Migrating Exchange Server 2010 Organization into the Private Cloud

Cloud Definitions:

Today everybody is talking about clouds: what they are; how to use them and if using them is suitable for their organization. In general “cloud computing” can be defined as server based computing in virtual environments in decentralized datacenters. This means that these servers are accessible via WANs and do not exist in the local network.

In general there are three kinds of cloud technologies:

• Public Clouds
• Private Clouds
• Hybrid Clouds

Public Clouds are IT environments that are hosted at big providers (like Microsoft, Google or Amazon). These data centers are spread all over the world with high availability functionality. They are often called “Software as a Service” solutions, because the servers are not dedicated for your company because all data of all customers is hosted by these servers in parallel.

Private Clouds are IT environments that are hosted by your organization but the underlying technology is the same as in Public Cloud environments. This means you are prepared for the cloud but are running your own cloud, either in your data center or in a collocated data center of a big provider.

Hybrid Clouds are a mixture of public and private cloud designs based on the technology needs of your company.

This article will discuss how to migrate a dedicated, non-virtualized Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment into a Private Cloud based collocated data center without disruption of mail transfer for the users.

Requirements

To easily prepare and run the migration, you need to fulfill the following requirements:

• All Exchange Servers are running Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1 and same patch level of Windows and Exchange
• A high available Exchange organization with DAG (Database Availability Group) and dedicated Exchange Servers running the Hub Transport and Client Access Role.
• A “high speed” connection to the internet (100 Mbit or more are quite good, because the more performance you will have, the quicker your migration will be finished)
• Complete routable network
• Local Domain Controllers (with Global Catalog Role) available in the collocated data center
• Clients are already connecting to Exchange using the “Outlook over the Internet” feature

Preparation Tasks

• Installation of 2 Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition (for running Hub Transport and Client Access Role)
• Installation of 2 Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition (for running Mailbox Server Roles in a DAG)

Phase 1 – Co-Existence

• Installation of Exchange Server 2010 SP1 on the two Standard Edition Servers with Hub Transport and Client Access Role enabled
• Installation of Antivirus and Backup Agents on these new servers
• Copy the configuration of Hub Transport and Client Access Roles to these new servers
• Configure the Client Access Servers as “CAS Array” for high availability
• Installation of Exchange Server 2010 Sp1 on the two Enterprise Edition Servers with Mailbox Role enabled
• Installation of Antivirus and Backup Agents on these new servers
• Configure these two servers as member of the existing Database Availability Group(s)
• Wait for replication for all databases has completed on the new servers
• Enable network access for all clients to the new Client Access Servers

Phase 2 – Demotion of local Exchange Servers with Hub Transport and Client Access Roles

• Disable SMTP connectors on all local Exchange Hub Transport Servers
• Change remote proxy configuration to route Outlook Web App and Exchange Server Sync to the new Client Access Servers
• Uninstall Exchange Server from both local Client Access and Hub Transport Servers
• Unjoin these Servers from your domain
• Shut them down completely
• Check if all clients can work properly

Phase 3 – Demotion of local Exchange Servers with Mailbox Roles

• Unjoin both local Exchange Mailbox Servers from your DAG configuration
• Uninstall Exchange Server from these servers
• Unjoin them from your domain
• Shut them down completely
• Check if all clients an work properly

Phase 4 – Finalize the Migration

After having finished the migration to the “private cloud”, you should now make sure that:

• Documentation of the new server structure
• Enable Monitoring for your new servers to early find out where possible problems may occur
• Provide QoS (quality of service) on your WAN lines to make sure that you can provide enough performance to your clients when the connect to their Exchange Servers in the collocated network

Unified Communication Role

Because the Unified Communication Role of Exchange Server 2010 SP1 is still not approved for high availability and virtualization, you need to manually transfer this role to your collocated data center with a period of unavailability of this service.

