File server migration from server 2003 STD VM to Server 2008 R2 VM
Hi experts,
I have to do a filer migration from server 2003 STD to server 2008 R2.
I don't want to go the DFS route at the moment.
My servers are all VM's running on an ESXi5.5 cluster.
I have identified the shares and exporting and importing the shares will be fine for the shares migration and shared folder permissions.
But its the major file servers and all the HQ and all the regional data and users home folders are located at these file servers.
So I wasn't sure how do I get all the network applications and their dependency related info for these file servers?
The file servers are running on VM's with one target LUN for the VMFS datastore which is coming from a compellent SAN storage and all the rest of the drives are attached as raw device mapping from the SAN volumes directly. The total data on the file servers comes just above 7TB.
What I am planning to do
1)Install a two new VM with server 2008 R2 on it on a test network as File Server1/2.
2)Given a new host name and IP address.
3)Install the local applications.
2)Import the shares registry which I have already exported from the old server.
3)set up all the scheduled tasks and create the folder structure for the .bat and .cmd files.
3)Enable all the services and verify.
4)Enable the IIS and makes sure FTP service and WWW running.(Identify who has the permissions to the directories and replicate those)
These are preliminary steps and not that hard to do, but my main concern is about the network shares and its dependencies?
4)Not sure how I will find out what network applications and DB connections are having what dependency with this file servers?
5)How do I disconnect/run parallel all the live RDM's with same drive letters and connect to the DR VM's ?
Are they corrupt the files if I run DR RDMs in parallel with READ ONLY permissions to DR RDM's, would it be the ideal solution here without corrupting the data in Dell Compellent SAN storage device.
6)I can see that files are coming and going from c:\inetpub\FTProot which shows the IIS is running with FTP service and WWW enabled.
Once I have tested all the shares, scheduled task and network applications.
How do I go LIVE with the migration especially this one involves RDM's involved?
So any help would be appreciated with lots of points and a big thanks, so please help me to make a head start on this particular project.
Thanks
la
I have to do a filer migration from server 2003 STD to server 2008 R2.
I don't want to go the DFS route at the moment.
My servers are all VM's running on an ESXi5.5 cluster.
I have identified the shares and exporting and importing the shares will be fine for the shares migration and shared folder permissions.
But its the major file servers and all the HQ and all the regional data and users home folders are located at these file servers.
So I wasn't sure how do I get all the network applications and their dependency related info for these file servers?
The file servers are running on VM's with one target LUN for the VMFS datastore which is coming from a compellent SAN storage and all the rest of the drives are attached as raw device mapping from the SAN volumes directly. The total data on the file servers comes just above 7TB.
What I am planning to do
1)Install a two new VM with server 2008 R2 on it on a test network as File Server1/2.
2)Given a new host name and IP address.
3)Install the local applications.
2)Import the shares registry which I have already exported from the old server.
3)set up all the scheduled tasks and create the folder structure for the .bat and .cmd files.
3)Enable all the services and verify.
4)Enable the IIS and makes sure FTP service and WWW running.(Identify who has the permissions to the directories and replicate those)
These are preliminary steps and not that hard to do, but my main concern is about the network shares and its dependencies?
4)Not sure how I will find out what network applications and DB connections are having what dependency with this file servers?
5)How do I disconnect/run parallel all the live RDM's with same drive letters and connect to the DR VM's ?
Are they corrupt the files if I run DR RDMs in parallel with READ ONLY permissions to DR RDM's, would it be the ideal solution here without corrupting the data in Dell Compellent SAN storage device.
6)I can see that files are coming and going from c:\inetpub\FTProot which shows the IIS is running with FTP service and WWW enabled.
Once I have tested all the shares, scheduled task and network applications.
How do I go LIVE with the migration especially this one involves RDM's involved?
So any help would be appreciated with lots of points and a big thanks, so please help me to make a head start on this particular project.
Thanks
la
Don S.
I don't know of any way to find out what user files have the UNC to the old servers embedded in it. that is where your major exposure lies. the only way to avoid breaking an unknown number of UNC references is to ultimately name the new servers exactly the same as the old ones. There may even be specific references to the IP addresses embedded somewhere so you would probably be best to make the new servers have the same addresses as well. Because of the need for the same names and addresses, I don't know how you would actually be able to parallel this. the other option would be to setup the new servers with new names and addresses and have users test their applications and files against the new servers and then fix what is broken (embedded UNC or IP references). When all is fixed, then you would remigrate the files and turn off the shares on the old servers. This would obviously take significantly longer to accomplish.
