For Mailbox Server High

Availability > You need to Create

a Database Availability Group
(DAG)
How to create a Database Availability Group in Exchange 2013
Posted on December 4, 2012 | Category :DAG, Exchange 2013 | 8 Comments
Well, Creating Database Availability Group (DAG) Became much more simpler,
But configuring it properly is the best part to have it efficiently working.
So lets see how to create a 2 node DAG ,
NOTE **Am not going to Describe about load balancing for Client Connectivity in this blog
I will describe my environment now
I have 2 AD sites
Every AD site has Exchange Servers

========================================================
First we will prepare the Environment for the DAG
I will have my Primary LAN . Will add a Replication LAN ,for my DAG replication for all the nodes which
am planning to add in DAG

Verify my NIC binding are Correct

Advanced Advanced Settings

1.Primary Network
2.Replication Network

Make Sure they are in a Different Class of IP

Primary Network

Replication Network
*No Default Gateway

*No DNS Servers Set

*Add a persistent Route for all the nodes with the Replication NICs
Replication NICs should ping with other replication NICs So that DAG replication will happen through
these NICs
Port Used : 64327

Now there is no Single point of failure on my LAN

If my replication network fails it can failover to the production network. vice versa.

When creating a DAG with Mailbox servers running Windows Server 2012 in an Active Directory
environment with Windows Server 2008 R2 directory servers, you must pre-stage the cluster network
object before adding members to the DAG. For detailed steps, see Pre-Stage the Cluster Network
Object for a Database Availability Group.
See
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd351172.aspx
Lets See How to pre stage a Cluster CNO object.
Open ADUC New Computer Account

Enter the DAG Name

Disable the Account

Give Full Control for Exchange Trusted Subsystems

Add the First Node Computer account and Give Full Control
Note - Choose Object types to Select Computer Accounts

Apply the Permissions

Reference link -

Pre-Stage the Cluster Network Object for a Database Availability Group

==============================================================
============
Now we will Create a DAG ,

Login to EAC Servers Database Availability Groups Choose New

Specify
* DAG name
* Witness Server Name
* Witness Location
Add Two DAG ips (Static IP for the DAG )
1 for Primary Site

1 for DR site
if you have different subnet or different class of ip on either Sites.
Have Two IP address for the DAG so that DAG resource can be online while failover on either sites
If you have only one Subnet , then you can have only one Ip address for the DAG

Now my DAG Configuration is Ready

Add members to it.
Choose Manage DAG Membership

Adding the members

Now you can add the other DAG memberwhere it should get added without any issues.

Great !! Now your DAG is ready !!

How to Load balance Client access Server in Exchange

Server 2013 High Availability
Posted on September 4, 2013 | Category :Exchange 2013 | No Comments

Unlike Exchange 2010 , You need not to have a Create Client Access Array .
Just have a Hardware Load Balancer like CISCO ACE , KEMP , F5 , Have the Exchange Servers in the
farm , Exchange server can start serving requests to the clients .
Its quite simple and easy.

The above diagram is a Good Design for minimum cost . With High Availability Configured

We will need two VIPs to Configure Mail flow and Client access ,
In my Scenario , Have used Cisco ACE to Load balance the Client Access and Mailflow.

Create Two Server Farms 1.CASArray

2.MailFlow

Assigned One Virtual IP to CASArray Server Farm

Assigned One Virtual IP to Mailflow Server Farm

No Extra Configuration required on the Client Access Servers.

It will start serving the Requests.