The following steps are usually needed for this transfer:

• Power off your server hosting the Unified Communication Role
• Ship this server to your collocated network
• Power on your server in the collocated network
• Change the IP configuration of this server
• Restart it and enable service availability

General Information

If you do not have “high availability” in your environment today, it might be interesting to implement a single server database availability group (DAG), too. This will make your migration into the cloud much easier because then you could create a temporary DAG solution to easily migrate your mailboxes to the cloud without interfering users.

Conclusion

As you hopefully would have recognized a migration to a private cloud data center with Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1 is quite easy. It is a step forward and proved solution.

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Author: Markus Klein

What Cloud Computing Really Means?

Cloud computing is all the rage. "It's become the phrase du jour," says Gartner senior analyst Ben Pring, echoing many of his peers. The problem is that (as with Web 2.0) everyone seems to have a different definition. As a metaphor for the Internet, "the cloud" is a familiar cliché, but when combined with "computing," the meaning gets bigger and fuzzier. Some analysts and vendors define cloud computing narrowly as an updated version of utility computing: basically virtual servers available over the Internet. Others go very broad, arguing anything you consume outside the firewall is "in the cloud," including conventional outsourcing. Cloud computing comes into focus only when you think about what IT always needs: a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends IT's existing capabilities. Cloud computing is at an early stage, with a motley crew of providers large and small delivering a slew of cloud-based services, from full-blown applications to storage services to spam filtering. Yes, utility-style infrastructure providers are part of the mix, but so are SaaS (software as a service) providers such as Salesforce.com. Today, for the most part, IT must plug into cloud based services individually, but cloud computing aggregators and integrators are already emerging.

Here's a rough breakdown of what cloud computing is all about:

1. SaaS

This type of cloud computing delivers a single application through the browser to thousands of customers using a multitenant architecture.

On the customer side, it means no upfront investment in servers or software licensing; on the provider side, with just one app to maintain, costs are low compared to conventional hosting. Salesforce.com is by far the best-known example among enterprise applications, but SaaS is also common for HR apps and has even worked its way up the food chain to ERP, with players such as Workday. And who could have predicted the sudden rise of SaaS "desktop" applications, such as Google Apps and Zoho Office?

2. Utility Computing

The idea is not new, but this form of cloud computing is getting new life from Amazon.com, Sun, IBM, and others who now offer storage and virtual servers that IT can access on demand. Early enterprise adopters mainly use utility computing for supplemental, non-mission-critical needs, but one day, they may replace parts of the datacenter. Other providers offer solutions that help IT

Create virtual datacenters from commodity servers, such as 3Tera's AppLogic and Cohesive Flexible Technologies' Elastic Server on Demand. Liquid Computing's LiquidQ offers similar capabilities, enabling IT to stitch together memory, I/O, storage, and computational capacity as a virtualized resource pool available over the network.

3. Web Services In The Cloud

Closely related to SaaS, Web service providers offer APIs that enable developers to exploit functionality over the Internet, rather than delivering full-blown applications. They range from providers offering discrete business services -- such as Strike Iron and Xignite -- to the full range of APIs offered by Google Maps, ADP payroll processing, the U.S. Postal Service, Bloomberg, and even conventional credit card processing services.

4. Platform As A Service

Another SaaS variation, this form of cloud computing delivers development environments as a service. You build your own applications that run on the provider's infrastructure and are delivered to your users via the Internet from the provider's servers. Like Legos, these services are constrained by the vendor's design and capabilities, so you don't get complete freedom, but you do get predictability and pre-integration. Prime examples include Salesforce.com's Force.com, Coghead and the new Google App Engine. For extremely lightweight development, cloud-based mashup platforms abound, such as Yahoo Pipes or Dapper.net.

5. MSP (Managed Service Providers)

One of the oldest forms of cloud computing, a managed service is basically an application exposed to IT rather than to end-users, such as a virus scanning service for e-mail or an application monitoring service (which Mercury, among others, provides). Managed security services delivered by SecureWorks, IBM, and Verizon fall into this category, as do such cloud based anti-spam services as Postini, recently acquired by Google. Other offerings include desktop management services, such as those offered by CenterBeam or Everdream.

