Move Exchange Server VM to new physical server

Question

Dear All,

We have exchange server 2016 running on VMware cluster (vCenter01) with 3 mailbox servers (EXCHANGE-01, EXCHANGE-02, EXCHANGE-03 (DAG) store on SAN.
We plan to relocate one exchange VM (EXCHANGE-01) to other VMware cluster (vCenter-02) that store on vSAN datastore.

To plan relocation server VM, we are going to do full backup EXCHANGE-01 VM on vCenter-01 and restore to vCenter-02.

What is prerequisite or step by step and best way to get the server and its roles and mailbox database moved and running at a new location?

Best Regards,

Answer 1

@Suy Peang

Exchange server doesn't supported snapshot backup and restore(You may could do it successfully, but it isn't suggested and supported). If you want to move mailbox database to another place, the supported way is:

1. Create new computer on new place, then joined this computer to exist domain.
2. Create new Exchange server on new place to coexist with exist Exchange server.
3. Migrate mailboxes from old Exchange server to new Exchange server.

You can also move a mailbox database using database portability.

Above all suggestions are required new Exchange server and old Exchange server in the same domain. If your new VMware cluster cannot communicate with old VMware cluster, you will cannot migrate mailbox database in the supported way.

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