How To Decommission or Remove Exchange Server 2003

In Exchange Server 2003, it is quiet easy to decommission or remove Exchange Server is a fairly as it is a very direct process. However, if the admin is decommissioning the first server from an administrative group, then they need to take additional steps as the first server added in the administrative group has some configurations and roles that user may not transferred to other exchange server with in the administrative group. Admin must ensure that all these configuration must be transferred to another server. Also, Admin must have the CD of exchange server 2003 or Exchange Server 2003 setup files.

These are the configuration and roles that must be migrated from first exchange server to other server within the administrative group:

• System folders
• The Recipient Update Service (RUS).
• The Routing Group Master role.
• Exchange connectors

To Remove Exchange Server 2003 With Below Given Methods, Some Prerequisites Should Be Fulfilled By The Organization:

• One should have the Full Administrator permissions at the administrative group level to uninstall Exchange Server 2003.
• Admin should remove or delete mailboxes assigned to a server, one cannot uninstall Exchange Server 2003 that have mailboxes in server’s storage group.
• Admin cannot uninstall Server 2003 from a server if it is running the Recipient Update Service in the organization. For this one should enable the Recipient Update Service on another server using Exchange System Manager.
• Admin can not remove Exchange Server 2003 from an Exchange if it is the only server in an administrative group that is running Site Replication Service (SRS).
• Admin can not remove the Exchange server if it is a bridgehead server for a connector . For this admin must first locate a new bridgehead server.
• Admin cannot uninstall Exchange Server 2003 f if it is the routing master, they must designate another server as routing master.

How to Decommission First Exchange server?

Copy All Public Folders to another Exchange Server

All public and system folders that are present on the first Exchange server 2003vcomputer must be copied or replicated to another Exchange 2003 computer that is in same administrative group.

Migrate RUS

Go to Exchange System Manager, expand Recipients > then click Recipient Update Services.

In General> click Browse> and now admin can select the another Server to migrate the Recipient Update Service.

Designate Another Server As Routing Group Master

admin need to designate another server to be a routing group master, for performing this task user needs to create new site replication service (SRS) in Exchange system manager.

• Right-click on Site Replication Service
• Click on New, and
• Click Site Replication Service.
• Admin will receive the message “Are you sure you want to install a new Site Replication Service on this server (ServerName)” prompt,
• Click Yes.
• When admin will receive the order to create a Site Replication Service on the local machine, they needs to enter the password for the Exchange service account or type the password for the Exchange service account.

Transfer Connectors And Mailboxes To Another Server

Admin have to migrate Exchange server 2003 connectors to another server before removing the first server. For instance, If the first server has connector X400, admin must rehome it to another server.

Admin must have to move mailboxes to other server that can be done with the help of Exchange System Manager.

Remove First Exchange Server

For removing first exchange server, Admin needs to run the Exchange Server 2003 CD in the Exchange 2003 computer, and then click Remove for each component that has been installed.

Alternative way to Remove Exchange Server 2003

• User needs to Log on to the server from that they want to uninstall.
• Click on Start> go to Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.
• In Add or Remove Programs, go to Microsoft Exchange, and
• Click on Change/Remove.
• On the Welcome to the Microsoft Exchange Installation Wizard , user needs to Next.
• In Component Selection page, go to Action column, use the drop-down arrows to select Remove
• then click Next.
• After going Installation Summary page, verify that the Action column is set to Remove, and Click Next.
• On the Completing the Microsoft Exchange Installation Wizard page,
• At last step, click Finish.

Conclusion

Decommission or Remove Exchange Server from a group is a very straight forward task, admin just needs Exchange Server 2003 CD or Exchange Server 2003 setup files for removing it. However, while removing first server that have all configuration and roles, admin firstly need to transfer all them in another server that exist in the same group of Exchange server. During the process of transfer or decommission Exchange Server 2003 there may be the chance of corruption of Exchange database. In this case you can use Exchange Recovery Tool to get your complete data back.