs.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each item until the problem occurs.

When the problem occurs, you will know that the last item you turned on is causing the problem. Make a note of this item, and then go to step 10.
10. Click Enable All, click to clear the check box of the faulty item, click to clear the check boxes of any other items you made note of in step 3, click OK, and then restart your computer.

As a workaround, you can leave the faulty item turned off (not selected). If possible, contact the manufacturer of the faulty item for more assistance.

Note You might be able to determine more quickly which Win.ini item is causing the problem by testing the items in groups. Divide the items into two groups--select the check boxes of the first group, and clear the check boxes of the second group. Restart your computer, and then test for the problem. If the problem occurs, the faulty service is in the group with the selected check boxes. If the problem does not occur, the faulty service is in the group with the cleared check boxes. Repeat this process on the faulty group until you have isolated the faulty Win.ini item.
To Troubleshoot the Boot.ini File
Only system administrators and advanced users should try to change the Boot.ini file. Steps for troubleshooting Boot.ini are beyond the scope of this article.

For additional information, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Microsoft Product Support Services
http://support.microsoft.com (http://support.microsoft.com/)
To Reset System Configuration Utility to Normal Startup
To reset System Configuration Utility to normal startup, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. On the General tab, click Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services, and then click OK.
3. Restart your computer.
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How to Use the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console
The Recovery Console is a command-line tool that you can use to repair Windows if the computer does not start properly. You can start the Recovery Console from the Windows Server 2003 CD or at startup if the Recovery Console was previously installed to your computer.

Use the Recovery Console if you used the Last Known Good Configuration startup option and it was not successful and you cannot start the computer in Safe mode. Microsoft recommends that you use the Recovery Console method only if you are an advanced user who can use basic commands to identify and locate problem drivers and files.

To use Recovery Console, follow these steps:
1. Insert the Windows Server 2003 installation CD in your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
2. When you are prompted during text-mode setup, press R to start the Recovery Console.
You can use the Recovery Console to:
• Access the drives on your computer.
• Enable or disable device drivers or services.
• Copy files from the Windows Server 2003 installation CD or copy files from other removable media. For example, you can copy a file that you need that was deleted.
• Create a new boot sector and a new master boot record (MBR). You might have to do this if there are problems starting from the existing boot sector.
To Confirm That Your Hard Disk or File System Is Not Damaged
To confirm that your hard disk or file system is not damaged, start your computer from the Windows Server 2003 CD, start the Recovery Console, and then use the Chkdsk command-line utility. This may solve your problem.

IMPORTANT Microsoft recommends that only advanced users or administrators use the Recovery Console. You have to know the password for the Administrator account to use the Recovery Console.

For additional information about how to test and repair a damaged hard disk by using Chkdsk, see the "Using the Recovery Console and Using the Recovery Console Command Prompt" sections in the following article:
307654 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654/) How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
Note If Chkdsk reports that it cannot access your hard disk, you may have a hardware failure. Examine all cable connections and any jumper settings on your drive. Contact a computer repair professional, or the manufacturer of your computer for more assistance.

If Chkdsk reports that it cannot fix all hard disk problems, your file system or MBR may be damaged or no longer accessible. Try using the appropriate Recovery Console commands, such as Fixmbr and Fixboot, contact a data recovery service, or repartition and then reformat your hard disk.

WARNING: If you repartition and reformat your hard disk, you lose all information on the disk.

IMPORTANT For more assistance, contact your computer manufacturer or a Microsoft Product Support Services professional. Only qualified personnel should try to repair your computer. If the computer repair is performed by non-qualified personnel, this may nullify your computer's warranty. For additional information about how to Use Recovery Console, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
326215 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326215/) How to use the Recovery Console on a Windows Server 2003-based computer that does not start
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How to Use Automated System Recovery
To recover from a system failure by using Automated System Recovery (ASR), follow these steps:
1. Make sure you have the following on hand before you start the recovery procedure:
• Your previously created ASR floppy disk.
• Your previously created backup media.
• The original operating system installation CD.
• If you have a mass storage controller and you are aware that the manufacturer has supplied a separate driver file for it (different from the driver files that are available on the Setup CD), obtain the file (on a floppy disk) before you start this procedure.

2. Insert the original operating system installation CD into your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
3. Restart your computer. If you are prompted to press a key to start the computer from CD, press the appropriate key.
4. If you have a separate driver file as described in step 1, press the F6 key to use the driver as part of Setup when you are prompted.
5. Press the F2 key when you are prompted at the start of the text-only mode section of Setup.

You are prompted to insert the ASR floppy disk that you previously created.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.
7. If you have a separate driver file as described in step 1, press F6 (a second time) when you are prompted after the system restarts.
8. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Notes
• ASR does not restore your data files. See Windows Help for more information about backing up and restoring your data files.
• If you are restoring a server cluster in which all nodes failed and the quorum disk cannot be restored from backup, use ASR on each node in the original cluster to restore the disk signatures and the partition layout of the cluster disks (quorum and nonquorum). For more information about backing up and restoring server clusters, see Windows Help.
To Create an ASR Disk Set by Using Backup
To use ASR, you must have an ASR disk set. To create an ASR disk set, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.

