wlewis123
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SBS 2003 Migration to new hardware - How?
Currentlly we have a fully installed and working SBS 2003 installation on a HP E800 box (which was migrated from a previous version of SBS), we now have a brand spanking new Dell Poweredge 1800 with SCSI Raid5 and need to migrate the OS.
Following sage advice on this forum I Ghosted the old installation to the new server but started to see issues with service packs and the original installation not supporting the dual P4 hardware, I was not prepared to have an unreliable install on a brand new server so had to postpone the migration.
So I am going to build a clean SBS 2003 installation and need to migrate the AD/user accounts/Exchange, etc.
Q, What is my best plan of attack ?
Following sage advice on this forum I Ghosted the old installation to the new server but started to see issues with service packs and the original installation not supporting the dual P4 hardware, I was not prepared to have an unreliable install on a brand new server so had to postpone the migration.
So I am going to build a clean SBS 2003 installation and need to migrate the AD/user accounts/Exchange, etc.
Q, What is my best plan of attack ?
ASKER
Yes I have come across sbsmigration and "swingit" (I purchased the $200 version earlier today) but I have yet to find a direct SBS 2k3 to SBS 2k3" migration path as it all seems to be aimed at 2k to 2k3 migration (more reading required).
With 40+users the PST method and several days worth of tweaking is not very appealing so Swingit looks like being the only option to doing everything by hand, as it stands I currently have three SBS 2k3 servers standing in a line - wierd.
With 40+users the PST method and several days worth of tweaking is not very appealing so Swingit looks like being the only option to doing everything by hand, as it stands I currently have three SBS 2k3 servers standing in a line - wierd.
I'd send sbsmigration an email asking about any differences you might face.
No first (or second ) hand experience with them but others in newsgroups swear by the support they get from the guy behind sbsmigration.
No first (or second ) hand experience with them but others in newsgroups swear by the support they get from the guy behind sbsmigration.
wlweis123,
robberbaron is spot on (I've been chatting it up a bit too much with the Brits). Their method DEFINITELY works for hardware upgrade/migration, which is what you have going on. The methodology is exactly the same as if you were upgrading from SBS2000 to SBS2003. Look for the term "hardware replacement" -- I think that's what they use to define your scenario.
Although you've already made a good choice, I thought you may want to at least know what the other option is... it's not ghosting, as you've found out... but rather using Symantec LiveState Backup. LiveState will allow restoration to different hardware by making the necessary adjustments for configuration and drivers.
Jeff
TechSoEasy
robberbaron is spot on (I've been chatting it up a bit too much with the Brits). Their method DEFINITELY works for hardware upgrade/migration, which is what you have going on. The methodology is exactly the same as if you were upgrading from SBS2000 to SBS2003. Look for the term "hardware replacement" -- I think that's what they use to define your scenario.
Although you've already made a good choice, I thought you may want to at least know what the other option is... it's not ghosting, as you've found out... but rather using Symantec LiveState Backup. LiveState will allow restoration to different hardware by making the necessary adjustments for configuration and drivers.
Jeff
TechSoEasy
ASKER
Thanks for the valuable input guys
I am going back in today to complete a "test" migration with Swingit, lets see how it goes.
Bill.
I am going back in today to complete a "test" migration with Swingit, lets see how it goes.
Bill.
ASKER
Well, one whole weekend later (30hrs on-site) and no nearer to having a rebuilt SBS box but I have developed the "bare metal" disaster recovery plans.
After a couple of false starts requiring the temp DC and new DC to be re-installed a couple of times (just the first SBS installation disk), despite working line by line through the Swing It procedures eventually when I got to Disk2 (setup) of SBS on the "new" server it would not install because the logged in user (domain\administrator) was not a member of the Domain Admins ???
Before proceeding with this operation I had a full tape backup and a ghost image of the boot drive which is just as well because the old SBS installation refused to load after I removed some of the DNS/WINS references to the temp DC (maybe I was too enthusiastic here), so the original SBS boot drive was re-instated from the Ghost image (this works a treat, everyone should have an image of their boot drives, I am going to build a new server to hold just the images of all the server boot disks).
So it looks like I will be building a "new" ground-up SBS box;
Just how far can I develop this "off-line" before it has to be attached to the existing network ?
Is it possible to retain the same server names or would it be wise to have a "new" name ?
Retaining the current domain name would save a lot of work but will it present authentication issues (specifically for the remote access clients) ?
I intend to retain the same internal network IP (10.0.0.0), wise or not ?
Cheers, Bill.