6. Service Commerce Platforms

A hybrid of SaaS and MSP, this cloud computing service offers a service hub that users interact with. They're most common in trading environments, such as expense management systems that allow users to order travel or secretarial services from a common platform that then coordinates the service delivery and pricing within the specifications set by the user. Think of it as an automated service bureau. Well-known examples include Rearden Commerce and Ariba.

7. Internet Integration

The integration of cloud-based services is in its early days. OpSource, which mainly concerns itself with serving SaaS providers, recently introduced the OpSource Services Bus, which employs in-the-cloud integration technology from a little startup called Boomi. SaaS provider Workday recently acquired another player in this space, CapeClear, an ESB (enterprise service bus) provider that was edging toward b-to-b integration. Way ahead of its time, Grand Central which wanted to be a universal "bus in the cloud" to connect SaaS providers and provide integrated solutions to customers -- flamed out in 2005.

Today, with such cloud-based interconnection seldom in evidence, cloud computing might be more accurately described as "sky computing," with many isolated clouds of services which IT customers must plug into individually. On the other hand, as virtualization and SOA permeate the enterprise, the idea of loosely coupled services running on an agile, scalable infrastructure should eventually make every enterprise a node in the cloud. It's a long-running trend with a far-out horizon. But among big metatrends, cloud computing is the hardest one to argue with in the long term.

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The Article, "What Cloud Computing Really Means" was originally published at InfoWorld.com.

Career Development: Top Ten Tips To Move Up The Corporate Ladder.

In the current economic climate, finding a job is no easy feat. Most people settle for the first job they find in order to gain stability. Instead of changing multiple jobs and treating them as stepping stones, it is important to find opportunities to move up the corporate ladder. Here are a few tips to help you make your way up, and never look back.

Learn to be a Leader:

You do not need to be the boss in order to lead. Learn to take initiative at work, and always be approachable. Co-workers will ask for your help if they know that you are a friendly person. This will allow you to enhance your skills and give you the space to develop. Maintaining a positive attitude helps in motivating and inspiring the people you work with.  By helping other teams and departments, you will become an asset within the organization.

Expand Your Knowledge and Skills

Knowing more is always better than knowing less. Regardless of where you work, in order to succeed you need to have an up to date knowledge of all areas critical within your organization. Learn everything you can about the responsibilities of the job you aspire to get in your workplace. You can do this by watching others, or attending relevant trainings. When you have successfully learnt the ins and outs of procedures and resources, you will be an overall better candidate for the job whenever there is an opening.

Become a Team Player

Teamwork is essential in every organization and allows you to build your reputation. Learning to be a team player opens up new opportunities for you as people start to recognize that you are willing to help them and work on their team. Success at the workplace also depends on your ability to cooperate with co-workers. Employees enhance the overall productivity and add to the success of businesses by working together.

Ask for More Responsibilities

You are more likely to succeed at the workplace by asking for more responsibilities than by asking for a promotion. By asking for more responsibilities you not only show your interest towards the business but also increase your value within the organization. Increasing responsibilities will give you an idea of what is expected of you. Furthermore, it allows you to enhance your potential and understand what you are working towards to prepare you for the future.

Ignore Workplace Politics

Every organization has internal politics. However, to move forward you must ignore all negativity and focus on succeeding. Do not engage in unpleasant conversation about anyone or think of alternate ways to the top. The amount of time and negative energy it takes to plot your way to the top could be better spent generating ideas on how to improve your performance. If you always work hard and deliver the results beyond what is expected, you will be well respected and will soon be moving upwards.

Work Hard

In order to move up the corporate ladder, you should always be willing to work hard. You should know what you are working towards and be able to make sacrifices to reach that goal. Keep setting optimistic but attainable goals that will drive you to surpass your own expectations. No matter how well connected you are, hard work is always essential to reach and maintain your position at the top. People are more likely to get promoted and sustain their position if they have worked hard to earn it.

