Changing server

  • Thread starter Thread starter JotaO
  • Start date Start date
J

JotaO

Hi!

I'm about to change the server machine in one of my customers. The server is
the PDC of the domain.

It's a fairly large network and I don't have any desire to recreate every
account, every group, every permission in the system...


I'm sure there is a way to do this change without having to repeat all this
work. Can anyone point me any documentation about this?



I've read something about the system state. Is it enough to backup and then
restore the system state?



TIA



Jorge
 
Is this a NT4 domain or Active Directory?

Let me tell you how I personally would do it if it's an NT4 domain
(although you are posting in a 2000 newsgroup so I guess it's AD)

I would install a temporary secondary domain controller (BDC) and
promote it to a PDC. All the computer/user accounts are now stored (and
you could class as backed up) on the temporary PDC.

You can then rebuild the PDC as a domain controller back in the domain
and reverse the procedure.

I have done this in the past purely because to install an NT4 server is
quicker than backing up and restoring a DC 9 times out of 10, plus you
can be sure of your data because you can test the network by taking the
old PDC off the network and test authentication etc.

Now, you can do a similar process with Active Directory, but there is
slightly more to take into consideration, for example DNS

Personally I have never had to restore AD from a System State backup (as
I have always worked on multi server environments) so I can't comment on
it - but I am always a little weary of rebuilding a server from scratch
with just a tape in my hands :)

These are my personal views as some food for thought.

Cheers
Greg

-----Original Message-----
From: JotaO [mailto:[email protected]]
Posted At: 24 November 2005 21:09
Posted To: microsoft.public.win2000.general
Conversation: Changing server
Subject: Changing server

Hi!

I'm about to change the server machine in one of my customers. The
server is
the PDC of the domain.

It's a fairly large network and I don't have any desire to recreate
every
account, every group, every permission in the system...


I'm sure there is a way to do this change without having to repeat all
this
work. Can anyone point me any documentation about this?



I've read something about the system state. Is it enough to backup and
then
restore the system state?



TIA



Jorge
 
Hi Greg

Thank you for your input.

The domain is AD.

I'm about to give up and redo all the work.

Jorge
 
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