Posts made by G I Jones

you mean you were not making this a VM? crazy man, crazy!

Nah man, remember I was waiting on the H730P? I was hoping to get up a bare metal in the meantime, but that didn't work out.

@DustinB3403 said in Exchange 2016 Install Issue:

@G-I-Jones said in Exchange 2016 Install Issue:

Since I've got you all here. What are your thoughts on Exchange server built in Esxi? I was told be someone with more experience than me recently that this is a bad idea, but wasn't given much insight into why or how.

The rule of thumb is to virtualize everything, and unless you have a really very good reason

I thought that to be the case. Thanks for that. Just got that PERC H730P installed. I'm going to try again with a VM I think.

Since I've got you all here. What are your thoughts on Exchange server built in Esxi? I was told be someone with more experience than me recently that this is a bad idea, but wasn't given much insight into why or how.

@DustinB3403 said in Exchange 2016 Install Issue:

@G-I-Jones I think you are misunderstanding what a nuke from space means.

Format the drives and reinstall the operating system and then required server roles.

No, I understand. That's what I did. As I said though, there were previous Exchange in this environment. I may have forgot a smidge of Metadata the first time around.

@DustinB3403 said in Exchange 2016 Install Issue:

@G-I-Jones said in Exchange 2016 Install Issue:

I'm thinking of a server wipe, and reinstall, but I've done that once already and am at a loss how to move forward.

You've nuked this server and reloaded it from the ground up and are unable to install Exchange?

@DustinB3403 Correct. However, there was a lot of trying different things involved, so I may have missed something the first time. If nothing jumps out to anyone with more Exchange experience than me, then that's the obvious path.

Previously had an Exchange 2013 and another Exchange 2016 Exchange Server in this environment. Was unable to install them, due to encryption attack. Was able to roll-back AD, and delete what I think was all the Exchange metadata via ADSIEdit, ADUC, and RegEdit. Running the installer prompt me with the following error.

PS G:> .\Setup /PrepareAD /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms /OrganizationName:ORG

Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 15 Unattended Setup

Copying Files...
File copy complete. Setup will now collect additional information needed for installation.

Languages
Mailbox role: Transport service
Mailbox role: Client Access service
Mailbox role: Unified Messaging service
Mailbox role: Mailbox service
Mailbox role: Front End Transport service
Mailbox role: Client Access Front End service

Performing Microsoft Exchange Server Prerequisite Check

Configuring Prerequisites                                                                    COMPLETED
Prerequisite Analysis                                                                             100%

Setup will prepare the organization for Exchange Server 2016 by using 'Setup /PrepareAD'. No Exchange Server 2013 roles
have been detected in this topology. After this operation, you will not be able to install any Exchange Server 2013
roles.
For more information, visit: https://docs.microsoft.com/Exchange/plan-and-deploy/deployment-ref/readiness-checks?view=ex
chserver-2016

Setup will prepare the organization for Exchange Server 2016 by using 'Setup /PrepareAD'. No Exchange Server 2010 roles
have been detected in this topology. After this operation, you will not be able to install any Exchange Server 2010
roles.
For more information, visit: https://docs.microsoft.com/Exchange/plan-and-deploy/deployment-ref/readiness-checks?view=ex
chserver-2016

Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server

Organization Preparation                                                                     COMPLETED
Language Configuration                                                                       COMPLETED
Mailbox role: Transport service                                                                   100%

The following error was generated when "$error.Clear();
Set-LocalPermissions -Feature:"Bridgehead"

" was run: "System.ArgumentException: The directory "C:\Windows\Temp\ExchangeSetup\ClientAccess\PowerShell" does not exist.
at
Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.ThrowError(Exception exception, ErrorCategory errorCategory, Object target, String helpUrl)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.WriteError(Exception exception, ErrorCategory category, Object target)
at
Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Deployment.SetLocalPermissions.InternalProcessRecord()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.<ProcessRecord>b__91_1()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.InvokeRetryableFunc(String funcName, Action func, Boolean
terminatePipelineIfFailed)".

As a joke (that I secretly hoped worked) I tried copying the powershell.exe from System32 folder and pasting it into this folder. That didn't work. A bit of reading tells me this may be a HubTransport role issue, but I've checked and re-installed with:

.\Setup /Role:HubTransport /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

I've deleted watermarks via regedit, metadata from AD, re-ran .\Setup /PrepareAD /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms, but nothing is getting me past this point.

