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How to move an entire Windows 2000 server with all installed applications and settings over to a new machine

Our company has six servers, and most of them are getting old (P3's, Xeons). There are one PDC and 2 BDC's, all Windows 2000 Server. They are all running terminal services, hosting about 30 applications in between them. All are using Raid-5, using between 3 and 10 drives. Most use Adaptec Scsi-controllers.

My question is simple: Is there any known method, or any application, which will allow me to move EVERYTHING (except hardware drivers) from server A to server B, so that we can put up the new machine as a fully working replacement of the old server?

Maybe even easier put - we just want to replace the hardware of the server with something more modern (2xXeon/P4, more memory, perhaps larger disks, and leave everything else to run as before.

jdeclue

Upgrading the hardware is the easiest method. You can shut down the server and add the processors and memory and bring it back up. This should not cause any issues. The Hard Drives are a bit moe difficult, if you are nt replacing the OS drive than you can replace them with larger drives and use your back up system to restore the data. If it is the OS drive, let me know.

Going to a whole new server will need a OS and Application reinstall, you will only be able to restore data.

J

Morten_Lillesand

ASKER

The upgrade involves also the OS-drive, and also the motherboard (meaning that the type of chipset may vary), controllers and everything related to hardware. We are going to replace the entire server to an entirely new machine, and I hoped to avoid reinstallation of the applications and their settings etc.

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jdeclue

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Morten_Lillesand

ASKER

Well I agree on your analysis, but how about applications like AlohaBob PC Relocator? That software is able to move applications across ordinary desktops. Isn't there any software at all which does the same for servers?

jdeclue

Not likely. You can try, but if it does not work, and you bring the server up with the same name and users attach to it and do things... then it fails... you will have a bigger problem. Imagine havingto rebuild the server a week after it has been in production.

J