Migrating SBS 2000 to new hardware

[Dan Williams]

I'm in the process of attempting to migrate our SBS2K server to a new Dell
RAID server.

Here is a list of my steps so far:-

- Installed the new computer with Windows 2000 Server from the SBS 2000 CDs
- Connected the new server to the existing network
- Using PowerQuest V2i imaging software i restored our shared folders to the
new server
- Using EXMERGE i exported all users Exchange email and copied the resulting
PST files to the new server
- Using LDIFDE, i exported all the Active Directory users, groups and
organizational units and copied the ldf files to the new server (still
having issues with exporting which groups each user is a member of)
- Ensured that i copied any other info from the existing server to the new
one (ie. web pages, logon scripts, etc)
- Then disconnected the new server from the existing network and plugged it
into its own personal hub
- Install SBS 2000 with the same config (ie. computer name, ip addresses,
domain, ISA, Exchange, etc) on to the new server

This is where i'm up to now.

Is it at all possible to export the computer accounts from the Active
directory so that i don't have to disjoin all workstations from the existing
domain and get them to rejoin the new one?

We have several workstations in various different locations across the UK
(from Southampton upto Liverpool) which all logon to our domain using a VPN
connection. Ideally, i'd like to be able to replace the old server with the
new one and allow all our users to login to the new server straight away
without the added work. I understand that the new server won't be the same
domain as it'll have a different SID.

Can anyone recommend an easy method to allow all my users to disjoin and
connect to our new domain with minimum of fuss? All of our users don't have
Administrative priveledges for obvious reasons and most have no computer
experience, so asking them to logon as Administrator locally, disjoining the
domain and rejoining the new one is out of the question!! As there's only me
with any IT skills, i can't replace the server in our main office and
reconfigure all our 10 offices to the new domain!!

Anyone got any ideas (or new job opportunities?!)

Thanks in advance

Dan Williams

 

[Steve Dodson [MSFT]]

You may want to look at ADMT version 2. It will assist you in migrating
computers, users, and passwords from one domain to another. You can
download and read about this tool at the following location:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=788975b1-5849-4707-
9817-8c9773c25c6c&DisplayLang=en

Hope that helps!

Steve Dodson [MSFT]
Directory Services
--------------------

From: "Dan Williams" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.win2000.active_directory,microsoft.public.backoffice.smallb
iz2000
Subject: Migrating SBS 2000 to new hardware
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 12:07:23 +0000 (UTC)
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I'm in the process of attempting to migrate our SBS2K server to a new Dell
RAID server.

Here is a list of my steps so far:-

- Installed the new computer with Windows 2000 Server from the SBS 2000 CDs
- Connected the new server to the existing network
- Using PowerQuest V2i imaging software i restored our shared folders to the
new server
- Using EXMERGE i exported all users Exchange email and copied the resulting
PST files to the new server
- Using LDIFDE, i exported all the Active Directory users, groups and
organizational units and copied the ldf files to the new server (still
having issues with exporting which groups each user is a member of)
- Ensured that i copied any other info from the existing server to the new
one (ie. web pages, logon scripts, etc)
- Then disconnected the new server from the existing network and plugged it
into its own personal hub
- Install SBS 2000 with the same config (ie. computer name, ip addresses,
domain, ISA, Exchange, etc) on to the new server

This is where i'm up to now.

Is it at all possible to export the computer accounts from the Active
directory so that i don't have to disjoin all workstations from the existing
domain and get them to rejoin the new one?

We have several workstations in various different locations across the UK
(from Southampton upto Liverpool) which all logon to our domain using a VPN
connection. Ideally, i'd like to be able to replace the old server with the
new one and allow all our users to login to the new server straight away
without the added work. I understand that the new server won't be the same
domain as it'll have a different SID.