After a couple of false starts requiring the temp DC and new DC to be re-installed a couple of times (just the first SBS installation disk), despite working line by line through the Swing It procedures eventually when I got to Disk2 (setup) of SBS on the "new" server it would not install because the logged in user (domain\administrator) was not a member of the Domain Admins ???
Before proceeding with this operation I had a full tape backup and a ghost image of the boot drive which is just as well because the old SBS installation refused to load after I removed some of the DNS/WINS references to the temp DC (maybe I was too enthusiastic here), so the original SBS boot drive was re-instated from the Ghost image (this works a treat, everyone should have an image of their boot drives, I am going to build a new server to hold just the images of all the server boot disks).
So it looks like I will be building a "new" ground-up SBS box;
Just how far can I develop this "off-line" before it has to be attached to the existing network ?
Is it possible to retain the same server names or would it be wise to have a "new" name ?
Retaining the current domain name would save a lot of work but will it present authentication issues (specifically for the remote access clients) ?
I intend to retain the same internal network IP (10.0.0.0), wise or not ?
Cheers, Bill.
Why don't you run a backup and restore with SBS 2003.
This is a pretty easy and straigh forward way of migrating to new hardware.
I can send you a manual if you like.
Cheers, Mark.
This is a pretty easy and straigh forward way of migrating to new hardware.
I can send you a manual if you like.
Cheers, Mark.
must be livestate backup or similar advanced program that can detect & change to meet different hardware.
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You can only restore to new hardware if the following are the same:
• SCSI controller. You can restore to a computer that has an IDE controller if the original computer had SCSI.
• Motherboard chip set.
• Number of processors.
• Hard disk size. The new computer's hard disk should contain matching volumes the same size or larger than those on the original computer.
• Drive letter of the boot partition.
Please see this for further information about that:
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/support/articles/backup_restore_sbs2003.mspx
Jeff
TechSoEasy
• SCSI controller. You can restore to a computer that has an IDE controller if the original computer had SCSI.
• Motherboard chip set.
• Number of processors.
• Hard disk size. The new computer's hard disk should contain matching volumes the same size or larger than those on the original computer.
• Drive letter of the boot partition.
Please see this for further information about that:
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/support/articles/backup_restore_sbs2003.mspx
Jeff
TechSoEasy
And to answer wlewis123's comments:
>>>Just how far can I develop this "off-line" before it has to be attached to the existing network ?
I'm not sure what you mean by this... since you will be provisioning TWO additional servers using the Swing method... one is just a Server 2003 as your temporary DC, and the other is the full SBS. You install just the Server 2003 portion of SBS to the temp DC as a workgroup server, not a member of the domain. So the temp DC can and should be fully installed prior to adding it to the domain.
>>>Is it possible to retain the same server names or would it be wise to have a "new" name ?
>>>Retaining the current domain name would save a lot of work but will it present authentication issues (specifically for the remote access clients) ?
>>>I intend to retain the same internal network IP (10.0.0.0), wise or not ?
Again, if using the Swing method you DO keep the same servername and IP address (although I really hope you AREN'T using 10.0.0.0 as the IP address -- and you meant that is your IP Range for the LAN). Personally, I don't like using the 10.0.0.0 range because it has too many available IP's. But that's just personal preference.
Jeff
TechSoEasy
>>>Just how far can I develop this "off-line" before it has to be attached to the existing network ?
I'm not sure what you mean by this... since you will be provisioning TWO additional servers using the Swing method... one is just a Server 2003 as your temporary DC, and the other is the full SBS. You install just the Server 2003 portion of SBS to the temp DC as a workgroup server, not a member of the domain. So the temp DC can and should be fully installed prior to adding it to the domain.
>>>Is it possible to retain the same server names or would it be wise to have a "new" name ?
>>>Retaining the current domain name would save a lot of work but will it present authentication issues (specifically for the remote access clients) ?
>>>I intend to retain the same internal network IP (10.0.0.0), wise or not ?
Again, if using the Swing method you DO keep the same servername and IP address (although I really hope you AREN'T using 10.0.0.0 as the IP address -- and you meant that is your IP Range for the LAN). Personally, I don't like using the 10.0.0.0 range because it has too many available IP's. But that's just personal preference.
Jeff
TechSoEasy
ASKER
Well Guys;
I tried Swing and it failed (see above) depite putting a lot of effort/time into it and it is far from straightforward.
