Server 2003 - Upgrade from Standard OEM to Enterprise Volume License
I've been looking through EE and googling for two weeks now trying to hammer this out... and I've contacted our microsoft partner and, in turn, microsoft volume licensing to get all this done but STILL no definitive word on what to expect.
Working on a medical records system with 2 servers, both are 64bit dell servers with 64GB RAM. The electronic medial record (EMR) system can't be upgraded to server 2008 or server 2012 because it would invalidate the support contract. BUT the ignoramus that worked here before me installed the OS as 32bit server 2003 R2 STD edition. So the servers both only see 4Gb and they really NEED to see at least 32GB!
Current Install:
Windows Server 2003 R2 32bit STANDARD edition w/sp2
NEED:
Windows Server 2003 R2 32bit ENTERPRISE edition w/sp2
WHAT I'VE DONE SO FAR:
After much research, we were told 2003 no longer supported, but if I can get the media myself, and we buy a volume license for 2012, we can call Microsoft VL then and get a 2003 enterprise key generated to be used to upgrade (in place) the standard to enterprise edition.
done. We purchased the server 2012VL, called Microsoft and they generated a license key for (quoting from the volume licensing center website) "Windows Server 2003 R2, x32 Ed. VL key". I even went online using a junk machine and searched for endless days for an ISO until I found one (claiming to be) the "Microsoft Server 2003 R2 Enterprise w/ SP2 VOL LIC media". (still haven't figured out how I'm gonna verify that the disk are genuine, but I'm hopeful as I have disk 1, disk 2, and a MUI language disk as well...)
SO WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION?
OK.... I can't find out the process, or the pitfalls, of what to do next and nobody (my microsoft partner, nor anyone at the licensing areas of microsoft) can tell me what comes next... So what do I do? Tomorrow afternoon I have to perform this upgrade (only day the doctors and staff can do without the servers for a little while).
1) Do I have the correct media? Will it let me do an inplace upgrade form the OEM standard edition currenlty installed to the enterprise volume license edition I have the media for?
2) Did they generate the appropriate license for installing the enterprise R2 installation? I had to call them back after the first time because they did a non-R2 license. Did they get it right this time?
3) Obviously I'm gonna do a full backup image of the entire drive before we do this procedure, but is there anything else I need to be aware of?
I would have done this sooner but it literally took 2 months to get everything planned, then research started, then microsoft involved, etc. etc. and I got my volume license authorization this morning. Cutting it close, but I appreciate your responses (especially if you've done this particular upgrade before!)
Working on a medical records system with 2 servers, both are 64bit dell servers with 64GB RAM. The electronic medial record (EMR) system can't be upgraded to server 2008 or server 2012 because it would invalidate the support contract. BUT the ignoramus that worked here before me installed the OS as 32bit server 2003 R2 STD edition. So the servers both only see 4Gb and they really NEED to see at least 32GB!
Current Install:
Windows Server 2003 R2 32bit STANDARD edition w/sp2
NEED:
Windows Server 2003 R2 32bit ENTERPRISE edition w/sp2
WHAT I'VE DONE SO FAR:
After much research, we were told 2003 no longer supported, but if I can get the media myself, and we buy a volume license for 2012, we can call Microsoft VL then and get a 2003 enterprise key generated to be used to upgrade (in place) the standard to enterprise edition.
done. We purchased the server 2012VL, called Microsoft and they generated a license key for (quoting from the volume licensing center website) "Windows Server 2003 R2, x32 Ed. VL key". I even went online using a junk machine and searched for endless days for an ISO until I found one (claiming to be) the "Microsoft Server 2003 R2 Enterprise w/ SP2 VOL LIC media". (still haven't figured out how I'm gonna verify that the disk are genuine, but I'm hopeful as I have disk 1, disk 2, and a MUI language disk as well...)
SO WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION?
OK.... I can't find out the process, or the pitfalls, of what to do next and nobody (my microsoft partner, nor anyone at the licensing areas of microsoft) can tell me what comes next... So what do I do? Tomorrow afternoon I have to perform this upgrade (only day the doctors and staff can do without the servers for a little while).
1) Do I have the correct media? Will it let me do an inplace upgrade form the OEM standard edition currenlty installed to the enterprise volume license edition I have the media for?
2) Did they generate the appropriate license for installing the enterprise R2 installation? I had to call them back after the first time because they did a non-R2 license. Did they get it right this time?
3) Obviously I'm gonna do a full backup image of the entire drive before we do this procedure, but is there anything else I need to be aware of?
I would have done this sooner but it literally took 2 months to get everything planned, then research started, then microsoft involved, etc. etc. and I got my volume license authorization this morning. Cutting it close, but I appreciate your responses (especially if you've done this particular upgrade before!)
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ASKER
I was hoping to get some definitive answers, and I didn't get any assurances. But you responded so ill issue points.
ASKER
For anyone doing this, ill
ASKER
Oops, but the submit. For anyone doing this or asking about it, let me Offer you my experience.
If you have a volume license it is not dependent on enterprise or a standard disk image to work. The volume license I had, even though it didn't even say enterprise or 32-bit etc. worked just fine. The key is to find an image for the proper volume license discs for installation.
