Shadow Protect IT

SBS 2003 Old Hardware to New Hardware

I wonder is it just getting that easy for me to move a SBS 2003 server from old hardware to new hardware or am I just getting the process down better?  It use to be we would bring the new server in join the domain and then make it a DC and then once you had all of that unplug it off the network and then upgrade the server to SBS 2003. Move data and then export email and bring it in and then re-point the workstations once you bring the new server in the network for Exchange and such.

Not so much anymore as I have taken a job that use to take 2 days to one that I did last night in 4.5 hours. The last one I did this way took 6.5 hours so something is going on here. Basically I use one of my favorite tools and that is Shadow Protect IT version to backup the server and then use it to restore onto the new hardware and loading the new RAID driver in the process of restore it is just that easy. Why waste 2 days when you can cut this down to half a day? Well some would say when you are cutting down billable time you could have had then and that is hurting you. What I say is you are becoming more efficient and can do more jobs. Who is the customer going to remember? The one that took 2 days to do the work or the one that did it in 4.5 with no problems and saved them money and was still done properly and in a good manner? You tell me but I bet they remember you and what you did for them and their bottom line.

Til later just Roger

Upgrading Vista SP1 to Windows 7 RC

I seen that Windows 7 RC was available so I thought what the heck why not. I had tried the Beta2 version and seen no problems with it at that time. I had also been in on the Vista Beta when that came out from start to finish so it wasn’t like I was a gluten for punishment or anything. Vista was not that bad I had it on my laptop from the beta on and I got along fine with it.

But as a added precaution I did whip out my trusty Shadow Protect and backed up my laptop none the less. Plus I have a backup on my Virtual Home Server so I was double covered there. When I first tried running the Win 7 it did not like the HP Protected tools.  So I went in and tried to remove them and on one of them I was getting the “Error 2738 could not access VBscript run time for custom action” Ok been down this road before and wouldn’t you know it, it was the same exact error I got when I tried to take this HP nx9420 laptop from XP to Vista. At least that was consistent. What I did to correct this problem was re register the VBScript.dll and I did this by running the command prompt in Administrator mode and then typing regsvr32 vbscript.dll and that was that.

So ran the install again and this time it blew by this Stop and away we went. I was concerned that drivers might be a issue (flash back to Vista) but upon completion everything worked. It did take me about 2 hours from start to finish on this but the Upgrade from my perspective was smooth. I am going to take my other machine I have and install the 64bit version on this and will see how a clean install goes time wise.Plus I will be doing my test server with 2008 R2 Server and running HyperV on it so more on that also. I see there is no upgrade path from XP to Win7 I am still out on that if it is a good thing or not.  I am expecting it to be pretty quick so we will see. I have to run now my granddaughter is having her first dance recital so I better be there but more on the rest later.

Til later just Roger

Restoring a 2003 Server that had Mirrored Dynamic Disks

I had a customer call that had a server that they rebooted and it never came back. Ever been there before? I know we all have many times and here lately it has been because of older hardware and the motherboard just giving up the Ghost. Well i got on-site and yip it was dead and now what to do. As the servers we are using here now are SAS Drive Type HP Servers and this was a older SCSI drive. OK I looked around and found a ML 350 that we have replaced but we had not did anything with the server and I got the server to boot with one of the drives out of the failed server running as a spare.

I then used my favorite program Shadow Protect IT version and backed up the disk that had the C Drive and the E Drive on it. It had been a mirrored set so the disk was running in Dynamic Disk mode. Oh Goody I am so excited. So I looked around for something to restore onto and the pickings was slim for that but we are running HyperV at this site so I restored the server into a Virtual Server session. Once this completed I thought ok here we go rebooted the server and nothing. Just a blank screen with a cursor in the left hand side of the screen. OK now what the heck scratched my head went and got a Pepsi and checked the Shadow Protect website. Sure enough there was the fix I needed. What I had to do was boot with a 2003 Server CD hit R and go into the recovery Console and once logged in I type Fixboot C: and then fixmbr rebooted and away we went. Pepsi works every-time OK most every-time but sounds good with this one.

Tel later just Roger