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aiicoFlag for United States of America

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Renaming a server

Hi everyone -

Here's my question:  I have a domain file server (called "NAS") that I have just virtualized into my new VMWare environment.  I P2V'd the original physical server, disabled the NIC in it, then spun up the virtual copy.  Everything is running fine for that new virtualized copy now.

The original physical box still has the same server name ("NAS") that it always did (it just has its NIC disabled, so it's not connected to the LAN).  The new virtualized "NAS" 'reconnected' to the Active Directory computer object "NAS" just fine, so it is now NAS as far as A/D is concerned.

Now, I want to re-use the original physical server box for another task.    I'd like to avoid having to strip it and rebuild the O/S, so it would be handy if I could just rename it.  

However, wouldn't that also rename the active directory computer object "NAS" that is now associated with the new virtual server "NAS", and consequently screw up that machine?

A friend of mine said I should be able to just rename and re-IP the physical box, but it's my belief that that will corrupt/rename the A/D object attached to the virtual NAS.  Is he correct in his ascertion maybe because the physical machine's NIC is disabled and it cannot talk to A/D?

Thoughts?
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Pete Long
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Pete -

Yes, NAS is a windows server 2003 box.

Ok, so the fact that the physical nas box is disconnected from the network due to its NIC being disabled DOES, in fact, make it possible to rename it without screwing up the A/D computer object the virtual NAS is now using?

Awesome.   I just wasn't certain if it was as simple as that.