Additionally, Add/Remove Programs >Modify prompts me: "All Available Exchange Roles are installed. No Additional install action available."
Add/Remove Programs>Uninstall: "An incomplete installation was detected. Run setup to complete Exchange installation."

I'm thinking of a server wipe, and reinstall, but I've done that once already and am at a loss how to move forward.

Finally bought RDR2 and have been playing Online a bit. There is no greater feeling than spawning into a session just to immediately get shot in the head, told your username is stupid, and called a pussy by someone who sounds like their father and uncle are the same person. Game looks great though! Really loving the hunting & fishing aspect.

The H330 is like for labs or testing. Shouldn't be found in a production environment. It's a fine card for what it is, just not a production use card

Begs the question why when ordering a server for a specific purpose, they would even ship that out.

@pmoncho said in ESXi 6.7 Troubleshooting:

@G-I-Jones said in ESXi 6.7 Troubleshooting:

@pmoncho We're ditching the H330. Boss just ordered the H730P.

That, in the long run, is probably the best call. Any way you can get the boss to add on the SD Card module? That will be a benefit also if you stay with ESXi.

haha, yes. Working on that as we speak.

@pmoncho There were a lot of spikes.

@pmoncho, @NetworkNerd, @travisdh1, @Dashrender, @DustinB3403, @marcinozga - Thanks for your help. After reading an article on it or two and talking with Dell, We're ditching the H330. Boss just ordered the H730P.

@pmoncho said in ESXi 6.7 Troubleshooting:

@G-I-Jones said in ESXi 6.7 Troubleshooting:

@pmoncho said in ESXi 6.7 Troubleshooting:

@G-I-Jones said in ESXi 6.7 Troubleshooting:

@NetworkNerd, @pmoncho , I'm still having no luck over here. I've tried 6.5, 6.7 and 6.7 U2. All with Dell ESXi and without. Dell is saying that they think it's because this specific server doesn't have a PERC cache. Does that sound like nonsense to you all or not? I know the previous machine (which I had 0 zero issues other than forgetting to install VMWare Tools on initially), worked fine, but it DOES have a PERC cache...

Which RAID card do you have in the server according to the BIOS or iDRAC?

PERC H330 Adapter

Well, they are right that the PERC H330 does not have a cache. Based on a few google searches, others have had similar issues with this card depending on the RAID level.

So, what type of drives do you have and what RAID level are you using?

RAID 5, 7 - 1TB Intel SSD, shipped with the Server.

@pmoncho said in ESXi 6.7 Troubleshooting:

@G-I-Jones said in ESXi 6.7 Troubleshooting:

@NetworkNerd, @pmoncho , I'm still having no luck over here. I've tried 6.5, 6.7 and 6.7 U2. All with Dell ESXi and without. Dell is saying that they think it's because this specific server doesn't have a PERC cache. Does that sound like nonsense to you all or not? I know the previous machine (which I had 0 zero issues other than forgetting to install VMWare Tools on initially), worked fine, but it DOES have a PERC cache...

Which RAID card do you have in the server according to the BIOS or iDRAC?

PERC H330 Adapter

@NetworkNerd, @pmoncho , I'm still having no luck over here. I've tried 6.5, 6.7 and 6.7 U2. All with Dell ESXi and without. Dell is saying that they think it's because this specific server doesn't have a PERC cache. Does that sound like nonsense to you all or not? I know the previous machine (which I had 0 zero issues other than forgetting to install VMWare Tools on initially), worked fine, but it DOES have a PERC cache...

@travisdh1 it doesn’t. I know if you order them specifically for ESXi then they ship it with either an SD or USB (can’t remember which) that’s already setup as RAID 1. Definitely a detail to remember for the future. Pushing hard to go Virtual after this last Ransomeware hit.

....Mirroring aside

@pmoncho how do you deal with USB or SD card failures in this instance? Is there a way to program a replacement or would it be as easy as re-downloading ESXi onto another USB/SD and inserting that as a replacement?

This is fine for a lab but do not do this for production. It could make upgrading/reloading much more difficult later.

For VMware, I would use USB or SD cards if possible. ESXI is only like 500 MB's and that is it. You can store the ESXi logs on normal storage. There are numerous sites out there with instructions.

Wow, I had no idea. We've been doing it wrong for over a year now :man_facepalming_medium_skin_tone: