Configure Edge Transport Server Using Cloned Configuration

Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP3, Exchange Server 2010 SP2

You can use the provided Shell scripts to duplicate the configuration of a computer that has the Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Edge Transport server role installed. This process is referred to as cloned configuration. Cloned configuration is the practice of deploying new Edge Transport servers based on the configuration information from a previously configured source server. The configuration information from the previously configured source server is copied and exported to an XML file, which is then imported to the target server.

Edge Transport server configuration information is stored in Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) and isn't replicated among multiple Edge Transport servers. By using cloned configuration, you can make sure that every Edge Transport server that's deployed in the perimeter network is operating by using the same configuration.

Included with the Edge Transport server installation are two Shell scripts that you use to perform the following cloned configuration tasks:

• ExportEdgeConfig.ps1   This script exports all user-configured settings and data from an Edge Transport server and stores that data in an XML file.

• ImportEdgeConfig.ps1   During the validate configuration step, the ImportEdgeConfig.ps1 script checks the XML file to see whether the server-specific export settings are valid for the target server. If settings have to be modified, the script writes the invalid settings to an answer file that you modify to specify the target server information that's used during the import configuration step. During the import configuration step, the script imports all user-configured settings and data that's stored in the intermediate XML file that was created by the ExportEdgeConfig.ps1 script.

These scripts are located in the \scripts folder in your Exchange installation folder. The default location for this folder is C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Scripts.

Looking for other management tasks related to managing transport servers? Check out Managing Transport Servers.

Prerequisites

• Understand what configuration data is cloned and the parameters that can be used with the cloned configuration scripts. For more information, see Understanding Edge Transport Server Cloned Configuration.

• The Edge Transport server role is installed and configured on the source server.

• The Edge Transport server role is installed on the target server.

  Note

  If any Send connectors are configured to use credentials, the password is written to the intermediate XML file as an encrypted string. You can use the -key parameter with the ImportEdgeConfig.ps1 and ExportEdgeConfig.ps1 scripts to specify the 32-byte string to use for password encryption and decryption. If you don't use the -key parameter, a default encryption key is used.

Use the Shell to clone a source server by using the Shell scripts

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Edge Transport server" entry in the Transport Permissions topic.

1. Copy the ExportEdgeConfig.ps1 script to the root folder of your user profile on the source server.

2. On the source server, export the server configuration data by using the ExportEdgeConfig.ps1 script. Run the following command in the Shell. In the command, replace C:\CloneConfigData.xml with the full path of the XML file to be created by the ExportEdgeConfig.ps1 script.

   ./ExportEdgeConfig -CloneConfigData:"C:\CloneConfigData.xml"
   

   The confirmation message, "Edge configuration data is exported successfully to: C:\CloneConfigData.xml," appears.

3. Copy the output file to the target server.

Use the Shell scripts to validate a configuration file and create an answer file

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Edge Transport server" entry in the Transport Permissions topic.

1. Copy the ImportEdgeConfig.ps1 script to the root folder of your user profile on the target server.

2. On the target server, validate the configuration file by using the ImportEdgeConfig.ps1 script. Run the following command in the Shell. In the command, replace C:\CloneConfigData.xml with the full path of the XML file that was created by the ExportEdgeConfig.ps1 script. Replace C:\CloneConfigAnswer.xml with the full path of the answer file that will be used by the ImportEdgeConfig.ps1 script to configure server-specific settings.

   ./ImportEdgeConfig -CloneConfigData:"C:\CloneConfigData.xml" -IsImport $false -CloneConfigAnswer:"C:\CloneConfigAnswer.xml"
   

   The confirmation message, "Answer file is successfully created," appears.

3. Open the answer file and modify any settings that are invalid for the target server. If no modifications are required, the answer file will have no entries. Save your changes.

Use the Shell scripts to import a configuration file

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Edge Transport server" entry in the Transport Permissions topic.

Import the server configuration data by using the ImportEdgeConfig.ps1 script. Run the following command in the Shell. In the command, replace C:\CloneConfigData.xml with the full path of the XML file that was created by the ExportEdgeConfig.ps1 script. Replace C:\CloneConfigAnswer.xml with the full path of the answer file that was created by the ImportEdgeConfig.ps1 script.

./ImportEdgeConfig -CloneConfigData:"C:\CloneConfigData.xml" -IsImport $true -CloneConfigAnswer:"C:\CloneConfigAnswer.xml"

The confirmation message, "Importing Edge configuration information succeeded," appears.

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