Can anyone recommend an easy method to allow all my users to disjoin and
connect to our new domain with minimum of fuss? All of our users don't have
Administrative priveledges for obvious reasons and most have no computer
experience, so asking them to logon as Administrator locally, disjoining the
domain and rejoining the new one is out of the question!! As there's only me
with any IT skills, i can't replace the server in our main office and
reconfigure all our 10 offices to the new domain!!

Anyone got any ideas (or new job opportunities?!)

Thanks in advance

Dan Williams

--

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[Cris Hanna \(SBS-MVP\)]

Its really too bad you didn't ask BEFORE you started and got yourself in
trouble.

When you joined the second computer to the domain, you should have DC
Promo'd it to DC. All accounts / AD information would have come over.

then you do the steps you mentioned about datafiles/shares and exmerge

Then you shut down the old computer, remove any information about the old
SBS from AD, transfer the FSMO roles to the new computer and make it a
Global Catalog Server and then install the SBS components

 

[Don]

I am also migrating an SBS 2000 installation from homegrown (low budget)
hardware to a brand new Dell Poweredge 400SC.

Wondering if moving the physical HD to the new machine is a possible
solution.

Since SBS will not trust, when do you do the DCPromo? Before the SBS
components are installed or after?

Do you have a step by step on SBS migration 2000 to 2000 on newer hardware
that you would refer me to?

Thanks,

Don

Its really too bad you didn't ask BEFORE you started and got yourself in
trouble.

When you joined the second computer to the domain, you should have DC
Promo'd it to DC. All accounts / AD information would have come over.

then you do the steps you mentioned about datafiles/shares and exmerge

Then you shut down the old computer, remove any information about the old
SBS from AD, transfer the FSMO roles to the new computer and make it a
Global Catalog Server and then install the SBS components

--
Cris Hanna [SBS-MVP]
-------------------------
Please do not directly to me but rather reply to the newsgroup so that all
may benefit from the information.

I'm in the process of attempting to migrate our SBS2K server to a new Dell
RAID server.

Here is a list of my steps so far:-

- Installed the new computer with Windows 2000 Server from the SBS 2000 CDs
- Connected the new server to the existing network
- Using PowerQuest V2i imaging software i restored our shared folders to the
new server
- Using EXMERGE i exported all users Exchange email and copied the resulting
PST files to the new server
- Using LDIFDE, i exported all the Active Directory users, groups and
organizational units and copied the ldf files to the new server (still
having issues with exporting which groups each user is a member of)
- Ensured that i copied any other info from the existing server to the new
one (ie. web pages, logon scripts, etc)
- Then disconnected the new server from the existing network and plugged it
into its own personal hub
- Install SBS 2000 with the same config (ie. computer name, ip addresses,
domain, ISA, Exchange, etc) on to the new server

This is where i'm up to now.

Is it at all possible to export the computer accounts from the Active
directory so that i don't have to disjoin all workstations from the existing
domain and get them to rejoin the new one?

We have several workstations in various different locations across the UK
(from Southampton upto Liverpool) which all logon to our domain using a VPN
connection. Ideally, i'd like to be able to replace the old server with the
new one and allow all our users to login to the new server straight away
without the added work. I understand that the new server won't be the same
domain as it'll have a different SID.

Can anyone recommend an easy method to allow all my users to disjoin and
connect to our new domain with minimum of fuss? All of our users don't have
Administrative priveledges for obvious reasons and most have no computer
experience, so asking them to logon as Administrator locally, disjoining the
domain and rejoining the new one is out of the question!! As there's

only

me
with any IT skills, i can't replace the server in our main office and
reconfigure all our 10 offices to the new domain!!

Anyone got any ideas (or new job opportunities?!)

Thanks in advance

Dan Williams

 

[Dan Williams]

OK. My new server is still in a test environment at the moment so i am able
to reformat and start from scratch.