As for the RDM, you will not be able to run in parallel, you will need to disconnect the RDM LUNs, and then add them to the new server.
ASKER
Even with Dell Compellent Enterprise Storage Manager?
I had a feeling I could connect the RDM as READ ONLY to another VM without breaking/corrupting the files in the RDM volumes.
If I can't can anyone say why I can't do READ ONLY?
Thanks
la
I had a feeling I could connect the RDM as READ ONLY to another VM without breaking/corrupting the files in the RDM volumes.
If I can't can anyone say why I can't do READ ONLY?
Thanks
la
Once the RDM is presented to a VMware VM, it's not available to any other VM.
Setting it as Read Only may be a function of your SAN. Some SANs can set LUNs to read only.
Setting it as Read Only may be a function of your SAN. Some SANs can set LUNs to read only.
I used to use a Compellent and believe you cannot mount a volume as read-only since Windows LDM needs to write to the volume and if it cannot it would fail to mount.
1) Create another RDM for the new server
2) Seed the new volume with data using a backup or robocopy
3) When read take the share offline the run robocopy using diff mode
4) Use a CNAME record to the new server will accept request to the old server name
1) Create another RDM for the new server
2) Seed the new volume with data using a backup or robocopy
3) When read take the share offline the run robocopy using diff mode
4) Use a CNAME record to the new server will accept request to the old server name
ASKER
We are planning to use the same ip address so all the application link should work without any issues.
So I don't think we have any issues with name resolutions.
We have two Data Centers, one live and the other DR.
And we have storage replay's and asynchronous replications are running from the LIVE to the DR SAN.
I have only have very limited knowledge of Compellent SAN storage systems.
Can you please elaborate a bit more about the seed and why we can't use READ ONLY state of the same RDM's ?
How do I create a new RDM's which has to be exactly like the one in the existing LUN with the same drive letter and LUNID so that the migration should be seamless?
Sorry for asking too many questions, its my eager to know how we normally migrate this kind of systems when using the RDM's than VMFS volumes?
thanks in advance
la
So I don't think we have any issues with name resolutions.
We have two Data Centers, one live and the other DR.
And we have storage replay's and asynchronous replications are running from the LIVE to the DR SAN.
I have only have very limited knowledge of Compellent SAN storage systems.
Can you please elaborate a bit more about the seed and why we can't use READ ONLY state of the same RDM's ?
How do I create a new RDM's which has to be exactly like the one in the existing LUN with the same drive letter and LUNID so that the migration should be seamless?
Sorry for asking too many questions, its my eager to know how we normally migrate this kind of systems when using the RDM's than VMFS volumes?
thanks in advance
la
Do you need to have parallel RDMs ?
Can you just not allocate the existing RDM, to a new VM, all the data and permissions will remain ?
Can you just not allocate the existing RDM, to a new VM, all the data and permissions will remain ?
When I mean seed .. I mean populate the volume..
Present new RDM to the new VM.
Run a restore on the volume to populate all the files
Once ready to migrate, stop sharing and run robocopy to get all the "change" since the restore copied over... This will maintain permissions on folders
Present new RDM to the new VM.
Run a restore on the volume to populate all the files
Once ready to migrate, stop sharing and run robocopy to get all the "change" since the restore copied over... This will maintain permissions on folders
ASKER
ok.
So that means
1)Create a new VM and present the new RDMs to this new VM.
2)Create RDM volumes with same LUNIDs and drive letter like the existing file servers.
2)Restore the volumes/RDMs from the latest storage replay.
3)Once ready for the final migration to the live,stop sharing(?) and run a robocopy to copy all the changed files.
I didn't understand the bit of stop sharing?
also what about any network applications,network shares and their dependency to these file servers?
So once I have created the new RDM's if everything working as expected how can I remove the old RDM's from the Compellent SAN Enterprise Manager?
Thanks again
la
So that means
1)Create a new VM and present the new RDMs to this new VM.
2)Create RDM volumes with same LUNIDs and drive letter like the existing file servers.
2)Restore the volumes/RDMs from the latest storage replay.
3)Once ready for the final migration to the live,stop sharing(?) and run a robocopy to copy all the changed files.
I didn't understand the bit of stop sharing?
also what about any network applications,network shares and their dependency to these file servers?
