Hello,
We have a new client that has asked us to install a new SBS 2008 server. They currently have a SBS 2003 server, a 2003 server as a terminal server and 55 client computers.
If we had install and managed the SBS 2003 server we would have performed a migration but as we don't know the history of the server and there are numerous errors in the logs, I feel it would be too risky! My understanding is that over the past 5 years it has been supported by a number of different companies.
I have spoken to a couple of SBS people and their view is unless you have been supporting a server from the beginning or for a decent period of time and feel it is in good shape it is not worth the stress of a failed migration.
What do you think?
My only issue with a clean install is the amount of time our guys will be onsite to remove the client computers from the old domain and onto the new domain as well as having to reload the terminal server. Can anyone please advise if there is a way to remove the termianl server from the old domain and join a new domain without having to reload it? And what is the quickest and proven way to complete the workstations?
Thank you.
Hi Zinny,
this is a hard one. For me, it is good to at least migrate the users, exchange e-mail and file shares across to avoid all that hassle. You can check the state of the machine with the BPA tool. The AD should be in a good condition, if not, clean it up and then migrate that way. All the other settings / software installed on the old system die with the box when it is decommissioned, so it should be fine IMHO.
Thanks
David
Hi Zinny
If you have a large number of client pcs then migration of each of them over manually is very time consuming, the migration process for sbs 2008 can be tricky, I've completed 2 migrations and both had issues - which David and his book helped a great deal. A clean install of sbs 2008 worked very well for other clients.
In regards to your terminal server I think if you treated this as a number of client pcs, the migration is really your easier route. If your migrating, the terminal server should generally be unaffected until you change any group policies. Have you thought trying a virtual test environment, this will help you test if the processes will work for you.
good luck
Matt
Thank you for replying.
We have started doing a clean install in our workshop and by today will have the users, security groups, distribution groups and data folders etc created on the server. We have elected to do it this way as there are 5 years of users still in the system (most have moved on), a large number of security groups (most we believe are not required), silly client computer names have been used which we want to change (many of them don't exist) and plenty of errors in the logs. Cleaning all of this up and repairing the errors will take a large amount of time. At the end I will know that the AD and the general configuration will be in good condition.
My main concerns are;
1. I believe the Terminal Server should be able to be removed from the current domain and added into the new domain as the licencing server is the Terminal Server itself. Do you agree as I have read conflicting articles? If you agree could you please outline the steps you would use.
2. Joining the workstations to the new domain will allow us to rename them as we go which will mean new profiles for all users. We would currently copy their desktops, favourites, documents, PST archive files and their nickname caches. Are there any other items you would copy to try and keep their new profiles more similar to their old profiles?
Thanks again.
If you have the large amount of groups, it can be quiet a pain to change each one so they appear in the sbs mannager, so a cleaner install sounds like the better option for you.
I dont think the ADMT tool works any more for 2008 but a free tool which I've used in the past for users and pcs is ForensiT Domain Migration tool, it had a few issues - ie only being able to run it once on any one pc but I was using it on 2000 pro boxes into a sbs 2008 domain.
http://www.forensit.com/domain-migration.html
It allows quick migrations but you dont have a chance to rename the pcs. This can be done either before or after with only one restart I think.
There is some information about using ADMT to do a SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 in a different domain at the official SBS 2008 blog site -
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2009/05/01/sbs-2003-to-sbs-2008-migration-to-a-different-domain-name.aspx
Also, if you use the connect computer wizard it will take the users settings from one domain login to another and dis-join the old domain and join the new domain and keep the users settings. You will still need to manage the e-mail. Once the computer is on the new domain you can rename the PCs - less work for you to do on each PC.
Firstly thank you all very much for your replies!
Secondly I must apolgise for not logging in earlier. The project has been delayed until early May due to the client being unable to provide a free weekend.
This is where I am at;
Have created the users, the security and distribution groups, created the data folders and set the correct permissions etc. On the new server I attempted to join one of their old workstations using the "Connect" wizard as a trial but it only shows the Administrator account for the local machine and not the user accounts for their existing domain. My understanding was that the old domain user accounts on the PC would be able to be selected when joining the workstation to the new domain. Can anyone please confirm whether my understanding is correct and if so suggest why this isn't working?
I have checked to see whether the folders were set to private but I don't even have this option for any of the folders.
Thanks.
(c)David Overton 2006-23