How to Clone Exchange Server? [Expert Guide]

Raad time: 5 minutes

Have you ever gotten into a situation when you have to replicate a server, maybe for backup purposes or rapid recovery from a disaster? In such situations, the first idea that comes to mind for most users is to clone Exchange Server. Many believe it only takes a few clicks, and your new Server will be ready for use. However, they are unaware of the fact that an Exhange Server has multiple interconnected components. Making an exact copy of these components is both challenging and unsupported.

We have talked to many Exchange Administrators regarding the correct way to copy Exchange Server. The majority of the experts voted against cloning the Server and mentioned there is only one logical and acceptable method to do so. This blog will discuss the reasons to clone Server and how to safely replicate Exchange environment. Furthermore, we will also see why not to clone Exchange Server and how to fix any issue during cloning.

Reasons to Clone Exchange Server

Even though directly cloning a live Exchange Server isn’t usually recommended, it is done in some specific situations:

• Test Updates Safely
  You can make an Exchange Server clone to try out a big Exchange update or new server settings. You can analyze and monitor the changes in the replicated environment to avoid unwanted harm to the original server.
• Fix Exchange Problems
  If your Exchange server is facing some issues, cloning and implementing different solutions may help you. However, make sure only to copy the server in an isolated environment.
• Train New Staff
  By making a replication of your current Exchange Server, you can prepare a safe environment to train new employees. This promotes safe learning while avoiding common human errors like accidental data deletion.
• Move from Physical to Virtual Environment
  Many organizations try to shift their physical server to virtual server. The reasons can be remote accessibility, scalable resources, etc. In such scenarios, you can clone Exchange Server to test the new virtual platform before moving the server.
• For Legal & Compliance Audits
  When law officers demand to examine your organization’s email data, you can provide them with a cloned and isolated copy of your Exchange server. This way, they can perform their audits without impacting the server & avoiding downtime.

The Right Way to Clone Exchange Server

Let’s discuss the method to securely replicate Exchange Server without affecting the live production server. As a precautionary measure, we recommend you to backup Exchange Server and then follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Prepare the Cloning Environment

1. Note down the IP addresses and computer names of your main Exchange Server and your Domain Controller.
2. Check for any issue within your real Exchange Server to prevent copying existing problems.
3. In your VM software, make a new virtual network which is completely isolated. This network has no connection to your main company network or the internet.

Step 2: Copy and Configure the Cloned Exchange Server

1. In your virtual machine software, use the “Clone” option to make full copies. Provide a new name to the cloned server.
2. Connect the copied server to the isolated network you created in the previous step.
3. Now, start the copied Exchange Server.

Why Not Clone Exchange Server?

Cloning an Exchange Server in a production environment can cause several issues, leading to downtime. Some of the major ones are:

• Confuses Active Directory
  Every part of Exchange has a unique ID in the Active Directory. Cloning creates duplicates, which confuses the Active Directory. This can break your entire Exchange setup.
• Breaks Email Flow
  With duplicate IDs, your email system won’t know where to send messages. Emails can get lost, stuck, or fail to deliver, stopping your team from communicating.
• Causes Database Problems
  Your mailboxes and databases also have unique IDs. Making duplicates of the live database may prevent mailboxes from opening, crash databases, or even corrupting your precious email data.
• Hindering User Access
  Applications like Outlook rely on Exchange’s unique identity. If more than one Server is found, Outlook will be confused. This may prevent Outlook from connecting and synchronizing emails from the Server.
• No Microsoft Support
  Microsoft does not support directly cloning a live Exchange server. If things go wrong, you’re on your own to fix any potential issue. Circumstances like these can be very costly and time-consuming.

Exchange Server Cloning Gone Wrong! How to Fix?

As we discussed above, when you clone Exchange Server, any inexact step may lead to severe problems like database corruption, data loss, connection issues, etc. While some of these problems can be resolved after a thorough analysis and troubleshoots. Repairing a corrupt server database is another issue that requires the use of a specialized Exchange data recovery tool.

One of the best 3rd party Exchange Server repair tools is Kernel for Exchange Server. It’s embedded with smart algorithms to deeply scan and fix any form of corruption in the Exchange database (EDB) file. The tool also allows the repair and saving of EDB to PST for offline access.

Conclusion

Replicating your production Exchange Server is strictly prohibited by Microsoft. But if you still want to do it, then follow the easy method to clone Exchange Server discussed in this blog. Make sure to only use an isolated test environment for cloning. Any form of connection between the cloned server and the live server will break down the communication. If, during or after cloning, you face issues like database corruption, immediately use an EDB repair tool to save your data.