Comments on: Changing servers – GUID issues with Domain Name-2

By: stagnantdata

stagnantdata — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 10:47:28 +0000

I have done several SBS Migrations and the best thing I have found is what Jeff Middleton calls a swing migration. You can get the info at http://www.sbsmigration.com. He charges a fee for his package but it will walk you thru the entire process and it is well worth it. Make sure you follow his directions exactly and you will be moved over to a new server and wont even have to touch the client machines.
Don Haggmark
Valleywide Networking

By: astronomer

astronomer — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 11:52:28 +0000

Adam:
Have you looked at the microsoft web site for information on migrating from sbs to a standard domain?
I did a search on google and found this link:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555073
When sbs first came out, we evaluated it in our lab at Intel and decided it was junk. Consequently, we didn’t do compatibility tests on it. I suggest you follow the general advice given by most responses and migrate away from sbs unless you really want to stay in that straight jacket.
If you decide to stay with your current arrangement, (it seems clear you are already running way too much on a single server), here is how i would approach the problem:
1. Back up all of the drive/array onto some other medium.
2. Install the larger drive/array.
3. Re-install your windows server OS from scratch with the partition arrangements you want for the future. All you need is enough functionality to do a restore.
4. Restore the backup onto the new partitions.
This allows you to keep the current system and to increase capacity. I have done this basic procedure several times on laptops in order to make room for linux partitions and it worked every time for me.
The main weakness is you are totally dependant on being able to restore from the backup. If you choose this path I suggest you get all new drives and save the old ones after you make the backup. That way, if the restore fails, you can always put the original drives back and not lose anything.
Good luck.
rt

By: flynavy

flynavy — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 11:54:25 +0000

I disagree with jheadley on 1 issue. I did not have all the applications running that you list, but I did not have to disconnect my PCs from the domain. The swing migration from SBSMigrate has VERY good directions for completing this process. They also have sections on exchange migration. The whole idea of the swing is to move the entire domain information to a domain controller that is not SBS and then move again to the new SBS domain controller. No domain information or credentialing is changed in this process. Your clients should see no difference. I didn’t do the exchange piece so don’t know the issues with it.

By: ursulus

ursulus — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:35:01 +0000

Hi,
The advice suggesting you add an additional Domain Controller is good except for Small Business Server won’t let you! I’m not sure if there is a way around this but in my experience it is actually easier to create a New domain on the new server. Plug it into your existing network with DHCP disbled and then slowly migrate stuff. You can TRUST the new domain which makes some of the migration easier.

Also, I’ve just thought of a fairly radical plan. Imagine that your existing server crashed badly, motherboard fried and you couldn’t get spare parts. What would you do? You could do a complete restore of your existing system on a new server. So, install Windows 2000 on the new box, do a cold backup and restore to the new box. Then upgrade it to Windows 2003 SBS which is a fairly straightforward upgrade.

Pray quite a lot… if you had the overhead to test this, I would really like to know how you got on. But that should give you everything you currently have in 2003 SBS.

Good luck!

Ursulus

By: jheadley

jheadley — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 11:43:51 +0000

We have done several upgardes to have SBS2003 on new hardware and the process we go through is to:
1. Disjoin the PCs from the domain
2. Use Exmerge to move the mailboxes
3. Move data to new server and recreate shares with same name.
4. Setup printers
5. Join PCs back to the domain using domain admin
6. Rename users profile to .old
7. Logon as user and then log off which creates a new profile
8. Logon as administrator rename the newly created profile to .new and remove the .old from the orginal profile.
9. Logon as the user and everything should be there as before. Occasionaly this does not work but we have seen about a 98% success and the user does not know any different.

By: fdenman

fdenman — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 11:36:21 +0000

I think you’d be nuts to do anything but a Swing Migration. Go to Jeff Middleton’s site, http://www.sbsmigration.com, for details.

Doing an SBS server migration without using his method and tools will lead you to a world of unnecessary pain and hurt.

By: adambeazley

adambeazley — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:38:03 +0000

Thanks you so much everyone.
I do just want to clear upa few things from my origional post. We are using windows 2000 small business server right now. This is the server that is running out of space. It is the Domain Controller, the exchange server, the SQL server and the ISA server.
We are buying a new server with the Windows 2003 Small Business Server Premium edition. This is the server that we will put in place of the old win 2000 SBS. The only problem I see with the switch is having to make new client profiles when connecting to the new server whith the same Domain Name. I was told that even if you give the new server the same name and the same Domain, the GUID would be different and that would make me have to create a new profile on all of the client machines. Im not happy with that because all of the clients are running well with all of there AutoCAD setting and custom stuff already setup.
Im am looking for a way around this issue.
Keep In mind I only have 128MB of space left on the old server, so im limited in what I can do with the roaming profiles.
Adam

By: flyinggoose

flyinggoose — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 09:22:13 +0000

dcamp9 I am also in the process of preparing for an upgrade and I would like to review your notes if possible? I would like to compare your notes with what I was planning on doing, since you were successful your process may be better than mine. Could you possibly send them to sgoss@flat-rock.org.

By: aalborz43

aalborz43 — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 12:35:21 +0000

To meet your requirements for least disruption or downtime, use a Swing Migration from http://www.sbsmigration.com . It is a widely used and very respected tool to achieve exactly the outcome you are looking for – new hardware in an existing domain.

You could add the new server to the existing Domain as a Domain Controller, whereupon it would have the same GUID as all the other PC’s and the SBS server. Then add the new Exchange server to the new server, and EXMERGE email content for each user to the new Exchange box. This
would require downtime at least for the individual user as you move their mail and reset there Outlook client. You then follow the process to remove the original server from the Domain, transferring all roles to the new server.
Some work would be required at each PC – like you would need to remove the ISA Firewall Client if ISA is no longer being used. Shares would need to be remapped, printers also, etc.
Lots of things that would possibly still need to be done even with a SWING. But the SWING really is the better way to go IMO.

Is there any reason why you are not considering using SBS2003? With all the goodies it has, it’s hard to beat its price!

By: flynavy

flynavy — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 10:24:04 +0000

SBS is a different monster than the normal Windows server. I just did a hardware upgrade for SBS 2003. From my reading, 2000 to 2003 is no different. You cannot have 2 SBS servers in the same domain.
After 2 dyas of trying to force it through the normal 2003 migration routine, I found a site called SBSmigrate.com. For just under $200, they have a kit (mainly an instruction set with the details) on how to do this. You can try to be cheap and read through the site and do it without the step-by-step instructions (as I did). Still didn’t get everything right.
Once I bought the instruction set (and a couple of tools), whole process took less than a day with very little domain downtime.
I recommend checking this site out and using it. Wish I had done it from the start.