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Windows Server Forum / Exchange Server / Design / December 2006CCR Installation Exch 2007
I realize that for to use mns and file share witness i must install hotfix and install cluster service on both mailbox servers before exchange 2007. I also realize that I need to create file share on the witness server which is also running exchange and how to set NTFS permissions for directory. But what I don't understand is how the witness works. My witness is a windows 2003 r2 STANDARD and is the client access/hub transport role server running Exchange 2003 Standard. My mailbox servers are of course 2003 ent and exch 2007 ent. How does witness work since cluster service isn't installed on it. How does it know to tell exch server wins in split brain syndrome. Thanks in advance. I think I may have figured this out. It is just a file share that can actually be stored anywhere (san, nas, whatever) that the cluster service on the mailbox servers update. Some kind log/journal--just a place to store data to that be use to determine victor. If I am off base please let me know. Thanks. >I realize that for to use mns and file share witness i must install hotfix >and install cluster service on both mailbox servers before exchange 2007. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Thanks in advance. That's pretty much what it is. see www.msexchange.org where there is a multipart tutorial that you clearly need as it tells you exactly what the MNS share is, where you should put it and why. I think I may have figured this out. It is just a file share that can actually be stored anywhere (san, nas, whatever) that the cluster service on the mailbox servers update. Some kind log/journal--just a place to store data to that be use to determine victor. If I am off base please let me know. If this is the case, can I create the file share witness on my DFS server so it can be replicated between my sites? Or is this not recommended? Thanks. >I realize that for to use mns and file share witness i must install hotfix >and install cluster service on both mailbox servers before exchange 2007. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Thanks in advance. One thing you will want to consider is where do you place the file share witness on your network. Remember, a MNS cluster requires a majority of nodes to be available in order to come into service. If your witness is a file share in your primary data center, if you lose that data center, your secondary server in your DR site will not come into service. On the other hand, if your witness server is in the DR site, then a loss of WAN connectivity to your DR site will result in a false failover to the DR site, since your primary server would be a single node and the majority would be in your DR site. The best scenario is if you can place your witness server in a third location with direct communications to both the primary and DR site.That way your WAN link does not become a SPOF and your are protected in the event of a complete site loss. David A. Bermingham, MCSE, MCSA:Messaging Senior Systems Engineer www.steeleye.com > I think I may have figured this out. It is just a file share that can > actually be stored anywhere (san, nas, whatever) that the cluster service on [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > > > Thanks in advance. > One thing you will want to consider is where do you place the file > share witness on your network. Remember, a MNS cluster requires a > majority of nodes to be available in order to come into service. If > your witness is a file share in your primary data center, if you lose > that data center, your secondary server in your DR site will not come > into service. It's my understanding that the MS best practice here is to have the FSW located on the hub transport server within the cluster's 'preferred owner' data center, i.e. the primary data center. Presumably this is because the most likely failure will be the network between the two data centers rather than losing an entire data center. Note the use of 'most likely'. :) From what I remember at TechEd IT Forum, a failover of the primary data center has some pre-provision requirements such as the creation of the FSW share and relevant permissions on the hub transport server located within the secondary data center so that they're ready to go if needed. You then update DNS and use /forcequorum. There were some other things to do, but you get the idea. > On the other hand, if your witness server is in the DR site, then a > loss of WAN connectivity to your DR site will result in a false [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Senior Systems Engineer > www.steeleye.com  SignatureNeil Hobson Exchange MVP http://www.msexchange.org/Neil_Hobson/ http://www.msexchangeblog.com That makes sense, as long as the procedure is well documented and the limitation is understood by management. > > One thing you will want to consider is where do you place the file > > share witness on your network. Remember, a MNS cluster requires a [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > http://www.msexchange.org/Neil_Hobson/ > http://www.msexchangeblog.com |
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