Reference Materials for Migration 8.15 - Tips and Tricks

Cluster Server Migration

Cluster server migration includes the following tasks:

• Move a cluster server to another domain.
• Process the cluster server’s ACLs.

Cluster servers require special treatment when you move clusters to the target domain and update cluster resources (such as cluster shares, cluster database, and cluster printers). Follow the recommendations and guidelines in the Active Directory Migration topic to update and move clusters.

NetApp Filers and Other Storage Solutions

Since Quest Migration Manager version 8.4, Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices (such as NetApp Filer) and Storage Area Network (SAN) devices can be updated not only using the command-line updating tool (vmover.exe) but using the console (with new version of Resource Updating Manager).

Since these devices usually store a large amount of data and are actively used by a large number of users, you should carefully plan for their update timeframe and procedures.

We also recommend that all hardware updates (such as NAS and SAN) be carefully tested in a test lab first.

Backup Strategy

We recommend that you back up your source and target Exchange infrastructures before implementing Migration Manager in your production environment. We also recommend that source and target Active Directory data be backed up at least twice a day during migration.

Quest Recovery Manager for Active Directory is the most comprehensive tool that provides granular backup and restoration of Active Directory objects. For more information about Recovery Manager for Active Directory, see https://quest.com/products/recovery-manager-for-active-directory/.

Transaction Log File Cleanup

When Migration Manager for Exchange synchronizes mail and public folders, for every megabyte of data migrated from the source to the target, a transaction log file of equal size is generated on the target Exchange server. Exchange-aware backup applications purge the transaction logs after the backup completes. By the time the backup finishes, all logged transactions have already been applied to the store and backed up to tape, making log cleaning safe.

Run normal backup procedures to delete the transaction logs throughout the migration on both the source and the target Exchange servers.

If normal backup operations do not delete the transaction logs, then you should ensure that appropriate disk space is reserved for the expected transaction log growth.

Alternatively, you can enable circular logging during the migration to avoid transaction log growth. However, Microsoft recommends that circular logging be turned off on Exchange servers. If circular logging is turned on, bear in mind that large transaction logs can still be generated on the Exchange server, and watch closely that the logs are properly cleaned after backup. Keep in mind that if you use circular logging, only full backups can be performed.

For more information, refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base article 147524, "XDAM: How Circular Logging Affects the Use of Transaction Logs," at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;147524.

Migration Manager for Exchange Agents and Backup Schedules

If any backup tools are installed on the servers where Migration Manager for Exchange agents are to run, the schedules for these tools and the agents should not overlap; that is, the backup utility and the agents should be scheduled to work during different hours.

In any case, use of any backup utility together with Migration Manager should be tested in the laboratory before use in the production environment.

ADAM/AD LDS Database and SQL Configuration Database Backup

All migration project configuration data are stored in the ADAM or AD LDS database and the SQL configuration database. It is very important that you back up these databases regularly, because losing them could be disastrous to your migration project.

For procedures for backing up an ADAM or AD LDS instance, refer to the ADAM or AD LDS online help.

You can also use Quest Recovery Manager for Active Directory to back up and restore ADAM or AD LDS databases. For more information about Recovery Manager for Active Directory, see https://quest.com/products/recovery-manager-for-active-directory/.

As an alternative to backing up the ADAM or AD LDS database, you can install a replica of the ADAM or AD LDS instance on another server in the network and simply connect to that instance if the first one is lost or corrupted.

To back up a SQL configuration database located on a Microsoft SQL Server or a server running Microsoft Desktop Engine (MSDE), use standard SQL backup procedures. Refer to the Microsoft article “Backing Up and Restoring Databases” at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa196685(SQL.80).aspx and Microsoft SQL Server documentation for more details.

Service Attributes

The Directory Synchronization Agent in Migration Manager uses Active Directory attributes called service attributes to store necessary information. For each synchronized object, the Directory Synchronization Agent sets the auxiliary attribute and the matching attribute. Different attributes are used as auxiliary and matching attributes for different object classes in Active Directory.

For the attributes used as service attributes by default, refer to the Quest Migration Manager for Active Directory—User Guide.