Be Loyal and Committed to your Organization

In order to achieve success, high levels of commitment and loyalty to the organization are essential. Employees who are so dedicated to their work that they believe by committing themselves they are playing an active role in the success of the organization, are assets to the company. Their performance and productivity levels are consistently high which allows them to stand out from the rest. Employee loyalty results in positive financial outcomes for the business, hence giving them an edge in order to succeed. By being loyal to your organization and demonstrating this at work, you automatically increase your chances of advancing in the workplace. If you display a loyalty towards your boss, he will be more likely to take you up the corporate ladder with him as he is able to count on you.

Maintain A Professional Attitude

A professional attitude consists of various qualities. By displaying your reliability, you become an asset to your company. You should always dress professionally and neatly as this reflects on your personality. If you treat others with respect and act professional, you earn the respect of your co-workers and show others that you are there to work and not get involved in unnecessary office gossip. By detaching yourself from such office dynamics, you are creating an example for others to follow, as well as increasing productivity at work. You must maintain punctuality and never be afraid to ask if unsure of anything. This suggests your willingness to learn, as opposed to your lack of knowledge. Finally, don’t whine about problems. When a problematic situation arises, try to come up with a few solutions before going to your boss. This indicates your ability to solve problems and handle difficult situations when in a higher position.

Be Resourceful

Always voice any ideas you have which you feel may have a positive impact on the company. You do not need to have resources to be resourceful – make your voice heard, so everyone is aware that you have an opinion. In some situations, people are so confined in what they think that your solution may be the perfect one. Think outside the box of how you could help your company solve a problem and you will already be a step closer to getting a promotion. Remember, one of the best ways to thrive and to stand out is by doing your own thing, and opposing popular opinion.

Keep Networking

Networking is a fundamental part of developing a name for yourself and constantly growing in your professional career. In order to further your career, you must be prepared to tactically associate yourself to individuals in high positions. Never miss a corporate event, and maintain a positive attitude as these are noticed by everyone. These events are a chance for you to shine and demonstrate your strengths and abilities. Another advantage of networking is that you will learn much more about the company by speaking to people in other areas of the organization, hence expanding your skill sets.
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Info.copy right from Rozee.pk

Tips on copying and backing up Group Policy Objects

Takeaway: Group Policy configuration is one of the most powerful aspects of Windows. Read several tips on copying and backing up Group Policy Objects, which can save admins a lot of time.

A cornerstone technology of Windows is Group Policy, which can be assigned locally (a single policy for a Windows system) or managed centrally in an Active Directory domain. When leveraging Active Directory, a number of Group Policy Objects (GPOs) can be assigned to computers and users.

I believe that GPOs are one of the most critical and powerful management tools available; that said, GPOs can also be complicated to work with. For instance, if you need to recreate a GPO, it may require a tedious maneuvering of screens to verify settings from one GPO to another. Fortunately, the Group Policy Management console allows us to do a few things to tackle this task efficiently. The first is a centralized list of GPOs for the entire domain, regardless of the Organizational Unit (OU) where they reside. This panel is shown in Figure A.

This console serves a number of purposes, but one that irritates me is nomenclature. Figure A is a screenshot of my personal lab, and I have not done a good job in naming the GPOs. Ideally, a GPO is self-documenting so that it tells you: what it does, where it lives, and who it applies to (users, groups, computers, etc.).

Please excuse my lab’s sloppy nomenclature, and let’s focus on the ability to copy and back up a GPO in this console. When we right-click the individual GPO, a very powerful context menu appears. (Note: This menu is not available where the GPO resides in terms of the OUs listed above; it is only available in the Group Policy Objects section.) This context menu is shown in Figure B.

The copy and backup options are the two tasks that can really save administrators a lot of time. The copy operation will take an existing GPO, and allow you to paste it into the Group Policy Objects section. This may not be intuitive, and Figure C shows where it becomes an option.

A new GPO is created as a copy of the source GPO, and it can be linked to an OU later. This can be very helpful when a GPO is built over time, but is not ready to be applied to the destination OU.