By default, the Backup or Restore Wizard starts, unless it is disabled. You can use the Backup or Restore Wizard to create an ASR disk set by answering All information on this computer in the What do you want to backup? section. Otherwise, you can go to the next step to create an ASR disk set in Advanced Mode.
2. Click the Advanced Mode link in the Backup or Restore Wizard.
3. On the Tools menu, click ASR Wizard.
4. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
Notes
• You need a blank 1.44 megabyte (MB) floppy disk to save your system settings and media to contain the backup files. If your computer does not have a floppy disk drive, perform an ASR backup on the computer without the floppy disk drive. Copy the Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif files that are located in the %SystemRoot%\Repair folder to another computer with a floppy disk drive, and then copy those files to a floppy disk.
• To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators or Backup Operators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security "best practice," consider using the Run as command to perform this procedure.
• This procedure backs up only those system files that you must have to start your system. You must back up your data files separately.
• After you create the ASR set, label this floppy disk and the backup media carefully and keep them together. To use the backup media, you must have the floppy disk that you created with that set of media. You cannot use a floppy disk that you created at a different time or with a different set of media. You must also have your Setup CD available at the time you perform ASR.
• Keep the ASR set in a secure location. The ASR set contains information about your systems configuration that might be used to cause damage to your system.
• If you are backing up a server cluster, run the Automated System Recovery Wizard on all nodes of the cluster, and make sure that the Cluster service is running when you start each ASR backup. Make sure that one of the nodes on which you run the Automated System Recovery Preparation Wizard is listed as the owner of the quorum resource while the wizard is running.
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How to Repair Your Installation of Windows
You may be able to repair a damaged Windows Server 2003 installation by running Windows Setup from the Windows CD.

To repair your installation of Windows, follow these steps:
1. Insert the Windows Server 2003 CD in the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
2. If the Windows CD displays the What would you like to do? menu, click Exit.
3. Turn off your computer, wait ten seconds, and then turn your computer back on.
4. If you are prompted to start your computer from the CD, do so.

Note You must be able to start your computer from the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM to run Windows Setup. Your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive must be configured to do so. For information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, see the documentation that is included with your computer, or contact your computer manufacturer.
5. After Setup starts, press ENTER to continue the setup process.
6. Press ENTER to select the option To set up Windows now, press ENTER. Do not select the Recovery Console option.
7. Press F8 to accept the licensing agreement.

Setup searches for previous installations of Windows.
• If Setup does not find a previous installation of Windows Server 2003, you might have a hardware failure.

Hardware failures are beyond the scope of this article. See a computer hardware specialist for more help or try the Hardware troubleshooter. For more information about the Hardware Troubleshooter, see the Windows Server 2003 Help topic "Using Troubleshooters."
• If Setup does find a previous installation of Windows Server 2003, you may receive the following message:
If one of the following Windows Server 2003 installations is damaged, setup can try to repair it. Use the up and down arrows to select an installation. To repair the selected installation, press R. To continue without repairing, press ESC.
Select the appropriate Windows Server 2003 operating system installation, and then press R to try to repair it.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to repair the installation.

Notes
• You might have to change the boot drive sequence in your BIOS settings to successfully start your computer from the Windows Server 2003 CD. Contact the manufacturer of your computer, or see your manufacturer's documentation, for more information.
• If you cannot start your computer from the Windows Server 2003 CD, you might have a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive failure or other hardware failure.

Hardware failures are beyond the scope of this article. See a computer hardware specialist for more help or try the Hardware troubleshooter. For more information about the Hardware Troubleshooter, see the Windows Server 2003 Help topic "Using Troubleshooters."
• After you repair your Windows Server 2003, you may be required to reactivate your copy of Windows Server 2003.

Repairing Exchange Databases

Exchange

Store Features

Exchange 2000* or Exchange 2003 Standard Pre-SP2

Exchange 2003 Standard /w SP2

Exchange 2000 or 2003 Enterprise





# of Storage Groups

1 + 1 RSG**

1 + 1 RSG**

4 + 1 RSG**

# of Stores

1 Mailbox store and 1 Public Folder Store per Storage Group

1 Mailbox store and 1 Public Folder Store per Storage Group

5 per Storage Group

Store Size Limit

16GB per Store

75GB per Store

16TB per Store

Table 1

* Any Exchange 2000 service pack level
**RSG = Recovery Storage Group

Storage Groups and Databases

A Storage Group will contain one or more Mailbox and Public Folder stores, depending on the version and the needs of the organization. Mailbox stores contain the user and system mailboxes and the Public Folder Store contains the Public Folders and their contents. For most organizations, a single Storage Group, with one Mailbox Store and one Public Folder Store is more than enough, however as the database grows in size, splitting one large database into multiple smaller databases can ease the management of backups.

