1

I Just upgraded my Win Server 2012 R2 VM hosting Exchange 2013 to Win Server 2016. After the upgrade completed (with no errors) and I rebooted, Many Exchange services failed to start. When I look at the first error in the Application log, it indicates the following:

Process Microsoft.Exchange.Directory.TopologyService.exe (PID=4496).
Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology Service failed to start.
Exception details:
Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.CannotGetSiteInfoException: Could
not find information about the local site. This can be caused by
incorrect configuration of subnets or sites or by replication latency.
at
Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.NativeHelpers.GetSiteNameHookable(Boolean
throwOnErrorNoSite)    at
Microsoft.Exchange.Directory.TopologyService.TopologyServiceMain.CheckCriticalDependencies(String[]
args)    at
Microsoft.Exchange.Directory.TopologyService.TopologyServiceMain.OnStartInternal(String[]
args)

The failure of the Active Directory Topology service to start prevented all the other Exchange services from starting, so I'm guessing this is the root of the issue.
So what do they mean by "incorrect configuration of subnets or sites"? what should I look at next ?

NOTE, I did run ADPrep /ForestPrep and AdPrep /DomainPrep before the OS upgrade

Charles Bretana
  • 235
  • 5
  • 17
  • 1. Why would you run AdPrep if you're upgrading the OS? That isn't required. 2. Was this OS upgrade a supported operation for a server running Exchange Server 2013? – joeqwerty Oct 21 '16 at 16:35
  • Did you labbed that before triing a inplace upgrade of your server ? as 2012r2 is still supported, what was your goal ? – yagmoth555 Oct 21 '16 at 16:42
  • Ran adprep because that was required before (migrating to exchange 2016, (which I haven't done yet ) – Charles Bretana Oct 21 '16 at 16:53
  • goal was to upgrade servers from 2012 R2 to 2016, and, eventually, exchange from 2013 to 2016 – Charles Bretana Oct 21 '16 at 16:54
  • You made a backup and tested it before you attempted this right? I highly doubt that this method of upgrading is supported for an Exchange server. Was your Exchange server at least fully patched and updated? Exchange is extremely picky about the version of .NET, and WMF installed. – Zoredache Oct 21 '16 at 21:34
  • BTW, nothing on the [specs page for Exchange 2013](https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996719(v=exchg.150).aspx) suggest that there is any support for running on Server 2016. – Zoredache Oct 21 '16 at 21:36
  • Exchange server was not backed up (it's a development environment), but it's on a VM and I have an Export backup of the VM from moving it a week prior. I assumed - (hah), that any new OS release would be tested with all critical products that run on server before release, and that lack of mention of Server 2016 on Exchange 2013 specs page is simply because the page was generated before win 2016 existed... – Charles Bretana Oct 21 '16 at 22:12

1 Answers1

2

I am glad you said this was a dev environment, otherwise this is a résumé generating event. You have made a number of assumptions with no backing, not even past history of Microsoft to back them up, particularly as there is plenty of evidence to say that your assumptions were wrong.

  • In place upgrades of the OS with Exchange installed have never been supported. If you want to upgrade the OS then you build a new server and migrate. It has always been that way.
  • For that matter, in place upgrade of Exchange from one version to another isn't possible either, so this task seems pointless.
  • The documentation for Exchange is not static. The fact that it doesn't mention Windows 2016 doesn't mean they are ignoring it on the Exchange 2013 documentation. Presuming they have tested it and made it ready for release when the OS is released is naïve at best.
  • The Exchange product team have actually said that Windows 2016 will not be a supported OS for Exchange 2013 - almost a month ago. September 2016 Quarterly Exchange Updates – You Had Me At EHLO… | The Microsoft Exchange Team Blog

You are basically completely unsupported and have a huge mess on your hands.

However, lets not waste your stupidity on failing to check even the basics, as now you can practise DR to clean up the mess. Take a copy of the databases and power off the machine. Reset the computer account (DO NOT DELETE), then reinstall Windows 2012 R2. Give the machine the same name, install the basic requirements (netframwork 4.5.2) and then install Exchange using the recoverserver switch from the command line. It should recover, allowing you to rebuild the environment correctly.

Sembee
  • 2,884
  • 1
  • 8
  • 11
  • Thanks for the link. You are right, I am not yet sufficiently up to speed on this. Exchange seems to be the only MS product?? that is not capable of undergoing an OS upgrade in place. Obviously this restriction does not apply to performing hot fixes, and regular system and security updates to the OS. But my fix is much easier, I migrated the 2012 R2 VM from another host only a week ago, and then I tried to do the OS upgrade on the VM. So I still have the VM Export packages for the 2012 R2 VM with my Exchange installed. All I need to do is re-Import them into Hyper-V again. – Charles Bretana Oct 22 '16 at 19:52
  • ... And I am amused by your characterizations. At the risk of appearing to be sliding in your direction, I might suggest you consider more carefully (or educate yourself more comprehensively) on your use of language. – Charles Bretana Oct 22 '16 at 19:58
  • 1
    I thought I was quite restrained in my language. If you worked for me and did what you did, then you would have been fired on the spot. As well as the blog, the stance on OS upgrades is in the formal documentation. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb691354(v=exchg.160).aspx Exchange is a special product - unlike something like SQL it is not a standalone product. It is heavily integrated in to the OS and domain. Therefore you have to treat it with some care. – Sembee Oct 24 '16 at 09:47
  • "stupidity" and "fired on the spot" are not "restrained", sir. Your attitude is not restrained. It is pompous, pedantic, pretentious, arrogant and contemptuous. I'm surprised that anyone would be willing to work for you. – Charles Bretana Oct 24 '16 at 15:15