The ability to back up a GPO exports the GPO to an .XML file, which can be archived and used to recover a previous version of a GPO. There also is an option to back up all GPOs, which will make a large .XML repository in a specified folder path. In both situations, the ability to have the GPOs on outside of the domain controller can be attractive. While backup solutions can protect down to this level, simply for a quick check by hand, the backup options within the Group Policy Management console can be of great aid. Viewing the .XML file isn’t very helpful, but can be an easy way to spot-check settings (Figure D).

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info. shared from Rick Vanover@Techrepublic.com Jul 08, 2011, 11:11 AM PDT

Five tips for getting cable clutter under control in data centers:

Takeaway: Does your server room look like it’s ready for some marinara sauce and a few meatballs? Turn your cable chaos into a manageable system by following a few simple steps.

Nothing is worse than a datacenter filled with a tangled maze of wires. Besides being unsightly, cable clutter can make it difficult to troubleshoot cable-related problems. Here are five of my favorite tips for taming that cable mess.

1: Multitask

One of the best ways to get cable clutter under control is to eliminate any cables that are not absolutely necessary. Of course, this is easier said than done. Since you probably can’t go through your datacenter and start unplugging cables, the next best option might be to multitask.

Sometimes, you can achieve the functionality of several cables with a single cable. To give you an idea of what I mean, I recently installed an IP-based video surveillance system in my datacenter. The system was designed so that each of the eight cameras required its own power supply (AC adapter). After spending a little bit of time on Amazon, I found a power supply that could provide power to four cameras. Granted, I still had to use a few power supplies, but I cut the total number of power supplies I was using by 75%.

I’ve also been performing cable multitasking through my KVM switches. Up until a few weeks ago, I was using KVM switches that required a keyboard, video, and mouse connection to every server. I replaced these outdated switches with a new model that uses only a video cable. On the end of the cable that connects to the server is a USB connection for keyboard and mouse input. However, there is no USB connection at the other end of the cable. All keyboard and mouse input is sent through the video adapter and then split out into a USB port at the end of the cable. What previously required three cables is now done through a single cable.

2: Use the shortest cables you can get away with

Another clutter-reducing trick is to make your own network cables. If you use pre-manufactured cables, you’re stuck using cables with standardized lengths. This can result in excessive cable in your datacenter. By making your own network cables, you can ensure that the cables are cut to exactly the required length. This can go a long way toward cutting down on cable clutter.

3: Label your cables

I also recommend investing in a good label maker and labeling all the cables in your datacenter, even if the purpose of a cable seems obvious. Having well-labeled cables can make it far easier to troubleshoot cable-related problems.

The reason it’s a good idea to label the cables that are used for obvious purposes is that troubleshooting a problem can sometimes run late into the night. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I tend to make a lot of stupid mistakes when I start getting tired. I have found that making things as idiot-proof as possible helps prevent dumb mistakes later on.

4: Use zip ties sparingly

I once worked in a place where a number of servers were arranged on a large metal rack (not a traditional server rack). The person who had done the setup used zip ties to secure the various cables to the rack. I have to admit that the person did a good job keeping all the cables nice and neat.

But eventually, one of the computers started having trouble communicating across the network. It turned out that the network cable had been zip tied too tightly and the RJ-45 connector at the end of the cable was being pulled loose. Replacing the cable meant cutting all the zip ties and then replacing them. Because the zip ties bundled cables for multiple machines, this turned out to be a big job.

There is a time and a place for everything, and sometimes zip ties do have a place in the datacenter. However, before you zip-tie a cable, consider the amount of work that will be involved if you ever have to replace the cable.

5: Bundle excess cable

Earlier, I mentioned using custom-made network cables to avoid having excess cable. Sometimes, however, excess cable is unavoidable. For example, the AC adapter for my wireless access point has a three-foot cord, but I need only about a foot of it. When you can’t avoid using a cable that is longer than you need, bundle the excess cord. In the case of the power cord for my wireless access point, I used a twist tab around the excess cable.

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info. shared from Brien Posey@Techrepublic.com June 24, 2011, 9:27 AM PDT