A default Exchange installation will create a Storage Group that contains a Mailbox Store and a Public Folder Store. Each Mailbox Store is made up of a database set that contains two files:

  • Priv1.edb is a rich-text database file that contains the email messages, text attachments and headers for the users e-mail messages
  • Priv1.stm is a streaming file that contains multi-media data that is formatted as MIME data.

Similarly, each Public Folder Store is made up of a database set that also contains two files:

  • Pub1.edb is a rich-text database file that contains the messages, text attachments and headers for files stored in the Public Folder tree.
  • Pub1.stm is a streaming file that contains multi-media data that is formatted as MIME data

For every EDB file there will be an associated STM file.

Exchange utilizes what Microsoft terms a single-instance message store. This single-instance message store works on a per database basis. What does this mean? If an e-mail message is sent to multiple mailboxes that are all in the same database, the message is stored once and each mailbox has a pointer to the message. The transaction is also logged in the transaction logs for the Storage Group that contains the database. However, if the e-mail message is sent to multiple mailboxes that are located in different databases, the message is copied to each database and written to the transaction logs for each Storage Group that contains the database with a copy of the message.

For example, if I send 10 users a 1MB email message and all the mailboxes are located in the same database, one copy of the message is written to the database and each mailbox points to this message which will consume 1MB of disk space in total. If the 10 recipients are located in two different databases, each database will get a copy of this message which will consume 2MB of disk space. As you can see this is a much more efficient use of space as opposed to the alternative of 10 1MB messages using up 10 MB of disk space.

Aside from the database files, Storage Groups also contain system files and transaction logs. There are two system files, Tmp.edb which is a temporary database where transactions are processed, and E##.chk. The E##.chk file maintains the checkpoint for the Storage Group. The ## represents the Storage Group number with the First Storage Group file called E00.chk. This checkpoint file keeps track of the last committed transaction. If you are ever forced to perform a recovery, this file contains the point at which the replaying of transaction logs starts.

Transaction Logs

The transaction logs are some of the most crucial files when it comes to a working Exchange server. Microsoft Exchange Server uses transaction logs as a disaster recovery method that can bring a Exchange database back to a consistent state after a crash. Before anything is written to the EDB file, it is first written to a transaction log. Once the transaction has been logged, the data is written to the database when convenient.

Until a transaction is committed to the database, it is available from memory and recorded in the transaction logs. This is why you will see store.exe use up to 1GB of memory after the Exchange server has been in use for a while. After an Exchange server is brought back up after a crash, the checkpoint file points to the last committed transaction in the transaction logs which are then replayed from that point on. This form of write-ahead logging is important for you to know.

There are four types of transaction logs:

  • E##.log is the current transaction log for the database. Once the log file reaches 5MB in size it is renamed E#######.log and a new E##.log is created. As with the checkpoint file the ## represents the Storage Group identifier. While the new E##.log file is being created you will see a file called Edbtmp.log which is a template for Exchange server log files.
  • E#######.log are the secondary transaction logs. They are numbered sequentially starting with E0000001.log using the hexadecimal numbering format and are 5MB in size.
  • Res1.log is a reserved log file that is limited to 5MB in size. When the disk has run out of space, transactions are written to this log file while you work on clearing up space on the disk.
  • Res2.log is another reserved log with the same function as Res1.log.

Transaction logs can grow at a fast pace as each and every transaction is recorded to the log files. There are two ways to manage this growth with the recommended method being a regular full backup of the Information Store. Upon successful backup, the transactions are committed to the database and then purged.

The other method is to enable circular logging. Circular logging is disabled by default as it only allows you to recover Exchange data since the last full backup. With circular logging enabled the transaction logs are purged as the transactions are committed to the database. If you have to restore from backup, the transaction logs will not be replayed and all transactions since that backup will be lost.

The two reserved log files, Res1.log and Res2.log, are used to “save” 10MB of space on the disk in case there is no more free space. When the disk runs out of free space, the transactions are logged to the reserve logs as the Information Store shuts down gracefully. You will not be able to restart the Information Store service until you clear up some disk space.

Best Practices

As with anything there are some best practices you can follow in order to maintain a healthy Information Store.

  • Locating the Exchange program files, SMTP queues, transaction logs and database files on separate disk arrays is ideal. If budget constraints will not allow for this, locating the program files, transaction logs and SMTP queues on separate partitions on one disk array and the database files on a separate disk array will still offer some performance increases at a reduced cost.
  • All files should be located on redundant disk arrays. RAID 1 is the minimum recommended level, with RAID 5 offering an increase in performance and RAID 10 offering the best performance but at an increased cost.
  • Perform regular, full backups of the Information Store to commit the transactions and flush the log files. This can be done with the native Windows backup tool, NTBackup, or a third party solution. Even if you live on the wild side and do not keep backups of your data, it is important to do this to prevent the disk from filling up with log files and running out of space.
  • Do not use circular logging. As mentioned circular logging will not allow you to replay the transaction logs limiting you to recovering only the data from the latest full backup set.

The Information Store is the most critical component of Exchange Server 2000/2003 and a proper understanding of its structure is important to know for anyone tasked with managing and maintaining an Exchange server.