So once I have created the new RDM's if everything working as expected how can I remove the old RDM's from the Compellent SAN Enterprise Manager?
Thanks again
la
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Any good url for any docs which I can follow for a like to like migration from windows server 2003 to server 2008 R2 as this scenario using RDMs?
thanks
la
thanks
la
ASKER
How do I do some dress rehearsals before actually doing the LIVE migration?
I am planning to try this.
Plan A
---------
Create a new VM (Server 2008 R2) on our DR site.
Create one or two RDMs and attach this to new VM.
Dump some files into it.
Export and import the lanmanserver reg key. (Have anyone come across any issues with exporting and importing shares registry from server 2003 to 2008?)
Plan B
---------
Create a new VM (Server 2008 R2) on our DR site.
Just disconnect and re-connect the existing RDM from the live to the test VM does it work???
Dump some files into it.
Export and import the lanmanserver reg key. (Have anyone come across any issues with exporting and importing shares registry from server 2003 to 2008?)
I have not tried this exercise before in case if it does not work, is it seamlessly re-connect the RDM back to the existing VM (Server 2003)?
Plan C
--------
Because I have not tried this exercise before I am thinking of then create a server 2003 VM and a server 2008 VM first.
Then first connect some sample RDM first to the server 2003 and try connecting and re-connecting first to the server
2008 then re-connecting back to server 2003 to make sure disconnect and re-connect exercise does work?
Please give some design idea how to do the dress rehearsal on a DR site first as I am not very good with Dell Compellant SAN systems.
We do have a DR site and we are doing an asynchronous replication of all our storage back to our DR site and all our VM’s are backed up using commvault backup system. The problem is I am not sure we can do the full backup of existing RDM’s to a commvault system.
thanks in advance
la
I am planning to try this.
Plan A
---------
Create a new VM (Server 2008 R2) on our DR site.
Create one or two RDMs and attach this to new VM.
Dump some files into it.
Export and import the lanmanserver reg key. (Have anyone come across any issues with exporting and importing shares registry from server 2003 to 2008?)
Plan B
---------
Create a new VM (Server 2008 R2) on our DR site.
Just disconnect and re-connect the existing RDM from the live to the test VM does it work???
Dump some files into it.
Export and import the lanmanserver reg key. (Have anyone come across any issues with exporting and importing shares registry from server 2003 to 2008?)
I have not tried this exercise before in case if it does not work, is it seamlessly re-connect the RDM back to the existing VM (Server 2003)?
Plan C
--------
Because I have not tried this exercise before I am thinking of then create a server 2003 VM and a server 2008 VM first.
Then first connect some sample RDM first to the server 2003 and try connecting and re-connecting first to the server
2008 then re-connecting back to server 2003 to make sure disconnect and re-connect exercise does work?
Please give some design idea how to do the dress rehearsal on a DR site first as I am not very good with Dell Compellant SAN systems.
We do have a DR site and we are doing an asynchronous replication of all our storage back to our DR site and all our VM’s are backed up using commvault backup system. The problem is I am not sure we can do the full backup of existing RDM’s to a commvault system.
thanks in advance
la
ASKER
Any Dell compellent RDM design guides for my migrastion requirement?
Thanks
Thanks
SOLUTION
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Ok, I have a two Compellent arrays and have migrated from a netapp filer to a two-node 2012 file cluster, so similar in some ways.
Why are you not considering Server 2012 R2?
If you're going for 2 servers you may aswell cluster them for HA, even to aid with your patching strategy.
Whatever your OS choice, these are the steps I would follow:
Break down the file and IIS components into separate tasks.
Create cluster (optional but recommended)
Arrange outage window
Power down old servers
Clone current volumes and map to new servers/cluster
Re-create shares and modify permissions
Bring UNC/IP path dependent services back online one at a time and update any paths to the new ones
Tackle IIS.
If it all goes wrong, just revert back to the old VMs and volumes,
Why are you not considering Server 2012 R2?
If you're going for 2 servers you may aswell cluster them for HA, even to aid with your patching strategy.
Whatever your OS choice, these are the steps I would follow:
Break down the file and IIS components into separate tasks.
Create cluster (optional but recommended)
Arrange outage window
Power down old servers
Clone current volumes and map to new servers/cluster
Re-create shares and modify permissions
Bring UNC/IP path dependent services back online one at a time and update any paths to the new ones
Tackle IIS.
If it all goes wrong, just revert back to the old VMs and volumes,
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