It looks like the diverse harware is going to be an issue with a std SBS backup/restore as mentioned by Mark, so my questions re; Server name, Domain name, IP's for server/network are all still unanswered as I will not be "swinging" this migration but building from scratch (I have the time), I just need to know if I can retain all the current settings on my new server without causing issues.
Yes Jeff; 10.0.0.0 is the network range, I know I should have said "10.0.0.xxx" but this is a hangover from the original SBS 4.0 installation and now everything is setup on that internal network range including the phone system, printers, fax/copier and firewall so I really dont want to change it all now if I dont have to.
One thing I have discovered over the past week is that SBS standard does not support dual Zeon P4 chips with Hyperthreading as it will only support "dual processors" SBS now thinks I have four on board, I will be purchasing SBS Premium to resolve that.
I tried Swing and it failed (see above) depite putting a lot of effort/time into it and it is far from straightforward.
It looks like the diverse harware is going to be an issue with a std SBS backup/restore as mentioned by Mark, so my questions re; Server name, Domain name, IP's for server/network are all still unanswered as I will not be "swinging" this migration but building from scratch (I have the time), I just need to know if I can retain all the current settings on my new server without causing issues.
Yes Jeff; 10.0.0.0 is the network range, I know I should have said "10.0.0.xxx" but this is a hangover from the original SBS 4.0 installation and now everything is setup on that internal network range including the phone system, printers, fax/copier and firewall so I really dont want to change it all now if I dont have to.
One thing I have discovered over the past week is that SBS standard does not support dual Zeon P4 chips with Hyperthreading as it will only support "dual processors" SBS now thinks I have four on board, I will be purchasing SBS Premium to resolve that.
Without using swing or backup method, i believe you must use a new Computer name, & new IP. I think new domain name is recommended as well.
And then rejoin all the workstations, porting all their profiles across. Have you got roaming profiles now ?
This later is not to be sneezed at. 40+ workstations took 3 people the best part of 8 hours on a weekend. We were far from experts at the time.......
This is why the "Swing migration" was developed
And then rejoin all the workstations, porting all their profiles across. Have you got roaming profiles now ?
This later is not to be sneezed at. 40+ workstations took 3 people the best part of 8 hours on a weekend. We were far from experts at the time.......
This is why the "Swing migration" was developed
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the correct way to migrate user profiles on workstation... http://www.certmag.com/articles/templates/cmag_howto.asp?articleid=819&zoneid=91
I used a slightly different one and while it worked then, now has some issues (stored the user profile under a different folder in MyDocs.)
I used a slightly different one and while it worked then, now has some issues (stored the user profile under a different folder in MyDocs.)
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ASKER
We have yet to deploy the new SBS2003 server but it's all good information so split points is fair.
Hi all.
I have a server 2003. The computer overheated but the disk is ok. I want to put the server disk in a new computer.
I have tried to put it in another server but the system hangs.
I have tried a repair install to retain all settings. I dont have the origional disk and when I come to activate it over the internet, it doesn't recognise the key code. How can I put the server disk in a new computer without having to re-activate the disk while keeping all the setting I have.
I have a server 2003. The computer overheated but the disk is ok. I want to put the server disk in a new computer.
I have tried to put it in another server but the system hangs.
I have tried a repair install to retain all settings. I dont have the origional disk and when I come to activate it over the internet, it doesn't recognise the key code. How can I put the server disk in a new computer without having to re-activate the disk while keeping all the setting I have.
finding a computer with mainboard and drive controllers VERY similar to the failed one may be your only option.
ASKER
Which reminds me........
Eventually went for a clean SBS2003 install and used Exmerge for moving the users Outlook stuff, it took less time to do it than I spent on failed 'migrations' and a cleaner result. Being able to fire-up the original server helped when we came round to copying the setup.
We created a new domain, kept the IP addressing (no issues using 10.0.0.xxx), and then brought all the PC's into the new domain (and susequent PC customisation), 2 years on the new SBS2003 server is still running smoothly with very few 'niggles'. Bill.
Eventually went for a clean SBS2003 install and used Exmerge for moving the users Outlook stuff, it took less time to do it than I spent on failed 'migrations' and a cleaner result. Being able to fire-up the original server helped when we came round to copying the setup.
We created a new domain, kept the IP addressing (no issues using 10.0.0.xxx), and then brought all the PC's into the new domain (and susequent PC customisation), 2 years on the new SBS2003 server is still running smoothly with very few 'niggles'. Bill.
sbs migration
it has a setup process designed & tested specifically for your situation.
if you have less than 10 users, it may well be best / quickest to just Export all exchange stuff to PST files & start from scratch.