Mulit-NIC Environment...

[NovaGB]

I was wondering if any of you know a way to force windows to use a certain NIC when you have more than one installed. I have a mail server that is connected to our network at 100Mbps but we're migrating mailboxes to a new server with and trying to force the migration over the 1.0Gbps card but we can't seem to find a way to do so other than taking it offline (disabling the 100Mbps connection). Does anyone have an idea? All thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks,
-Greg

[blubomber]

What are you using the 1Gbs card for? Are the nic cards on the same subnet?

If the cards are on the same subnet, then i dont think there is a way to force the data over one card as apposed to the other. Are you worried about disrupting email service and that is whay you wont disable the 100Mbs card? How much info are you transfering?

[maface]

Is the OS win2000? Not sure this will help but you can goto network and dial-up connections-advanced-advanced settings-adapters and binders and put the NIC(connection) at the top of the list

[NovaGB]

The Gbs card is just to connect our old mail server to the gigabit backplane that our new mail server uses (along with the rest of our new rackmounted servers). Our internal network (and the 100Mbps NIC) reside on the 192.168. subnet, while the backplane resides on 10., so they are different and it shouldn't be as much of a problem as it is trying to be. We are attempting to migrate over the Gigabit network to save time and not disrupt mail service while doing so. I haven't looked into exact size of what will be transfered but it's around 400-500 gigs.

And our old mail server is running Win2k and exchange 5.5 while the new one will be running Win2k advanced and exchange 2000.

Thanks again,
-Greg

[blubomber]

Well, in order to get the exchange 5.5 database transfered, you will have to have the Information Store offline. So you could use that time to disable the old nic and then transfer the info.

Can your old email box "see" the new mail box right now? Because if they are on different subnets then you can leave the slow NIC on the 192.168.x.x, and configure the fast NIC on the 10.

It has been a long time since i had setup two nics in a win2k server to talk to two different subnets, so i am sorry i cant give you more info off the top of my head.

[NovaGB]

I'm sorry, I failed to give you all the information. The new mail server is an HP Proliant with dual/redundant 1Gbps NICS. We currently have one talking on our 192.168 subnet and one on 10. talking only to the other servers. I was under the impression that with exchange 2000 you don't have to take the 5.5 information store offline while migrating, we've been dividng our forces on this one and we're all working on different aspects, it seems like it's about time to brainstorm together again and I'll see exactly what our issues are. Thanks for you help, you've sparked a few ideas as to what may work/help out.

-Greg