When looking for an image that was not from Microsoft, but for the retail version, I found so many iso files that it was difficult to determine which was a true image and which was a hacked image. But once I figured out that I needed something for the volume license I found one image. That's right, one image. So really your success is going to be determined by matching the media to the license.
Next yes they were right, we did not have to upgrade SQL Server. Instead once the operating system was upgraded it could see all 32 GB instantly.
Then lets also mention what i had to do during the installation process. I did have a hiccup. I had to download a copy of .net2 framework. Then extract the contents of that package onto a CD and change the filename from setup.exe to install.exe. .NET2?? Yep. Thats what the install discs were waiting on. I put in that cd after starting the upgrade when it asked for "server disk 2". Well the disk 2 I had didn't have it! So my little .NET2 disk went in and I pointed it to install.exe and it worked.
Then my second hiccup was after it finished. It kept saying fatal error, couldn't load some .net module. Well, by lucky chance before I started to dive in a search, I decided to do a full windows update. The update took quite a while, but after restarting I was back in business.
So to put a lid on this and help someone else:
1) yes you have to be gutsy and do whatever you can to download or borrow a copy. I even mass-emailed everyone from work/college/church/etc. to see if anyone had a copy. Since nobody did I had to search the torrent lists and take a chance. You may want to try them out on a virtual machine to be sure.
2) yes you will (now) need a volume license for the latest version of standard server. Luckily the vl agreement will allow you to obtain licenses for older products. As long as you match the VL license with a VL media, and you match the architecture, then you are most likely ready to go. And yes, you will have to call Microsoft VL customer support to get a key generated and you better double check to make sure the key is what you asked for.
3) the in place install was a dream. Quick, simple, no issues. Remember Microsoft doesn't give updates during the install, so it won't download anything before the install is finished. Also you may have to use the .NET2 framework disk idea I showed above to complete the install.
4) SQl server uses memory provided by the OS.
Good luck!
If you have a volume license it is not dependent on enterprise or a standard disk image to work. The volume license I had, even though it didn't even say enterprise or 32-bit etc. worked just fine. The key is to find an image for the proper volume license discs for installation.
When looking for an image that was not from Microsoft, but for the retail version, I found so many iso files that it was difficult to determine which was a true image and which was a hacked image. But once I figured out that I needed something for the volume license I found one image. That's right, one image. So really your success is going to be determined by matching the media to the license.
Next yes they were right, we did not have to upgrade SQL Server. Instead once the operating system was upgraded it could see all 32 GB instantly.
Then lets also mention what i had to do during the installation process. I did have a hiccup. I had to download a copy of .net2 framework. Then extract the contents of that package onto a CD and change the filename from setup.exe to install.exe. .NET2?? Yep. Thats what the install discs were waiting on. I put in that cd after starting the upgrade when it asked for "server disk 2". Well the disk 2 I had didn't have it! So my little .NET2 disk went in and I pointed it to install.exe and it worked.
Then my second hiccup was after it finished. It kept saying fatal error, couldn't load some .net module. Well, by lucky chance before I started to dive in a search, I decided to do a full windows update. The update took quite a while, but after restarting I was back in business.
So to put a lid on this and help someone else:
1) yes you have to be gutsy and do whatever you can to download or borrow a copy. I even mass-emailed everyone from work/college/church/etc. to see if anyone had a copy. Since nobody did I had to search the torrent lists and take a chance. You may want to try them out on a virtual machine to be sure.
2) yes you will (now) need a volume license for the latest version of standard server. Luckily the vl agreement will allow you to obtain licenses for older products. As long as you match the VL license with a VL media, and you match the architecture, then you are most likely ready to go. And yes, you will have to call Microsoft VL customer support to get a key generated and you better double check to make sure the key is what you asked for.
3) the in place install was a dream. Quick, simple, no issues. Remember Microsoft doesn't give updates during the install, so it won't download anything before the install is finished. Also you may have to use the .NET2 framework disk idea I showed above to complete the install.
4) SQl server uses memory provided by the OS.
Good luck!
ASKER
2) For anything older than 2008, you have to make a call to Microsoft VL support to ask for a key to be generated. So I called Microsoft and they generated (first) a "Windows Server 2003, x32 Ed. VL key" (notice NO R2). So I called AGAIN and they generated a "Windows Server 2003 R2, x32 Ed. VL key" for me. I see the R2, but I don't see the ENTERPRISE specifically stated. Therefore I am trying to verify that that this key should work to install the ENTERPRISE edition using the VL enterprise media.
3) Based on others' comments about the in-house upgrade, I'm not 95% sure I can just put in the VL enterprise disks and do an in-house upgrade.... but that 5% is still making me want to ask again if anyone has done an in-house upgrade specific to this. OEM STD to VL ENTERPRISE in-house upgrade. I'm prepared (though i'm wary) to do a repair installation if absolutely necessary. But of course, I will do a full disk image backup just to be safe.
4) A side question, we have 2 servers. One is the terminal server (with terminal licenses that Microsoft has said will still work with the enterprise VL edition) and the other is a Microsoft SQL 2005 STD database server. Microsoft told me that 2005 will use WHATEVER memory the OS allows.... can anybody confirm this? Once I upgrade the SQL server OS, it should see 32GB at least (some documents at Microsoft say 64GB max) and therefore the SQL database should see all 32GB at that time right? I don't have to upgrade SQL server?