Server needs to be replaced?

[Guest]

Hello-

This a bit tricky, I have a customer who's server crashed on her today, it
will not logon or allow any workstations to log on. The computer is an old
PIII 800MHz system with a SCSI hard drive, with no CD-RW or DVD-RW drive(s)
or any USB ports on the system. The unit is over 5 years old.

She has data on it, and she is using two huge "Kinko" type printers for her
"Print on Demand" business. She desperately wants to replace the unit and go
with SBS 2003 Server Standard.

My concern is the data she has, and the printer setup.

Is there an easier way to resolve this to the new system? Getting the old
data onto the new Server? Plus, is there any way to get the printers to work
again, or would I have to have her contact those printer manufacturers?

Here's the story, the printers are being printed statically, not USB or
parallel. They are printing from spooler applications on the old server?
Being that the computer gives us an error message in the "Event Log" about
"logon" not working, and "Service Manager" not working, everything is down!
This message pops up when and after you reboot the server. I believe that I
am stuck on this matter.

I am open to give more information if you need it.

Waiting patiently!
D. Morales

 

[Galen]

In (e-mail address removed) <[email protected]> had
this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Hello-

This a bit tricky, I have a customer who's server crashed on her
today, it will not logon or allow any workstations to log on. The
computer is an old PIII 800MHz system with a SCSI hard drive, with no
CD-RW or DVD-RW drive(s) or any USB ports on the system. The unit is
over 5 years old.

She has data on it, and she is using two huge "Kinko" type printers
for her "Print on Demand" business. She desperately wants to replace
the unit and go with SBS 2003 Server Standard.

My concern is the data she has, and the printer setup.

Is there an easier way to resolve this to the new system? Getting the
old data onto the new Server? Plus, is there any way to get the
printers to work again, or would I have to have her contact those
printer manufacturers?

Here's the story, the printers are being printed statically, not USB
or parallel. They are printing from spooler applications on the old
server? Being that the computer gives us an error message in the
"Event Log" about "logon" not working, and "Service Manager" not
working, everything is down! This message pops up when and after you
reboot the server. I believe that I am stuck on this matter.

I am open to give more information if you need it.

Waiting patiently!
D. Morales

Sure you can clone the drive(s) and then copy the data but the real question
to me would be will there be drivers for the hardware... I'd check that
before you made one step further. Even if you have to do a repair
installation (headless) to get her running in the mean-time I think you'd be
doing her a dis-service without checking that first. With SBS 2k3 you
*should* be able to get away with 2k drivers AFAIK. The transfer of data is
best done with a monitor intact (unfortunately you would have to do a repair
install to get ahold of the FAST feature which IIRC is in SBS 2k3) to
migrate the files and settings. For the most part I'd recommend going ahead
and cloning the drive exactly as it sits right now - make NO changes. From
there I'd do a repair install to get her going again. I'd take that drive,
put it in a new box and slave it so you can get the data to the new server
and from there I'd check drivers after a SBS install. You *might* be able to
get away with tossing the clone in as the master and then doing an upgrade
installation? It's worth looking into but I don't know if it's possible so
hopefully someone comes along and gives you advice on that.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Guest]

Hi Galen-

Interesting, the concern I have is that my vendor will install the OS on the
new server for me, and then the concern is the all the data, could I simply
copy the data from the old server onto the new one once I recieve that server
from out of the box, instead of mirgating the whole thing?

My vendor suggest installing the new OS on the server over the first, and
then do a coping or transfer?

Any best idea's on that issue?

D. Morales

"Always trying to figure out technology at its best!"

 

[Galen]

In (e-mail address removed) <[email protected]> had
this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Hi Galen-

Interesting, the concern I have is that my vendor will install the OS
on the new server for me, and then the concern is the all the data,
could I simply copy the data from the old server onto the new one
once I recieve that server from out of the box, instead of mirgating
the whole thing?

My vendor suggest installing the new OS on the server over the first,
and then do a coping or transfer?

Any best idea's on that issue?

D. Morales

I'm not sure I'd rely on a vendor to do the install when you can do it with
a head (monitor) and remove it later... If anything from the vendor's
suggestion I'd say go ahead and do the install and see if the older hardware
will work. Long before you should consider upgrading you need to know about
the legacy support in the hardware category... These are some rather obscure
printers which may or may not work with SBS 2k3 (a lot like Server 2k3 from
my understanding) and that needs to be looked at before giving your client
any official answers and estimations. If they will work (or even if you can
adapt a current driver for them) then go ahead and while you're at it get
the vendor to do the data copy - they're going to be there anyhow and you
can often get them to agree to something simple like that or do it yourself.

Once again I'm NO expert so if someone comes along with a better idea then I
hope you pick it. I haven't been in the trenches for about two and a half
years other than private work so other than my own installs of the various
OSes (I have done a remote installation of 2k3 but not SBS 2k3 for instance)
on my own systems to test and to make sure I was keeping up should I be
asked about them I can't really say but I would start with the drivers for
your client's sake.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Rob Stow]

Hello-

This a bit tricky, I have a customer who's server crashed on her today, it
will not logon or allow any workstations to log on. The computer is an old
PIII 800MHz system with a SCSI hard drive, with no CD-RW or DVD-RW drive(s)
or any USB ports on the system. The unit is over 5 years old.

She has data on it, and she is using two huge "Kinko" type printers for her
"Print on Demand" business. She desperately wants to replace the unit and go
with SBS 2003 Server Standard.

If this business is a franchise in a chain, contact the HQ for
that chain and see what their recommended setup is. Some chains
bend over backwards to help their franchises migrate to newer
hardware/software that conforms to the chain's standard, while
others leave the franchises to sink or swim. In some cases you
can save significantly by buying the new hardware and software
through a program run by the chain: the chain has stronger
buying/negotiating power than a single franchise.

 

[Guest]

Hi Rob -

Thank you for you efforts, no she is not a franchise or chain. She is
independent... she does P.O.D. Print on Demand. But, thank you for your
efforts.

We're going to copy the data off unto an external hard drive and install a
new server and OS to get her going.

I only now need to know where online to find out how to set up N.A.T. so
that we can get DSL working again through the server?

Any idea's where to look?