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SBS 2011 Migration Problems

I have played with two SBS 2011 migrations so far. I guess my real question is "is it worth it"? Things went pretty good on both until one of the very last steps. Removing Exchange Server from the source server. The first migration was from a Windows 2003 Server running Exchange Server 2003. The second was from SBS 2003. The Exchange Server didn't un-install properly from either. I am working on the SBS 2003 now. Every time I try and uninstall it a second time I get this continual pop-up anpit NNTP not being installed in IIS and can't even get to the point or trying to uninstall Exchange a second time. Is there a way around this?

I was serious about "is it worth it". The general concensus on earlier versions and migrations was more or less if you fave 25 or fewer workstations it wasn't worth the pain or suffering. I would tend to agree. I lost two whole weekends and was right down to the end and couldn't un-install Exchange. Anyone have an opinion as to wether or not migration is worth it for 25 workstations? Does anyone have any idea how to force a Exchange uninstall?

Glen Knight

Yes it's worth it. No downtime, no issues replying to old emails, no needing to setup NTFS permissions on all the files. Those are just off the top of my head.

The exchange uninstall from SBS is fairly straight forward if the install hasnt been tampered with.

The NNTP service will need to be uninstalled prior to uninstall.

Exchange 2003 is pretty good at telling you why it won't unintall.

You may also find my migration guide here useful: https://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Server/SBS_Small_Business_Server/A_4234-Migrate-Small-Business-Server-2003-to-Small-Business-Server-2011.html

jimbecher

ASKER

I used the migration guide by Microsoft (the one you posted looks oddly familiar :)). I can't fault the migration guide for Exchange not uninstalling from the source. The problem seems to be that 2003 has been adoung 8 years now and lord knows what has been done to the installation after 8 years. I am two for two on Exchange not uninstalling from the source. I am curious if others have had this problem. How many migrations have you done?

Glen Knight

Mine was written first ;) I published mine at the end of December. Us mine is prettier it has pictures :)

If only done 2 live ones myself from 2003 to 2011 but the process is identical for SBs2003 to Sbs2008 and I have lost count of the amount of those I have done.

What is it about the exchange part that's not working out for you? Any further details?

Glen Knight

Oh and I did 14 virtual migrations from scratch writing my guide.

jimbecher

ASKER

Seems like it is just the age of the SBS 2003. Exchange failed to un-install. At that point I tried to un-install it a second time and the NNTP pop up kept comming up and I couldn't even get to the option of un-installing it. It un-installed and re-installed the NNTP service and that would get be back in to the Exchange setup but my only option was to Update. Remove was not an option. I updated with no errors which brought back the remove option. Removing essentiall failed a second time with a unable to remove some coboration servives. The migration was easy. Unstalling Exchange from the soure server(s) has been quite the pain...

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Glen Knight

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jimbecher

ASKER

I know. It is just me :) Well I continued on and finished the migration. It looked like things went OK but... I brought one of my customer's workstations back with me and tried to log on to the migrated server. No joy. It said the domain wasn't avaliable. I then fired up one of my computers and joined the domain. Very, very slow to log in. Outlook seemed to work with the Exchange Server but took forever to connect. I went back and looked through the logs on the migrated server and have come to find out I only have two Group Policy Object. Default Domain Controller and Default Domain. None of the standard SBS objects are there. Any idea at what step in the migration things went amiss?