Issue with Move-CsManagementServer and Offline File Store
Update 4/10/11 - Lync Server 2010 CU2 has been released which fixes this issue. You can download the latest updates here: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/gg131945.
With OCS I would often see customers locate their shared folders on one of the front ends in the pool. This of course wasn't a good idea because if that front end was down so were your file shares and you would have issues with any service that needed access to those file shares, i.e. Live Meeting. Now in Lync Server 2010, those file shares, now called the File Store, plays an even more important role and is something you need to consider in your disaster recovery planning.
As you'll see below, if you lose access to the File Store, you will be unable to make any changes to your environment. That's an important point so I'll say it again. If you can't access the File Store location defined for the Central Management Store (CMS), you can't make any changes in the environment.
In the example below, I have two Standard Edition Servers in my topology. The first Standard Edition Server, BETA-LS14-SE1, is running the CMS and it's File Store is located on a remote server called BETA-SQL2K8. There is also a second Standard Edition Server called BETA-LS14-SE2 that will run the CMS in case of a disaster.
So Monday morning, you come in to work and the File Store (BETA-SQL2K8) is offline and won't be coming back online any time soon. You need to proceed with your disaster recovery plan to move the CMS to the second Standard Edition Server (BETA-LS14-SE2). After prepping BETA-LS14-SE2 with the prerequisites in order to run Move-CSManagementServer, you run the following command:
Move-CsManagementServer -ConfigurationFileName C:\cms.zip -LisConfigurationFileName C:\lis.zip -Force
You're prompted to review the change and confirm the move:
Confirm
This cmdlet moves Central Management Server to the pool that contains this computer.
Current State:
Central Management Server Pool: "beta-ls14-se1.beta.deitterick.com"
Central Management File Store: "\\beta-sql2k8.beta.deitterick.com\share"
Central Management Store: "beta-ls14-se1.beta.deitterick.com\rtc"
Central Management Store SCP: "beta-ls14-se1.beta.deitterick.com\rtc"
Proposed State:
Central Management Server Pool: "beta-ls14-se2.beta.deitterick.com"
Central Management File Store: "\\beta-ls14-se2.beta.deitterick.com\share"
Central Management Store: "beta-ls14-se2.beta.deitterick.com\rtc"
Central Management Store SCP: "beta-ls14-se2.beta.deitterick.com\rtc"
Warning: It is possible to lose data when you use backup files to move the Central Management Server. Use backup files only for disaster recovery scenarios.
Do you want to move the Central Management Server, Central Management Store, and File Store in the current topology and assign permissions for computers in Active Directory? (Note: Please read the help provided for this cmdlet using the Get-Help cmdlet before you proceed.)
[Y] Yes [A] Yes to All [N] No [L] No to All [S] Suspend [?] Help
(default is "Y"):
You say Yes to the move and get the following error:
WARNING: Move-CsManagementServer failed.
WARNING: Detailed results can be found at "C:\Users\Administrator.BETA\AppData\Local\Temp\Move-CsManagementServer-09142e86-2f1c-41f5-8b76-6a9534e1d4eb.html".
Move-CsManagementServer : Failed to execute the following PowerShell command -
Enable-CsTopology -Confirm:$false.
At line:1 char:24
+ Move-CsManagementServer <<<< -ConfigurationFileName .\Desktop\cms.zip -LisConfigurationFileName .\Desktop\lis.zip -Force
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidResult: (:) [Move-CsManagementServer], Exception
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PowershellInvokeFailed,Microsoft.Rtc.Management.
Deployment.MoveCms.MoveCmsCmdlet
Looking at the log you'll see the following errors:
Enable-CsTopology is trying to connect to the existing File Store and can't because the server is offline which causes the command and the move to fail. Without the existing File Store being available you can't move the CMS.
What this all means is that you really need to think about how you're going to make the File Store highly available and how you're going to back it up. Making sure that you do this planning up front and that you have a plan in place to restore the File Store in case of a disaster is very important in Lync Server 2010.