I have a couple of questions regarding promoting the Windows 2000 server to
a DC:-

1. Will doing this automatically transfer all the AD users, computers,
security groups, organizational units, policies, etc to the new temporary
Win 2000 server, or do i need to set them up first?
2. If this is the case, then surely my SBS 2000 server will stop being the
domain controller and hence all our existing users would have to logon via
the new server.
3. As SBS and all its applications aren't yet installed on the new DC, how
are my existing users going to be able to dial in using the VPN and access
Exchange email, etc., until i've reinstalled SBS on to my new server.
4. It's also going to take a while (perhaps even a couple of days!) to
install SBS 2K back on to the new server and setup all the apps as they were
on the original server and to restore all the data from the old server.
Several reboots will probably be required during this process too. What are
my users supposed to do during this time?

I realise there's likely to be some downtime involved, but i'd prefer keep
this down to a minimum. As you can imagine, my phone is going to be redhot
during this time!

Apologies if i am misunderstanding the processes involved.

I will be taking a look at the ADMT tool and see if i can make some use of
it too.

Thanks again.

Dan

Its really too bad you didn't ask BEFORE you started and got yourself in
trouble.

When you joined the second computer to the domain, you should have DC
Promo'd it to DC. All accounts / AD information would have come over.

then you do the steps you mentioned about datafiles/shares and exmerge

Then you shut down the old computer, remove any information about the old
SBS from AD, transfer the FSMO roles to the new computer and make it a
Global Catalog Server and then install the SBS components

--
Cris Hanna [SBS-MVP]
-------------------------
Please do not directly to me but rather reply to the newsgroup so that all
may benefit from the information.

I'm in the process of attempting to migrate our SBS2K server to a new Dell
RAID server.

Here is a list of my steps so far:-

- Installed the new computer with Windows 2000 Server from the SBS 2000 CDs
- Connected the new server to the existing network
- Using PowerQuest V2i imaging software i restored our shared folders to the
new server
- Using EXMERGE i exported all users Exchange email and copied the resulting
PST files to the new server
- Using LDIFDE, i exported all the Active Directory users, groups and
organizational units and copied the ldf files to the new server (still
having issues with exporting which groups each user is a member of)
- Ensured that i copied any other info from the existing server to the new
one (ie. web pages, logon scripts, etc)
- Then disconnected the new server from the existing network and plugged it
into its own personal hub
- Install SBS 2000 with the same config (ie. computer name, ip addresses,
domain, ISA, Exchange, etc) on to the new server

This is where i'm up to now.

Is it at all possible to export the computer accounts from the Active
directory so that i don't have to disjoin all workstations from the existing
domain and get them to rejoin the new one?

We have several workstations in various different locations across the UK
(from Southampton upto Liverpool) which all logon to our domain using a VPN
connection. Ideally, i'd like to be able to replace the old server with the
new one and allow all our users to login to the new server straight away
without the added work. I understand that the new server won't be the same
domain as it'll have a different SID.

Can anyone recommend an easy method to allow all my users to disjoin and
connect to our new domain with minimum of fuss? All of our users don't have
Administrative priveledges for obvious reasons and most have no computer
experience, so asking them to logon as Administrator locally, disjoining the
domain and rejoining the new one is out of the question!! As there's

only

me
with any IT skills, i can't replace the server in our main office and
reconfigure all our 10 offices to the new domain!!

Anyone got any ideas (or new job opportunities?!)

Thanks in advance

Dan Williams

 

[Dan Williams]

Right, i've reinstalled Windows 2000 server from the SBS cds and am about to
set up the new server as an additional domain controller. By doing this i
hope i'm not going to lose any config from our existing SBS 2000 server?
Will this also replicate all the users and computer accounts onto my new
server?

I take it, if this does happen, i can then copy over all the user data and
email, take the server offline and reinstall SBS 2000 to it? Hopefully, i
can then swap the servers over and my users should be able to seamlessly log
on to the new server and access their email, etc. Also, will it be possible
to keep the same computer name for the new server? (ie. i can rename it when
installing SBS)

Please let me know if i need to consider anything else.

Thanks again.

Dan

OK. My new server is still in a test environment at the moment so i am able
to reformat and start from scratch.

I have a couple of questions regarding promoting the Windows 2000 server to
a DC:-

1. Will doing this automatically transfer all the AD users, computers,
security groups, organizational units, policies, etc to the new temporary
Win 2000 server, or do i need to set them up first?
2. If this is the case, then surely my SBS 2000 server will stop being the
domain controller and hence all our existing users would have to logon via
the new server.
3. As SBS and all its applications aren't yet installed on the new DC, how
are my existing users going to be able to dial in using the VPN and access
Exchange email, etc., until i've reinstalled SBS on to my new server.
4. It's also going to take a while (perhaps even a couple of days!) to
install SBS 2K back on to the new server and setup all the apps as they were
on the original server and to restore all the data from the old server.
Several reboots will probably be required during this process too. What are
my users supposed to do during this time?

I realise there's likely to be some downtime involved, but i'd prefer keep
this down to a minimum. As you can imagine, my phone is going to be redhot
during this time!

Apologies if i am misunderstanding the processes involved.

I will be taking a look at the ADMT tool and see if i can make some use of
it too.

Thanks again.

Dan

Its really too bad you didn't ask BEFORE you started and got yourself in
trouble.

When you joined the second computer to the domain, you should have DC
Promo'd it to DC. All accounts / AD information would have come over.

then you do the steps you mentioned about datafiles/shares and exmerge

Then you shut down the old computer, remove any information about the old
SBS from AD, transfer the FSMO roles to the new computer and make it a
Global Catalog Server and then install the SBS components

--
Cris Hanna [SBS-MVP]
-------------------------
Please do not directly to me but rather reply to the newsgroup so that all
may benefit from the information.

I'm in the process of attempting to migrate our SBS2K server to a new Dell
RAID server.

Here is a list of my steps so far:-

- Installed the new computer with Windows 2000 Server from the SBS

2000
CDs

- Connected the new server to the existing network
- Using PowerQuest V2i imaging software i restored our shared folders

to
the

new server
- Using EXMERGE i exported all users Exchange email and copied the resulting
PST files to the new server
- Using LDIFDE, i exported all the Active Directory users, groups and
organizational units and copied the ldf files to the new server (still
having issues with exporting which groups each user is a member of)
- Ensured that i copied any other info from the existing server to the new
one (ie. web pages, logon scripts, etc)
- Then disconnected the new server from the existing network and

plugged
it

into its own personal hub
- Install SBS 2000 with the same config (ie. computer name, ip addresses,
domain, ISA, Exchange, etc) on to the new server

This is where i'm up to now.

Is it at all possible to export the computer accounts from the Active
directory so that i don't have to disjoin all workstations from the existing
domain and get them to rejoin the new one?

We have several workstations in various different locations across the UK
(from Southampton upto Liverpool) which all logon to our domain using

a
VPN

connection. Ideally, i'd like to be able to replace the old server

with
the

new one and allow all our users to login to the new server straight away
without the added work. I understand that the new server won't be the same
domain as it'll have a different SID.

Can anyone recommend an easy method to allow all my users to disjoin and
connect to our new domain with minimum of fuss? All of our users don't have
Administrative priveledges for obvious reasons and most have no computer
experience, so asking them to logon as Administrator locally,

disjoining
the

domain and rejoining the new one is out of the question!! As there's

only

me
with any IT skills, i can't replace the server in our main office and
reconfigure all our 10 offices to the new domain!!

Anyone got any ideas (or new job opportunities?!)

Thanks in advance

Dan Williams

 

[Dan Williams]

Arrgghhh!!. Can't setup my new server as an additional domain as it says
this product option is not available with the Small Business Server Edition
of Windows.

Will i have to get hold of a copy of Windows 2000 server in order to do
this, and can i reinstall SBS onto a full version of Windows 2000 server?

Dan